My parents met and married in Albuquerque, New Mexico, so my brothers and I know all about the city’s famed hot air balloon extravaganza. But, recently I took my daughter to a much smaller hot air balloon festival in Wisconsin. She loved it and she wasn’t alone. There were many other families with children of all ages enjoying the sight of dozens of colorful balloons on the ground and in the air. If you are looking to brighten up your travels, arrange your next trip around a hot air balloon festival. Here’s a list of some festivals taking place around the country.
· The Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival in Foley, Alabama. The big event runs from June 16th-18th.
· The New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, scheduled for the last weekend in July in Readington, N.J., between Philadelphia and New York plans mass ascensions twice a day, plus concerts by the Charlie Daniels Band.
· The Great Falls Balloon Festival near Portland, Maine attracts spectators from across New England. The festival is celebrating its 14th anniversary August 18th-20th.
· The Temecula Valley Balloon and Wine Festival (located off Interstate 15 between San Diego and Riverside) offers spectators samples of wines from Napa Valley and elsewhere in Southern California.
· The Shenandoah Valley Hot Air Balloon and Wine Festival is coming up in October. It’s located in Millwood, Virginia, about 60 miles west of Washington, D.C.
· And the granddaddy of them of all, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico runs from October 6th-15th.
If none of these events fit your travel plans, visit www.hotairballooning.com and look for “Find a Festival.” It’s arranged by region, so you can find a hot air balloon event in your area. The schedule is outdated, but it provides each event’s Web link so you can see what their plans are for this year.