Adirondack Balloon Festival 2024 in New York State

Every September, when fall colors reach their peak beauty, Adirondack Balloon Festival offers an opportunity to look at the picturesque mountains from above. Held at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport in Queensbury, the four-day event has over 40 years of history. Flying over the Adirondack Mountains and Lake George in a hot air balloon is a "bucket-list experience" for many amateur and professional balloonists.

Adirondack Balloon Festival Highlights

The Adirondack Balloon Festival features lots of entertainment and family fun at Crandall Park in Glens Falls. Watch the colorful parade from downtown Glens Falls to Crandall Park before the opening ceremony. Many daytime events, such as Dawn Patrol, Zonta craft fair, exhibitors, and kids activities, take place at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport. Social events include the Big Balloon Breakfast in the hangar and the City of Glens Falls Block Party, which usually takes place on Glen Street in downtown Glens Falls.

The main highlights of the festival's program are early morning lift-offs, evening hot air balloon launches, The Airport Moonglow, and the opening and closing ceremonies with live music. Festival organizers don't book balloon rides, however, attendees can book them independently with participating pilots. The festival is free for the public to attend. Plenty of free of charge parking space is available.

Weather Conditions

Balloon flights during the festival are weather-dependent. Balloons do not go up, if the wind speed is about 3-5 mph. If the wind speed exceeds 8-10 mph, the balloons will most likely not be able to fly. The organizers will announce the cancellation of the flight on Facebook, on the website, and directly on the field.

Festival Bans

Pets are not permitted on the festival grounds due to safety concerns. Also, any kind of drones are not allowed at any of the launches including Crandall Park and Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport. Propane gas, which is used during balloon flights, is highly flammable, so smoking can endanger the safety of the event.

Adirondack Balloon Festival History

In the early 1970s, the tourism and publicity office of Warren County sought an event to attract visitors to the region after Labor Day. At the time, hot air balloons were a relatively rare sight in the nation. One balloonist, John Marsden from Manchester, VT, shared photos of his balloon with some forward-thinking residents of Glens Falls, including Walter Grishkot. This inspired the creation of the Adirondack Balloon Festival, which was established shortly thereafter.