About Balloon Fiesta Park
A breathtaking and highly organized annual festival featuring over 500 vibrant balloons, early morning drone shows, dawn patrols, and magical night launches that make it a bucket-list experience for families.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families seeking a memorable visual spectacleEarly risers who enjoy outdoor morning eventsVisitors looking for a well-organized large-scale festivalToddlers and preschoolers who will be mesmerized by the giant colorful balloon shapesSchool-age children and teens capable of handling the early morning wake-up times for dawn patrol
Why families love it
- Watching over 500 uniquely designed balloons take flight at sunrise
- Stunning early morning drone light shows and dawn patrol displays
- Highly efficient Park and Ride shuttle service that bypasses heavy traffic
- Abundant food outlets, souvenir stands, and portable restrooms on-site
- Dawn Patrol and mass balloon lift-offs
- Night balloon launches
Insider tips
- Take the Park and Ride bus service to bypass long traffic queues and arrive within 30 minutes
- Dress warmly in layers as the park gets very chilly in the early morning hours
- Bring $20 in cash for parking if you decide to drive instead of taking the bus
- Apply sunscreen as the sun gets stronger after the morning launch
- Book balloon ride tickets at least one year in advance if you want to fly
Good to know before you go
- Driving your own vehicle to the park during peak morning hours due to long traffic lines
- Arriving late and missing the early morning drone show and dawn patrol
- Severe traffic congestion for those driving personal vehicles
- Extremely long booking lead times for balloon rides
- Crowds
- Very high crowd levels with significant vehicle traffic, though the venue is spacious and well-organized
- Value
- General entry is $15 per person plus a $1.50 fee, with on-site parking costing an additional $20 in cash. The event offers great value given the scale of the show, though balloon rides are a premium extra requiring booking a year ahead.
- Food
- Numerous food outlets and vendors are available throughout the park grounds
- Accessibility
- Park and Ride shuttle buses offer a more accessible and efficient way to reach the field compared to navigating personal vehicle traffic
- Safety
- Excellent staff organization and well-coordinated transportation services to manage large crowds safely
What parents say
"At first, hearing about the balloon fiesta from the locals…it seemed like a mixed bag regarding how they felt about the event. Some love it and go every year, others don’t like all the outsiders coming…I am glad that we listened to the most important information from both parties…you should go at least once! We did and enjoyed the dawn patrol and lift off! Everyone should go once if you are in the south western United States!"
6 months ago
"We spent the entire morning there. Really cool watching the balloons launch. QUICK NOTE: It is even cooler watching the balloons launch at night. Great food. Additional Note: If you want to ride in one of the balloons it is IMPERATIVE you buy your tickets AT LEAST one year in advance."
3 months ago
"Very well organized. We used the park and ride facility and highly recommend it. Our driver Robert added to the fun and excitement with his enthusiasm and great sound track. We arrived in Balloon field within 30 minutes passing long lines of traffic and well before the drone display. We had a fantastic day and got the bus back to the park and ride at 1000 6 hours of fun with lots of food outlets and souvenirs."
7 months ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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