Plano Balloon Fest

NO PROB LLAMA AND COMO SE LLAMA

Courtesy of Bard Balloon:
“Congratulations to Bill Broker & Uplifting Adventures for the construction and beautiful execution of two, twin, brand-new Bard Balloons designed special shape hot air balloon envelopes.

The pink Llama is named Como Se Llama and owned by Stephanie Maughan from the St. Louis area.

The dark grey Llama is named No Prob Llama and owned by Bill Broker.

These balloons use the BARD Racer profile and use smooth skin gores with no visible lofting between load tapes. With a base volume of only 65k, a total volume of 71.3k, and with those super-tall ears they stand a full 106 feet tall. Using Bard Balloons brand-new second generation FLOATCOAT lightweight fabric in custom dyed colors, these two envelopes only weight 201 lbs each.”

RISE & SHINE WITH HOT AIR BALLOONS & PILOTS SEPT 18-21

Rise & Shine and have a good time with more than 30 hot air balloons at the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival on September 18-21. Among the special shapes includes Ms. Autumn that is a giant pumpkin with a massive green stem, and Barnstormer that features a cow, horse, pig, farmer and silo; representing the American farmers that feed our great nation. Voluntold is a historical nod to the first balloon flight in 1783 and pilot Gary Moore has incorporated a sheep, duck and rooster into the design to honor the passengers who originally flew and safely landed. Ziggy the Raccoon is ready for adventure, Bud E Beaver weighs 700 pounds, and fans will adore seeing Lovebirds, Fire Dog, and Police Dog on the field.

H-E-B Hot Air Balloon pilot Amie Cato at the Plano Balloon Festival — **H-E-B**
Pilot: Amie Cato
Paris, Texas

Central Market Whisked Away hot air balloon with pilot Matt Robison of Fort Worth Texas — **H-E-B**
Pilot: Amie Cato
Paris, Texas

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

**BARNSTORMER**
Pilot: David Adler
Belgrade, Montana

Ziggy the Raccoon Hot Air Balloon at the Plano Balloon Festival — **BARNSTORMER**
Pilot: David Adler
Belgrade, Montana

TICKETS ON SALE

Tickets are officially on sale for the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival that is themed to “Rise & Shine” on September 18-21. The four-day weekend has exciting new attractions featuring Portillo’s 32-foot long Beef Bus® and a Classic Car Show including Oldsmobile, Chevy, Buick, Pontiac and Cadillac. Thomas J. Henry Law, the largest personal injury law firm in Texas, is sponsoring the Spectacular Pyrotex Fireworks Show on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Families can explore the Whataburger Kids Korner Free Art Tent located in the Central Market Kids Fun Zone full of inflatables, slides and rides. Watch the RE/MAX sky divers land on the field, take a tethered ride in a hot air balloon, or climb in the front seat of the ultimate driving machine courtesy of BMW of Plano.

Admission and parking fees are as follows:

$10 General Admission
$5 Kids Ages 3-12
$5 Seniors 65 and Over
FREE for Kids 36” and Under
FREE for Military and First Responders (with valid ID)
$10 Off-site Parking and $15 Prime Parking
$20 All Day Kids Fun Zone Ride Wristband
$50 VIP Plano Symphony Orchestra Concert

Festival Dates & Hours
September 18 – 5:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
September 19 – 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
September 20 – 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
September 21 – 6:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

RISE & SHINE SEPTEMBER 18-21

The H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival will “Rise & Shine” on September 18-21 in a four-day celebration of ballooning at Oak Point Park. The annual event is a family-friendly weekend of activities with magnificent hot air balloons, spectacular fireworks show, carnival rides, fair food, cultural performances, live bands, and local vendors. The Festival is sponsored by H-E-B, Central Market, FOX 4, RE/MAX, BMW, and Whataburger; and funded in part by the City of Plano.

Children of all ages can experience the Whataburger Kids Korner Free Art Tent located in the Central Market Kids Fun Zone full of inflatables, slides and rides. Stroll the park and shop hand-crafted artwork, toys, gifts, apparel and other merchandise from 35 merchandise vendors providing an assortment of décor, artwork and more. Climb in the front seat of an ultimate driving machine, experience exceptional customer service and exclusive offers with BMW of Plano.

H-E-B | CENTRAL MARKET PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL TO LIGHT UP THE SKY ON SEPT 19-22

The 2024 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival is preparing to Light Up The Sky and celebrate 45 years of ballooning on September 19-22. More than 40 pilots with colorful hot air balloons and special shapes will participate throughout the Thursday to Sunday event, funded in part by the City of Plano, the official Balloon Capital of Texas. Since 1980 the Festival has remained dedicated to educating attendees about ballooning and offering other non-profits an opportunity to raise funds and awareness for their programs and services. The Festival additionally showcases approximately 55 vendors, 35+ corporate exhibitors, and more than 2,000 volunteers from across North 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

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.

Sponsors