This weekend, the skies about Plano will be filled with colorful hot air balloons of all shapes and sizes. The 47th Plano Balloon Festival will take place Sept. 17-20 at Red Tail Pavilion at Oak Point Park.
Attendees can catch the dramatic balloon “glows” Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. This is when the pilots all fire up their burners at the same time and illuminate their balloons from inside.
On Saturday and Sunday morning at 7 a.m., there will be balloon launches, where more than 30 balloons will be inflated and take to the sky. Festival-goers will also get to talk with the balloon pilots and learn about the sport of hot air ballooning.
Leah Linney, of Austin, worked alongside fellow members of the “No Problems Crew” as they prepare a balloon for launch. (Steve Hamm/Dallas Morning News)
There will also be on-site tethered balloon rides where festival attendees will get to ride in a hot air balloon that hovers 20 to 30 feet above the ground for several minutes. Tickets are $20 for kids 6 to 12, and $30 for adults.
All of the festival fun begins at 5 p.m. on Thursday and ends on Sunday at 11 a.m. The highlights of the weekend include the Re/Max skydivers, a martial arts exhibition by the Shaolin Wu-Yi Institute, and laser shows presented by Boom Special Effects. Parents can also buy a $20 wristband for their kids and take them to the Kids Fun Zone.
There will also be live music by the Plano Symphony Orchestra, Midtown 10 Band, the Children’s Chorus of Collin County and the ICE House Band.
Robert Talley, of Forney, captures a photo on his smartphone of a hot air balloon before it is launched. (Steve Hamm/Dallas Morning News)
Attendees can park at the Collin College Spring Creek Campus, First United Methodist Church and Oak Point Recreation Center for $15 per car. Off-site parking will be at the Plano Event Center for $10 per car. There will also be free festival buses from the DART station at Parker Road and Archerwood Street.
Sept. 17 from 5 to 10 p.m., Sept. 18 from 4 to 10 p.m., Sept. 19 from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sept. 20 from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Red Tail Pavilion at Oak Point Park, 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano. Tickets are free for children under 36 inches, $5 for children 12 and under and for senior citizens, and $10 for adults. planoballoonfest.org.
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This article originally published at Plan your weekend among the clouds at the Plano Balloon Festival.