Plano Balloon Fest

High In The Texas Sky Drone Show, RE/MAX Parachute Team, and Live Bands on Fox 4 Stage

The H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival entertainment will feature a drone show, parachute team sky divers, and live music all weekend. The newly added “High In The Texas Sky Drone Show” includes 200 drones by Sky Elements Drone Shows that is replacing the traditional fireworks show due to the continued burn ban in Collin County. Sky Elements recently achieved a Guiness World Records title and continues to spearhead the transition from fireworks to awe-inspiring drone shows. The drone performances will take place on September 22 and 23 on Friday and Saturday evenings, following the balloon* glow events.

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.

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

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

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.

TICKETS ARE REALLY ON SALE FOR THE H-E-B | CENTRAL MARKET PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL & RUN

Tickets are really on sale as of June 15 for the 2022 H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run that will be held September 22-25. General admission is $10 per person and tickets are $5 for children age 12 and under and seniors age 65 and up. Admission is free for children 36” and under and all Military and First Responders who present a valid ID. The Kids Fun Zone ride wristbands are $20 and include all day play on the inflatables and mechanical carnival rides. Individual ride tickets may be purchased for $2.50 each.

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.

CHARITABLE SPIRITS LIFT UP THE PLANO BALLOON FESTIVAL

Throughout the 39 years of producing this annual tradition within North Texas, the Plano Balloon Festival, Inc. has never experienced such a devastating loss. The Festival is not a large corporate entity, but rather a 501(c)3 non-profit organization led by 13 Board of Directors. The sadness, and significant economic loss, is shared with the 58 local non-profits, 75 vendors, dozens of sponsors, pilots, crew, and more than 5,000 volunteers who were committed to the event.

The Festival mission is to produce a family-oriented ballooning event to benefit the community. The objective is to also offer other non-profits an opportunity to assist with the operations of the Festival and raise funds. These agencies work the gates, parking lots, kids fun zone and the races. For their services these non-profits are compensated a portion of the revenue. However, this year they earned no money to apply towards their impactful programs within the community.

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