My husband and I went to the Plano Balloon Festival to view the 7:00 AM balloon send-off, and it is such a nice early morning activity! Traffic was quite heavy due to the event, so you definitely want to plan accordingly--though I was very impressed by the police, who were extremely helpful in guiding traffic and keeping everything moving. Tickets were very reasonable at $10 per person, and free for children. When it comes to parking, there are two main lots to choose from: $10 Lot: Quite a walk from the festival ground $15 Lot: Located on the Collin College campus and is significantly closer, which is a lifesaver on a sunny day. Inside the festival, there are plenty of food vendors, portable toilets, and games for the children. The volunteer emcee was great, making some funny comments while announcing the balloons as they inflated. At one point, attendees were allowed down onto the field to take a closer look at the balloons. Just be aware that it gets very crowded, so definitely keep your little ones close by. As you can imagine, the balloon show itself isn't super long--maybe an hour at the most--but it's a wonderful experience. Tips for future visitors: Bring a blanket or towel to sit on the ground while viewing the balloons. Pack a hat, sunglasses, a portable fan, and plenty of water (especially if it's a sunny day). I definitely recommend checking it out! read more

Blown away by the terrible reviews. I'll be real with you, I wanted to attend this festival last year and wrote it off as I've been on a sunrise hot air balloon ride in Luxor over the Valley of Kings in Egypt and I just can't imagine how Plano will top that. Then I later regretted, not participating in a community event and giving it a chance seeing that I like hot air balloons. It'd be like refusing to go view a vintage carousel in some random small town if I'm not seeing it in a big city. This year I told myself I would not miss this event. I attended on Thursday evening. I pulled into the $15 parking lot at the church by 1805 and had zero issues with any traffic. I parked and walked a couple hundred yards to the festival. Rookie mistake: leaving my beach chair and picnic blanket in my trunk. Everyone had their tailgating chairs and blankets. Bring yours! I had a corn dog and lemonade in hand within 10min and walked around to check out the booths. The HEB booth was the only thing that caught my eye. I found a spot on the lawn by 7p and awaited the 730p "glow". It was set to music which was absolutely lovely. It's truly such a cute experience! Perfect date night. I went solo as I don't require company to attend anything but nonetheless this is a nice little fam bam activity, date night or solo excursion. There was a little chocolate truck that I wish I'd snagged a little treat from. Everything looked yummy in it but I skipped. I don't care much about a launch as I'm certain there's nothing in the area I'm interested in an aerial view of. This is Plano, not Cappadocia but if you're into that, to each their own. I've watched hot air balloons soar above the Teotihuacan pyramids in CDMX and it really was beautiful, I'm sure the launch is special as well. I wouldn't rule out this festival based on the poor reviews. With proper planning, I'm confident you'll find it to be a rewarding experience. I departed around 830p and had no real issue with congestion. I face worse trying to come and go from my office each day so I'm not certain what scale of measurement we're using here. Go early, leave early and I'd assume that would help but what the hell do I know?! Parking $15 Admission $10 Corn dog and lemonade $22 read more

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Traffic control SUCKS we sat for 45 min and then we were directed to a soften place super far from event if I could walk 2-3 miles I would have parked there. And this was not time for the balloon lifts which were later it was ridiculous and prob would not try again because of it read more

We bought the tickets , paid for parking , and still nobody told us that there is no balloon flying or even inflating , they just had fire in , it was a complete rip of I spend almost hundred dollars and there was not even one balloon flight. In this economy , it was not right to pay this much for nothing. people want to take their kids , cut some other expenses , to pay for an event , and event cancels and instead of balloon festivals they tell you watch fire . It's like you go shopping and instead of a dress they force you to get a hat and you have to pay for it . I had two guests from Spain and Italy , they were surprised of this craziness, too . read more

$10 ticket $15 parking - remote was closed Event was over by 8:25 am Emcee prattled on for over an hour and reminded us 7 times why we should leave early because the ballooners need to leave to get on the road. Campus police did little to nothing to help w flow of traffic. Old guys standing behind their cars on Jupiter and not helping w traffic. Major safety issues Don't waste time on Sundays. Balloons we fun but crowd was very disappointed read more

This is definitely an experience, first you have to navigate through some serious traffic. Get in line to park, then find a spot. I recommend parking where you can easily find your car. Once you park follow the crowds to the entrance to the festival. You are allowed to bring a blanket or lawn chairs, but it's a hike. Wear comfy shoes, and dress for the weather. This is an experience. For me this is my first for a balloon festival. So I made sure I did a little research. If you choose to ride the hot air balloon, it's 30 per person. Cash only. I recommend getting your cash at the bank to avoid their 4.00 fee for using their atm read more

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WORST experience ever. my family from out of country bought 'VIP" tickets before they arrived in the USA. There was NO VIP parking, NO VIP shade, facilities, assistance, staff, clarity, organization at this poorly organized, run and chaotic "festival". OH they also didn't see a balloon, so they left... nice taste of Texas, people. I'm fighting with the organizers to get their money refunded, do NOT waste your time or money read more

Locals, like us, look forward to the Plano Balloon Festival!! Not many people know that this annual event was created to help non-profit agencies fundraise and bring awareness to their programs and services. Over time it grew into a huge family-oriented fun-filled event. They do a spectacular job!! I was blown away by the negative Yelp reviews. If you're expecting it to be the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta -- then yes, you're going to be very very disappointed. This is a small town affair and it's actually quite organized, safe, and impressive. This event traditionally is held over a long weekend sometime in mid-September. There is literally a fee for everything but keep in mind that this is one giant fundraiser. It's a very safe event to attend, there are dozens of police and security officers in general. They also have a special area set up if you need medical attention. Parking: There is a lot of parking across the street at the Plano Event Center ($10.00). There is limited parking at Collin College ($15.00). The VIP and handicap parking is the closest, follow the signs, I have no idea what those areas cost. FYI: If you need "handicap" parking, I can tell you it is a very long walk (a lot of uneven ground) just to get to the ticket booth. Tickets: Adults are $10.00 and it's $5.00 for those over 65. Children's tickets are discounted or free depending on their age. Keep in mind this is only an entry fee. If you plan to eat, drink, or enjoy rides -- those all cost extra. The prices were very similar to prices at the Texas State Fair. Entertainment: Every year they offer different kinds of music, shows and fireworks on different nights. Typically you can find that information on all of the promotional materials or on their website. The entertainment is included in your entry fee. Our evening was wonderful! In general, people brought chairs or blankets and found a spot to see the balloons light up, hear the music, and eat. It was a pet-friendly environment too! There were over 100+ vendors! Funnel cakes, fried pies, ice cream, BBQ, corn dogs, hamburgers, boba tea, beer, frozen drinks, as well as light up toys, t-shirts, candles, and homemade items to name a few. Dozens of companies promoted their products and had a ton of free swag to give away (or you could win bigger items with a spin wheel). There's also a Cornhole Tournament, a PBF marathon, The balloons were beautiful!! A lot of work goes into the setup and the night light show. These people love what they do and all they want is your appreciation for their time and energy. read more

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This was my first experience of the Plano Balloon Festival, and I wasn't certain if the experience would be what I had anticipated. The website helped in understanding what all was involved so I went for the Saturday morning balloon launch vs the evening balloon glow. I felt like I had made the right choice for what I wanted to see with the balloons actively taking off. What was a bit clunky was the parking and traffic. I thought I had left early enough to get to the event and found I was amongst plenty of others with the same idea. By the time I parked and then had the walk to the actually launch area (just under a mile walk so you can prepare accordingly) the balloons had already started inflating. The good news is the launch event takes time as they don't all inflate and take off at the same time so I hadn't really missed out. In fact, I'd say allow about an hour or so from the posted start time of the launch to see them all off. I didn't hang around after that so I can't speak to what else there is to do after the balloons leave the area. Still something neat to see. read more

Plano Balloon Festival - Festivals Near Me - Plano, Texas

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This late summer/early fall festival happens in late September at Oak Point Park in Plano, TX. Yes, it has already happened this year, but save the date for next year- the dates for 2023 are September 21, 22, and 23. Other than watching hot air balloons, there is still plenty to do. You can find vendors at the fair, listen to concerts and performances, meet the pilots when they land, watch dancers, and enjoy the food court. Feel like running? Sign up for the 5k that happens on the Saturday morning of the fair. There is also a Kid's Fun Zone with games, rides, and art activities. Want to ride in a balloon? While you can't get full rides, you can do a tether ride for $25 (or $15 for kids). Depending on where you park, it's anywhere from $5 to $20.This year (2022)the parking attendants weren't accepting credit cards. and they have a lot of diversions they couldn't a lot of good parking. Tip: GO early for next year if you would like to enjoy it because of the traffic rules and diversion you will not be able to reach the place on time. read more

Plano Balloon Festival - Festivals Near Me - Plano, Texas

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I hate to give a 1 star review, but this was a deeply underwhelming experience. I wish I read these reviews before I went so I never wasted all that money and gas. Like others said, there are NO balloons. For a festival that has been going on for years, the organization and planning is awful. When trying to find parking, we got stuck in the same place 0.3 miles away from the main event parking on E Spring Creek Pkwy for over 30 minutes until we gave up and just parked far away. Even walking to the festival, it was so crowded that it was difficult to cross the street. The festival itself was crowded as well. With the tents and stands so tightly packed together, people were Everywhere and you couldn't easily walk around anywhere except the hill. We came in the evening to see the Balloon Glow event, which was put on an hour late. Being called a "Balloon" event, I wrongly assumed there would be balloons. It was simply a "show" turning fire on and off. Please save your time, money, and energy and go do something else. read more

Disgusting experience, every road leading to the event is blocked or closed, no parking and just waste of time on roads. Very disappointin, will never go to the plano one. read more

I should have heeded the previous review on here. This year I went and both the balloon launch and the balloon glow was canceled due to "windy weather". All I felt was a slight breeze. Just like previous reviews, there was no official announcements and the rumor of cancellation spread through crowd and social media. We wasted money on entrance and unreasonably expensive parking. I'd say there probably 10% chance of actually seeing a balloon inflated here. The festival website encouraged to not bring outside food or icebox because there are vendors, however the vendor lines are monstrous long. It can easily take more than half hour to get item from on stand. Overall overwhelmingly disappointing and forgettable experience. read more

Came here for the first time after living in the area for 15 years. Always heard great things about it. Parking took FOREVER to get into, so make sure to plan accordingly. They have parking available in the grass area of the college across the street, so you don't have to worry about not having enough parking, but there are only a few entrances. The site itself is a small street area with vendors & grass. Lines typically go into the grass, so make sure to bring bug spray, especially if planning on staying until dark. The experience was truly magical - great for kids too. They don't recommend bringing dogs as the sound of the balloons getting inflated can be loud, but if you're far away behind the vendors in the hilly grass, it's fine. Overall, I'd recommend & I'd go again. read more

Plano Balloon Festival - 2022 Balloons night - Festivals Near Me - Plano, Texas

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We went here on a Saturday night. Drove all the way to Plano. Fought the parking. Fought the disorganized entrance. Fought the crowds. Paid the entrance fee. Sat on rock hard hill for 2 hours. We watched the beginning when the balloons get fired up. Then, without any notification or communication, the launch or glow or whatever was supposed to happen was canceled due to wind. We found when people started leaving and rumors spread through the crowd. Oddly, there was barely a breeze. Tree branches were barely moving. Complete and total waste of time and money. Never again. read more

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Went two years in a row and both times were such disappointments. We did not see any balloons due to either trickles of rain one year or too windy the other year. Neither is the fault of the festival but why keep going to sit over two hours in traffic for parking to have a 75% likelihood that you won't even see any balloons. Skip it. read more

Poorly organized - from the traffic flow & parking to keeping spectators informed regarding the 'show'...everything seemed like a logistical nightmare. Love to support local festivals, but can't get behind this one. read more

$15 parking! Advertised 7 am start was false--nothing was even set up at that time. Breeze was lower at 6:45 when we arrived; wish they'd have been ready to go and just left on time. Announcer made a big deal of explaining breezy conditions & how dangerous it is for the balloons. All that to prepare the crowd for the inevitable disappointment that they wouldn't even set them up this morning. Instead you're paying to watch the pilots throw bean bags at a target on the ground (which normally they'd do from aloft). Guess all the fees to park & enter go to their awards for whoever gets closest. Only saving grace for us was the free entry for veterans--thank you! Will probably not ever come back if the entire point of the event is subject to such unpredictability. read more

Plano Balloon Festival - Festivals Near Me - Plano, Texas

Weather was not our friend this year & that's not the reason this event gets 1 star from me. It's the total & complete deceit & outright lies we were told Sure, I'm all about safety first & I know weather is out of our control but when you specifically state 2 hrs before the event that the launch was cancelled for weather but there WILL STILL be a special Balloon Glow, that's what we expect.....you know full well by that time if you're inflating the balloons Turned out, later in the afternoon, after we drove 45 min back to the field to see the event, the Festival organizers CHANGED the post to remove the reference to hot air balloons and replace it with "pilots" The overall lack of communication throughout the event was pathetic and we would be there for hours before finally / if ever getting confirmation that events were cancelled but to outright lie to us to get to the field then to change your post right before the (non)event is something I cannot overlook And the fact the hot air ballon pilots offloaded ONLY their baskets and nothing else tells us everyone KNEW the glow was not happening. Yet the lies persisted from event organizers Shame on you! read more

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I'm not from here so dependijt on this to find it was a night mare unless you want free parking and don't mind walking a lot. But with small children - crazy- walked on a fort road ended up in the back staff parking lot - was so lost for so long thankfully a cop gave us a ride back by the time we made it my son wanted to go back to the car. Guess it wasnt meant to be lol. Don't go into this parking lot that this map tells you keep driving up and I guess that's where the event is ill never know won't go back haha read more

Been going to this since the 90s. Great community of people.. literally thousands of volunteers.. and supporting MANY other local nonprofits! Only thing that would make it better is if they could control the weather!! read more

Plano Balloon Festival - Just before fireworks. - Festivals Near Me - Plano, Texas

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This is a cool 3-day event with hot air balloons, street vendors, musical performances, and running races. Unfortunately our time at the festival was cut short due to a thunder and lightening storm that decided to steal the show. We did get to see a short performance of the balloon glow and managed to cruise through the festival tents before the police and volunteers shutdown everything to evacuate everyone due to the ominous storm drifting our way. Traffic is heavy to and from the event, so plan accordingly. Event organizers tried to speed up the payment process for parking by having 8 volunteers (4 on each side of a 2 lane road). Eight cars could pull up at a time and pay the $10 in cash to park at Collin College. While this did speed things up, there was still a long wait to pay and then find a spot to park. The festival is gated, so you have to enter at one of the 3 ticket booths. Admission is $5 cash per person. ATMs are on site. Most people arrive early with blankets and chairs to setup on the hill above the launch area. It is a great viewing area for the night balloon glow when about 10 hot air balloons simultaneously blow their burners and light up the night sky with their inflated balloons. There is a half marathon, 5k and 1k race throughout the weekend, and finishers get a commemorative hot air balloon medal to take home. The festival ground has about 50 food and street vendors. There is also a main stage with performers singing cover songs and keeping the crowd pumped. We spent about $30 for about 30 minutes of fun. We would have stayed longer had the weather not caused event closure. I would recommend checking the radar before making the journey and plunking down the cash. It was still worth seeing it. I would like to come again next year, but I would make an entire day of it starting with running the race. read more

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Been attending for decades. Fabulous time, great food, LOVE the balloons. A wholesome for the family.

Total waste of a day especially majority of the time this event takes place the wind is too strong for the balloons to takeoff For the past 30 years this is a very under achieving festival that could be so much better if it wasn't catered more to bounce houses for children They should get many more vendors a live music stage with music people want to hear along with serving beer and wine to cater to the adult crowd For the past four decades it's just been a lame day after parking and paying $10 making the long walk to the event only to find a handful of food vendors with 30 minute long lines to get a corn dog. Few booths which many are church info, register to vote, fire department, real estate agents, healthcare, etc. ( you get the message). After attending this event occasionally for the past 40 years in every situation I've walked away asking myself was it worth driving to East Plano pay $10 to park walk around and feel like you've seen the whole event in 10 minutes I know a couple past mayors of Plano that wanted to expand the event to reach out to a larger sphere of generations however it seems like soccer moms have controlled this event making bounce houses more a priority. Such a shame as they tried it one year and even having a headliner Christopher Cross along with serving beer and wine which brought out a huge variety of vendors. Suddenly it went back to its old boring way Won't be going out there anymore until the Plano Baloon Festival gets a committee that knows how to run a successful venue that expands its audience read more

Avoid this event at ALL costs!!! I can't believe they charge people money for this awful event. The city of Plano should be ashamed of themselves. Save your time, save your money, avoid it!!! They charge you just to enter, $10 for a day pass, $20 for the whole weekend. They don't update you AT ALL about what is going on with the balloons, and apparently, unless the weather is damn near perfect, they don't do any balloons. No balloons... at a balloon festival. We went to see the launch at 6pm and the glow at 8pm. Neither happened, and any volunteer or festival goers we talked to had no idea what was going on. Not to mention the volunteers at the front weren't even scanning tickets or paying attention. This event has nothing to do, besides wait in line for over priced food, or buy your kid an overpriced piece of light up plastic. The event venue is way too small for the amount of people that attend, and the parking situation is even worse! Seriously, your time and money so worth more than this terrible event. No balloons, don't call yourself a balloon festival. I am furious with how this event was handled, and that the City of Plano is stealing money from people under the guise of an amazing show and event. Not to mention they are deleting comments on social media to try and save face. City of Plano, shame on you, shame on this event, you shouldn't feel anything but shame about this. AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!!!!!!!!! read more

Don't waste time since there will never balloons due to 'weather' and traffic flow sucks

Parking and traffic Management were the worst. It took 2.5 hours to get out of the parking lot. For a balloon fest to have no balloons in's and not alert people before spending money to attend is poor business practice. read more

This was the first time attending and it will be our last time. I understand the balloons not taking off because of the wind but we live five miles from the event, it took us over three hours to get out of parking, police seem to not have an idea of how to control or how to keep things going. Plano police and Collin College police were not on the same page. read more

Traffic and parking is terrible due to the police not knowing how to direct traffic properly.

They are false advertising, ballons don't fly. They can't fly in that tiny space. Stop stealing peoples money!

We paid $10 for parking, then $10 per person and $5 for my three year old. I was really looking forward to showing the kids the hot air balloons but we never saw them. Supposedly the winds prevented the balloons from inflating. I had to ask a volunteer there to even figure out what was going on. There were no announcements made that the balloon glow wouldn't happen and people at the gate didn't say anything, just kept taking people's money. Complete waste of time and money. read more

This festival sucks walnuts. By far the worst festival I have ever been to... I just don't understand why people love showing up to this big cluster f*** of an event. For a City to have such a major event with little police to control traffic, we found ourselves waiting over an hour just to get to 75 Central Expressway and Spring Creek. Once you get there, traffic still was horrendous... I live in Richardson, and I felt like I was going to Austin or something. You don't get any police presence until you are right up at the park... and by then fighting for a parking space was not even worth it. In addition, the website for the festival SUCKS with no maps or anything to give us an idea where to park.. Then you expect us to walk a good 30-40 minutes on foot just to see some balloons go up? Are you kidding me?!?! We just said F this and went over to the Octoberfest Festival in Addison... Which took us only 15 minutes to find parking. Ah yeah, they have alcohol. That's right. Who the hell has an event like that with no booze? Every other festival in the area, whether it be Wildflower, Cottonwood, or even Addison with the Taste of Addison and Octoberfest... ALL HAVE good traffic control. I will never go to this event. 5 dollar parking for a 30 minute hike... Then you have to pay to get in and then stupid lemonade is as close to a buzz as you can get.. Why is this festival still even popular?!?! read more

Be a Volunteer. I did not know anyone. Had a blast. The best view of the fireworks with complete strangers. We laughed. Had access to everything. Back roads. All you could eat and drink in the tents after. It is what old rich people do apparently. "never grow up and teenagers like you need to wait to have kids" is what one guy said to me. Yep. I will take that. The bicycle cops said I needed to move to plano bc it is the safest city in America. I did not have the heart to tell him I sold my house there bc I was bored out of my mind. Oh, so if you want to be lame and pay to get in and wait in traffic and share space with every person known to North Texas, then get there early. Side notes....they never launch at night bc of visual safety at night. So if you want to see something other than sky divers and glows, hit the morning launches. read more

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Year after year, this is the favorite festival for our family and friends. The colors, the friendly balloonists, the food... it is all good.

I AM SO DISAPPOINTED. The first time I came to see the Plano Hot Air Balloon festival was the best experience I had ever had. It was before it became the huge money hungry event it is today. The first time I went we were able to park at the parking lot right next to the park and walk less than a mile to pick a spot to sit and watch the Hot Air Balloons. We arrived early in the morning, around 6 am to watch the Hot Air Balloons light up in the early morning darkness. It was the coolest experience watching all the Hot Air Balloons light up and then go up in the air with the sunrise in the background. This year I went for the second time, and I was incredibly disappointed. I felt like the main focus was more on the race than the actual Hot Air Balloons. Even if the balloons didn't go up because of the weather, it was not as enjoyable as that first great experience. I will never come back. read more

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One hell of an event! I've been visiting the Plano Balloon Festival since past two years. Both times I've gone home happy and contented with the events and performances, especially the Balloons! There are few exciting events that happen in Dallas and this one tops the chart. The balloon launch happens in the morning and in the evening and in between there are a bunch of events. You have live music, fun games for kids, food. It's a carnival of sorts. You get to ride the balloon if you are willing to shell out $250/person. Though watching is a fun in itself. I love the Balloon glow after sun-down. All in all, a great event. If you are in Dallas you have to visit it once. I can't wait for next year! read more

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If you came in the middle of the day, it's like a street fair: many vendors, plenty of junk good. Daytime parking is not a problem, I am fearing it in the evening... The biggest problem is that nobody has a clear information: which parking is the closest? Police doesn't know Orwell can bring food from outside ... when will they start setting up the balloon for the evening launch...There is no parking map. The printed festival map doesn't indicate gate location/number. I hope the glowing balloons will be worth the effort. read more

Plano Balloon Festival - View in the evening - Festivals Near Me - Plano, Texas

So a few pros and cons about this place. Definitely recommend if you haven't been here before, but I don't quite have the enthusiasm (or the stamina) to make the trek here year after year. Pros: + gorgoeus pictures + mini fair + great family fun Cons: - parking - especially a long trek if you come a bit late An alternate suggestion (if you don't have the energy to make it all the way down.) You can see a great deal of the balloons from anywhere in the night sky. So you can probably get a minor glance from other places. read more

Event is cancelled due to weather but I don't see any indication of that on their website, and workers/volunteers are rude.

We went for the first time on Friday, September 23, 2022. If I could give a negative rating, I would. You pay to sit in line at every turn. Lines to park. Lines to buy tickets. Lines to buy food. Lines to play games. Lines to leave. Minimal control of traffic. Many vendors lost internet and took only cash, which made the lines worse. The rides, games, music, and food vendors were all mediocre and nearly everything was overpriced. Save your money. There are a thousand better things you can do with your weekend. read more