Plano Balloon Fest

Ninja Nation Obstacle Course Added To H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival For Warriors to Compete

Ninja Nation Mobile Obstacle Course will be taking over the field on Saturday, September 23 at the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival. The three Ninja age brackets will compete on custom courses between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Participants must register in advance and sign a waiver onsite prior to participating. Medals will be awarded in each section. All Ninjas will receive a Raising Cane’s Achievement Award for their participation valid for a free Kid’s Meal at any DFW Raising Cane’s Restaurant.

Jr. Ninjas will be challenged with an American Ninja Warrior style obstacle course appropriate for ages 4-6 years old. This course will test speed and agility, starting with the quad Steps and ending with the famous Warped Wall! Ninjas will attempt to navigate the Tik Toks, Swinging Trapeze and giant balance logs just to name a few of the obstacles. The Jr. Division will run the course between 9am and 11am. Medals will be awarded for top 3 athletes in each age and gender division based on their times/completion of the obstacle course.

THANK YOU VOTERS FOR THE 2023 BEST EVENT/FESTIVAL AWARD!

The H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival was voted the Best Event/Festival courtesy of Plano Magazine. The July/August issue featuring the Best of Plano highlights “The Guide to the Good Stuff.” The 2^nd place winner within the Culture & Entertainment category is Dickens in Downtown Plano and 3^rd place winner is Deerfield Lights.

Plano is the Official Hot Air Balloon Capital of Texas and will celebrate that distinction with a balloon launch* on Sunday, September 24 at 6:00 a.m. The Festival began in Plano in 1980 and has continued as an annual tradition for families to learn about ballooning. From the sunrise inflations to the sunset glows, the wonder of hot air balloons is an unforgettable adventure for our community and everyone who visits Plano. Discover Plano through its live music, eateries, and local culture with a wide range of amenities vibrantly showcased on the Visit Plano website.

2023 HOT AIR BALLOONS & PILOTS

A rainbow of colors, animals, and shapes will be flying High in the Texas Sky at the 2023 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival on September 21-24! Lulu the leopard, Fire Dog, Mister Z, Daz the Whirling Rascal, and Spyder Pig are a few of the special shapes to be spotted among 37 hot air balloons. A Tethered Balloon Ride is a fun experience taking riders up in the air to hover 20-30 feet above the ground for several minutes. This is just the right amount of time to get the feeling of floating, take magical photos and videos, and check “ride in a hot air balloon” off your lifelong list of things to do.

The four-day weekend begins on Thursday, September 21 and continues through Sunday, September 24. TICKETS are available online or at the gate. General admission is $10 for adults, $5 – kids 3-12 years old, $5 – Seniors 65 and older, free for kids 36″ and under, and free for all Military and First Responders (with valid ID).

**MR. Z**
Pilot: Dan Stukas
Central, South Carolina

Big Red Again hot air balloon pilot Joseph Calabrette from Hickory Creek, Texas — **BIG RED AGAIN**
Pilot: Joseph Calabrette
Hickory Creek, Texas

**FIRE DOG**
Pilot: Brian Chase
Moscow, Pennsylvania

RE/MAX Pilot: Steven Lombardi Edgewood, Texas — **RE/MAX**
Pilot: Steven Lombardi
Edgewood, Texas

SPYDERPIG Pilot: Michael Celentano Allen, Texas — **SPYDERPIG**
Pilot: Matt Robison
Allen, Texas

STARDUST Pilot: Amanda Ibbotson-Sullivan Grand Prairie, Texas — **STARDUST**
Pilot: Mark Ibbotson
Grand Prairie, Texas

TICKETS ON SALE!

Tickets are officially on sale for the 2023 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival as of Friday, July 14. The four-day event is September 21-24 and special shapes include: Mister Z, Fire Dog, Spider Pig, Rocky and Bullwinkle, Leopard, and Daz – the Whirling Rascal.

Admission, tickets and parking pricing are as follows:

$10 General Admission
$5 Kids Ages 3-12
$5 Seniors 65 and Over
FREE for Kids 36” and Under
$10 Off-site Parking and $15 Prime Parking
$20 All Day Kids Fun Zone Ride Wristband
$2.50 Per Ride Kids Fun Zone
$20 Kids Ages 6-12 Tethered Hot Air Balloon Ride
$30 Tethered Hot Air Balloon Ride
$50 VIP Plano Symphony Orchestra Concert

The H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival is continuing the collaboration with the Plano Symphony Orchestra on Thursday, September 21. A limited number of VIP Tickets are available for $50; and include prime parking at First United Methodist Church, Festival admission, special VIP reception at 6:00 p.m. and VIP seating for the 7:30 p.m. concert on the FOX 4 Main Stage.

H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival Soars “High In The Texas Sky”

The H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival is going to soar “High In The Texas Sky” on September 21-24. Opening day, Thursday, September 21 will showcase the Plano Symphony Orchestra’s family friendly concert on the FOX4 Main Stage. Hot air balloons will inflate and glow* after the sun sets at Oak Point Park where the flickering of flames will dance in the dark.

On Friday, September 22 the gates open at 4:00 p.m. and includes the RE/MAX Sky Diving Parachute Exhibition. Live entertainment by dance band Party Machine covers decades of hit music, the hot air balloon glow* is presented by RE/MAX, along with a spectacular fireworks show. Saturday, September 23 the gates open at 6:00 a.m. for a balloon launch* presented by Dos Equis, the official beer and hard seltzer sponsor of the festival. The Fox4 Main Stage features Ice House, an energetic party band of musicians, professional dancers, and dynamic singers. H-E-B and Central Market present the evening hot air balloon glow* at 7:00 p.m. followed by an amazing music choreographed fireworks show.

TRAFFIC ALERTS & CLOSURES

“Traffic Alert for the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival! Please be aware that this event will be a multi-day event and include multi-day closures. Be sure to plan accordingly!” City of Plano, Texas Government

Closures:
Spring Creek between Jupiter and Parker Rd. will close on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 2 pm and reopen Sunday, Sept. 25, by midnight. Throughout the event – the area around Oak Point park will have various road closures and increased traffic.

The H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run is open:
Thursday, Sept. 22. 5-10 pm
Friday, Sept. 23. 4-10 pm
Saturday, Sept. 24. 6 am – 10 pm
Sunday, Sept. 25. 6 am – 7 pm
View the full Schedule of Events.

MAYOR PROCLAIMS SEPTEMBER 22-25 AS H-E-B | CENTRAL MARKET PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL DAYS

WHEREAS, in 1979 Jim and Haverly Marshall moved to Plano and set up the Balloon Academy of Texas. A love for hot air balloons inspired him to offer balloon rides to those attending the city’s 4th of July celebration, and this simple act led to the launch of the annual Plano Balloon Festival; and

WHEREAS, over the past four decades, the love of hot air balloons has grown exponentially in Plano. Citizens of all ages and visitors alike continue to be mesmerized by the many beautiful hot air balloons dotting the Plano skies each fall during the balloon festival. This signature event has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors to Plano and an untold multitude of local residents enjoy the privilege of watching the balloons from their own backyards, nearby parks and neighborhood gathering places over the years; and

2022 HOT AIR BALLOONS & PILOTS

Things are really looking up for the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run and dozens of beautiful hot air balloons will participate in the 2022 activities. The special shapes include Zorro, Allycorn the Unicorn, Axel the Tiger, SpyderPig, Billy the Kid, Gizmo, and Airmadillo Cowboy. Take a Tethered Balloon Ride that lifts off the ground, hovers 20-30 feet above the ground for several minutes, but you won’t launch or fly away.

The festival is open September 22-25 and TICKETS are available online or at the gate. General admission is $10 for adults, $ 5 – kids 3-12 years old, $ 5 – Seniors 65 and older, free for kids 36″ and under, and free for all Military and First Responders (with valid ID).

Airmadillo Cowboy Pilot: Charlie Edwards Ft. Myers, Florida — **AIRMADILLO COWBOY**
Pilot: Charlie Edwards
Ft. Myers, Florida

Aris Pilot: Jason Provost Hurst, Texas — **ARIS**
Pilot: Jason Provost
Hurst, Texas

Axel Pilot: Craig Farrell Australia — **AXEL**
Pilot: Craig Farrell
Australia

Billy the Kid hot air balloon pilot Steven Stokoe from Lutz, Florida — **BILLY THE KID**
Pilot: Steven Stokoe
Lutz, Florida

CONCERT & HOT AIR BALLOON GLOW KICK-OFF FESTIVAL ON SEPTEMBER 22

This year the Plano Symphony Orchestra is celebrating with a 40th Anniversary Season and will open this year’s festival with a special outdoor community concert on Thursday, September 22 at 7:00 p.m. The concert offers families the opportunity to enjoy the orchestra in an outdoor setting while the hot air balloons glow in the background.

Plano Symphony Orchestra to give live concert at Plano Balloon Festival

The concert will include music for the entire family beginning with the “The Star Spangled Banner” and followed with pieces by Tchaikovsky, Bizet, Bernstein, and Ellington. Concertgoers will also hear selections from films like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Magnificent Seven, Silverado, and favorites from James Bond films. The PSO’s Maestro Héctor Guzmán will conduct the orchestra. The PSO’s appearance at the 2022 Balloon Festival is made possible, in part, by the support of H-E-B/Central Market, Tammy and Charles Miller, and Dianne and Marion Brockette.

10K, 5K, AND 1K FINISHER MEDALS FOR PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL RACES

The 2022 Plano Balloon Festival Races finisher medals will have you sliding and gliding into the finish line, to earn one of these air-tastic medals on September 24-25! Each race medal features 12 colorful hot air balloons and is set in antique silver. The 5K and 10K medals both feature a hot air balloon that slides up and down! The 1K and 5K medals are both 3″ and the 10K medal is 3 1/2″ in size.

Runner registration also includes complimentary parking at Collin College on race day and two tickets to the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival that may be used September 22-25. The gates open at 6:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday and free breakfast set-up for runners to enjoy before or after their race.

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