Plano Balloon Fest

HALF MARATHON MEDAL IS A HOT SLIDER!

The 2022 Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon Medal is a hot slider that features 12 colorful hot air balloons! Things are REALLY looking up is the theme for the festival this year and the finisher medals are floating high in the sky as a custom reward for runners to earn and enjoy. The concept for the design includes movement of one hot air balloon allowing it to ascend and descend with a simple slide up or down.

ROYAL RACE SHIRTS REVEALED

The 2022 Plano Balloon Festival race shirts are officially revealed to be a royal blue topflight heather tee with an artistic hot air balloon floating above the trail. The moisture wicking fabric on the high performance gender specific race shirts also provide seasonal comfort for the hot Texas weather that hits in early Fall. All adult runners registered for the Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 1K, Elevate Challenge and Sky High Challenge will receive this shirt in a size of their choice. Children age 12 and under signed up for the 1K super fun run receive a cape!

FESTIVAL WILL OPEN EARLY TO CELEBRATE THE PLANO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY

The H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run will open one day early to celebrate the Plano Symphony Orchestra’s 40^th Anniversary Season. The Festival will be opening to the public on Thursday, September 22 at 5:00 p.m. to kick-off the weekend with music, hot air balloons, festival food and vendors, along with the famous Central Market Kids Fun Zone. The special community concert begins at 7:00 p.m. and offers families the opportunity to enjoy the orchestra in an outdoor setting while the hot air balloons glow in the background. The music will include pieces from films like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Magnificent Seven, Silverado, and favorites from James Bond films.

“We understand the importance of celebrating big anniversaries and welcoming the Plano Symphony Orchestra to the 2022 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run will mark the first time the Symphony has performed an outdoor, family friendly, community concert. We’re very excited to showcase the Plano Symphony Orchestra at this year’s Festival and can’t wait to be part of this wonderful evening.”
Jo Via, Executive Director of Plano Balloon Festival, Inc.

THINGS ARE REALLY LOOKING UP!

“Things Are Really Looking Up” for the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run that is celebrating its 43^rd year on September 23-25. The City of Plano is the Official Hot Air Balloon Capital of Texas and this annual ballooning tradition will be held at the Red Tail Pavilion / Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve. The three-day weekend features more than 30 colorful hot air balloons, a RE/MAX parachute team exhibition, live entertainment on the FOX4 Main Stage, a spectacular fireworks show, marketing sponsors, food concessions, arts and crafts vendors, a kids fun zone, and more!

PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL BOARD CANCELS 2021

The Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2021 H-E-B Central Market Plano Balloon Festival that was scheduled for September 17 – 19. With the continued increase in COVID cases, specifically the Delta Variant, the Festival board and staff has considered the health and safety of our Festival pilots, attendees, volunteers, sponsors, and vendors our top priority. In making this difficult decision we are mindful of the extremely large number of families that attend the event, the majority of which have children under 12 years of age.

Providing a safe environment for everyone that visits the event is crucial, especially for our youngest attendees. Safety has been at the forefront of our Festival from the very beginning and that will not change. This was not an easy decision, but the right one to make. We deeply appreciate the support of our partners, sponsors, and the community; and look forward to the best festival ever in 2022.

PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL RECOGNIZED IN TEXAS AWARDS CEREMONY

The Plano Balloon Festival Inc. was recognized for 13 awards during the virtual 2020 Kaliff Marketing Awards ceremony that aired live from the City of McAllen and was livestreamed throughout Texas. The entries submitted were for events held between June 1, 2019 and May 31, 2020 and the competition includes more than 40 categories.

“2020 brought about many challenges to all of us across the State and across the Country. While the pandemic kept us apart, it did not keep us from finding new ways to come together, reconnect, reimagine, and recreate. We were able to bring our communities together in celebration, as we do through our events through TFEA,” stated Joe Vera, Chairman of Texas Festivals & Events Association.

ZOE WHITE CREWS FOR PEG LEG PETE THE PIRATE PARROT

Hot air balloon crew volunteers assist out-of-town pilots at the Plano Balloon Festival. Zoe White is a local resident that signed up in 2019 and was assigned to help with Peg Leg Pete the Pirate Parrot hot air balloon. Zoe is a Plano Senior High School graduate and enjoys sharing photography on her Instagram account SweetAzurePhotos.

TEAM MARIE CURIE FINISH THE PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL HALF MARATHON

By guest contributor: Iain McCorquodale

#PBFRaces Starting Line - Iain and Alisa McCorquodale — #PBFRaces Starting Line –
Iain and Alisa McCorquodale

My wife and I lost a close friend to a brain tumor in July of this year, and committed to run one half marathon a month over the next 12 months to raise funds for Marie Curie, a UK charity that provides care and support for people living with any terminal illness. More details can be found at www.justgiving.com/12halfmarathons. We are also substituting one of the half marathons for the 2018 London Marathon, the biggest in the world. So far, with the help of friends and business associates, Alisa and I have raised around £5554.50 for the charity, but with 10 more runs to go we are hopeful to raise more. Continue reading “TEAM MARIE CURIE FINISH THE PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL HALF MARATHON”

HOT AIR BALLOON TETHERED RIDES AT INTOUCH CREDIT UNION PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL

Tethered rides at InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival (photo credit: David Downs Photography)

Live life in color and take a tethered ride in a hot air balloon at the 2017 InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival that will be the weekend of September 22-24 at Oak Point Park. A tethered ride is when the hot air balloon lifts up and off the ground, it then hovers 20-30 feet above the field for several minutes, but the balloon won’t launch or fly away into the sky. This is a unique opportunity to experience the sensation of being in a hot air balloon with a licensed pilot. Continue reading “HOT AIR BALLOON TETHERED RIDES AT INTOUCH CREDIT UNION PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL”

MOVING COLORS PRESENTED BY VERIZON & LIMELIGHT PRESENTED BY DIRECT ENERGY SEPTEMBER 22-23

The InTouch Credit Union Plano Balloon Festival announced Moving Colors and Limelight as the main stage entertainment to perform September 22-23, 2017! This annual festival draws more than 100,000 guests to Oak Point Park during the 3-day weekend and this year marks the 38th for the community based non-profit organization. #PlanoBalloon

Continue reading “MOVING COLORS PRESENTED BY VERIZON & LIMELIGHT PRESENTED BY DIRECT ENERGY SEPTEMBER 22-23”

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