Stowe Hot Air Balloon Festival in beautiful Stowe, Vermont.

LAUNCH A GREAT GETAWAY!
Stowe Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Information subject to change.

Come to Stowe Vermont for the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival.

The Stowe Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place at the beginning of July in the scenic town of Stowe, Vermont. The event kicks off with sunrise launches (with as many as 25 balloons) and a second twilight launch as well. Watch a parade of hot-air balloons soar through the sky. Enjoy free admission when you stay at Stoweflake and don’t miss a single moment. View breathtaking launches, enjoy live entertainment, all while sitting back and relaxing with offerings in the beer and wine garden.

Kick start your getaway with a Bloody Mary and delicious breakfast at Charlie B’s. Take a dip in our indoor swimming pool or venture out into the many shops of the Mountain Road Marketplace before the festival. You’ll be delighted by all the activities you can take part in all within walking distance of Stoweflake!

Admission: $10 (Kids under 12 are free)

This annual celebration will include a children’s corner with a variety of activities (nominal fees may apply), live entertainment, delicious food and a beer and wine garden. Festival attendees are welcome to join in on the high flying fun with hot-air balloon rides priced at $300 per person – advanced reservations are required. Tethered hot-air balloon rides will be available for $10 per person on a first come first serve basis. All rides are weather permitting and at the discretion of the pilot.

Please leave pets and coolers at home for field safety reasons, they will not be allowed on to the festival grounds.

FRIDAY.

4:00 pm: Gates Open

  • Children’s Activities Begin
  • Food, Beer & Wine Tent Opens
  • Gift Shops Open
  • Spa Tent Open for Chair Massage & Facials

5:00 pm: Live Music Begins
7:00 pm: Approximate Time for Sunset Launch!

SATURDAY.

6:30 am: Approximate Time for Sunrise Launch
4:00 pm: Gates Open
  • Children’s Activities Begin
  • Food, Beer & Wine Tent Opens
  • Gift Shops Open
  • Spa Tent Open for Chair Massage & Facials
5:00 pm: Live Music Begins. 7:00 pm: Approximate Time for Sunset Launch!

SUNDAY.

6:30 am: Approximate Time for Sunrise Launch

EVENT RECOMMENDATIONS:

Evening Festival Launches (Friday & Saturday Evening): There is an admission fee ($10 for ages 12 and up) and is recommended for families and large groups looking for the festival atmosphere. All kid’s activities, games, food, and beer/wine garden will open by 4:00pm on Friday and Saturday Evening. Be sure to bring your blankets to lay on! **There is NO Sunday Evening Launch or festival activities.
Morning Quiet Launches (Saturday & Sunday Morning): Free! This experience is quite different than the evening launches as there is no vendor activity (also meaning, please plan on eating before or after the morning launches as there will be no food or beverages served on the field. We know kids can be hungry this early in the morning). Feel free to wake up before the sun and visit the fields to talk to pilots up close and personal- great for photos as well!
Reminder: No Pets or Coolers allowed at the event. Please do not leave pets in the car while at the festival, the weather is hot in July and no place for animals!

Fun Facts About Ballooning!

  • The first passengers on a hot air balloon were a sheep, a duck, and a rooster…after an 8-minute flight they all survived!
  • There are 3 main parts to a hot air balloon. The large balloon on top is called an ‘envelope’. It holds hot air created by a heat source known as a burner, as well as the basket underneath to hold the passengers!
  • The longest hot air balloon flight ever recorded was piloted by Richard Branson. The flight originated in Japan and touched ground in northern Canada. This flight was also the fastest recorded, flying across the skies at 245 miles per hour.
  • Scientist Jean-François Pilâtre De Rozier and aristocrat François Laurent d’Arlandes were the first people chosen to fly in a balloon. On November 21, 1783, the men flew for 20 minutes, becoming the first people to experience sustained flight.
  • Established by Abraham Lincoln, the Balloon Corps had seven balloons, at least 12 gas generators, and a flat-top balloon barge that used to be an old steamboat. The Balloon Corps disbanded in 1863, as it turns out that giant balloons make good targets to shoot at during combat.