*Weather permitting. Visit the Balloon Information below for details about when balloons can and cannot inflate or take flight!

7:00 am – Balloon Media Flight* -(Fly Out of Emory Adams Park)

5:00 pm – 12:00 am – Entertainment District & Beer tent Open presented by

4:00 pm – 11:00 pm – Food Vendors OpenThe Miracle League of Findlay

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm – Kids Zone sponsored by Hancock Wood Electric Co-Operative (inflatables, carnival games and more)  – Ticket sales for kids’ zone activities close at 7:30 pm

4:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Nonprofit Showcase Event Tent

4:30 pm – 8:30 pm – Let Your Dreams Take Flight Craft Show

The 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Jungle Island Petting Zoo & Pony Rides

5:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Helicopter Rides -$50, no registration required

5:00 pm – 10:00 pm – Veterans’ Tent

5:45 pm – Hot Air Balloon Rides https://www.flyskycab.com/events

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Tethered Balloon Rides*  $20 – no reservation required!

6:30 pm – Opening Ceremony and Balloon Flight* – (Mass launch from Emory Adams Park)

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm 

9:00 pm – Hot Air Balloon Illumination*

(Looking for prime seating for the balloon glow?) click here to purchase your glow encounter experience tickets.*(Odd # balloons)

9:30 pm – Fireworks 

10:00pm – 12:00am

All times are approximate and subject to change.

*Weather permitting. Visit the Balloon Information below for details about when balloons can and cannot inflate or take flight!

6:15 am – Hot air balloon rides https://www.flyskycab.com/events

7:00 am – Balloon Flight* – (Fly into Emory Adams Park for Competitive Task)

9:00 am – 9:00 pm – Helicopter Rides – $50, no registration required

10:00 am – 8:30 pm – Let Your Dreams Take Flight Craft Show

10:00 am – 8:00 pm – Kids Zone sponsored by Hancock Wood Electric Co-operative (inflatables, carnival games and more) – Ticket sales for kids’ zoneactivities close at 7:30 pm

10:00 am – 9:00 pm – Jungle Island Petting Zoo & Pony Rides

11:00 am – 9:00 pm – Nonprofit Showcase Event Tent

11:00 am – 11:00 pm – Food Vendors Open

10:00 am – 2:00 – pm – Car and Motorcycle Show sponsored by Blanchard Valley Health System.  Registration is $15.00 and begins at 9:00 am

11am – 3pm – Findlay Brewing Company/False Chord Brewery Craft Beer Tasting sponsored by BHHS Koeher Realty – Beer Tent located in entertainment area

Click here to purchase beer tasting tickets

1:00 – Demonstrations by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office in the kids zone area.

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Balloon Pilot Autograph Session

5:45 pm – Hot Air Balloon Rides*

6:00 pm – Welcome Ceremony & Scholarship Presentation

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Tethered Balloon Rides* $25 – no reservation required!

6:30 pm – Balloon Flight* – (Fly Out of Emory Adams Park)

7:30 – 9pm –  

5:00 pm – 12:00 am – Entertainment District & Beer tent Open presented by The Miracle League of Findlay

9:00 pm – Hot Air Balloon Glow

Glow Encounter Experience 

Click here to purchase your glow encounter experience tickets

10pm – 12am 

All times are approximate and subject to change.

*Weather permitting. Visit the Balloon Information below for details about when balloons can and cannot inflate or take flight!

6:15 am – Hot Air Balloon Rides*

7:00 am – Balloon Flight* – (Fly into Emory Adams Park for Competitive Task)

11:00 am – Awards Banquet for Pilots and Sponsors – Old Millstream Building at the Hancock County Fairgrounds.

All times are approximate and subject to change.

Get the best seats in the house for the famous Glow Encounter at this year’s Flag City BalloonFest with tickets to the new Glow Encounter Area!

Balloon Glow Encounter offers you and 3 others an opportunity to enter the Glow Encounter Area 1 hour prior to balloon glow (around dusk) and watch the show from inside the Glow Encounter area (restricted to the public).

Click Here for Friday Glow Encounter Experience Tickets.

Click here to purchase tickets for Saturday’s Glow Encounter Experience

Enjoy this up close experience like no one else. One Glow Encounter ticket is $50 and includes:

• On-site parking pass valid for one vehicle for the entire day (Aug. 9 or Aug. 10, whichever day you choose when purchasing the ticket)
• Four passes into the Glow Encounter Area (opens one hour prior to the balloon glow around dusk)
• Four official BalloonFest souvenirs upon entrance to the Glow Encounter Area
• Four beverages (soda or water) upon entrance to the Glow Encounter Area

Additional information:

• Balloon glow is weather permitting.
• No refunds.
• Ticket purchase will become a tax-deductible donation upon request should the weather require the glow to be canceled.
• Add-on tickets are available if more that 4 tickets are needed. Each Add-on ticket allows one additional person admission to the Glow Encounter Area.

FAQs:

What are my transport/parking options getting to the event? With your Glow Encounter Pass you will receive reserved parking for the day of the ticket purchased. You may arrive at anytime during the day.

Can I leave the festival and park again with the parking pass? No, you will not be able to come and go on with the reserved pass.

How do I use the parking pass? You will enter the reserved area off of Sixth Street past the playground. We ask that you show your ticket to the parking attendant.

Who needs a ticket to get into the Glow Encounter Area? Each person above the age of 2 needs a ticket.

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions? Email : Volunteerballoonfest@gmail.com

Can I update my registration information? Yes.

Is my registration/ticket transferrable? Yes, you may transfer unused tickets online only prior to event start if not sold out.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event? It is recommended to bring a printed ticket, but mobile tickets are accepted, as you will need it for parking and to check in.

What is the refund policy? No refunds. Should weather ground balloons, your ticket purchase will become a tax-deductible donation upon request to Flag City BalloonFest

The name on the registration/ticket doesn’t match the attendee. Is that okay? As long as you transferred online prior to redeeming ticket, this is acceptable.

When can I enter the Glow Encounter Area? You will not be able to Enter the Glow Encounter Area until 1 hour prior to balloon glow (around dusk – about 7:45 pm – 8:00 pm).

Can I leave the Glow Encounter Area? Yes, you will be able to come and go as you please. Hands will be marked to allow return access.

What if I have a question while at the festival? If you have any questions, you may stop in at the Information Tent anytime during the event.

Flying in a hot air balloon is definitely a bucket list item for many. It’s also a wonderful gift for loved ones!

Full Balloon Rides

The best time to fly in a hot air balloon is in the morning just after sunrise and in the evening 2-3 hours before sunset. Flights will be available:

Flights:

5:45 pm, Friday, Aug. 13

6:15 am, Saturday, Aug. 14

5:45 pm, Saturday, Aug. 14

6:15 am, Sunday, Aug. 15

Price: $300 per person

Booking Procedure:

Passengers can book a ride during one of the four flight opportunities. In order to book a ride, passengers must fill out the online form (link below) and then SkyCab will follow up to confirm the booking.

Once passengers have submitted information they will be contacted within a few days by SkyCab and receive a confirmation email that contains all of the pertinent information for their balloon ride. The confirmation email will also contain the attached list of FAQs as well as the cancellation policy.

To Purchase Tickets: 

https://www.flyskycab.com/events

Additional Information:

Walkups: Depending upon availability, passengers MAY be able to book a non-tethered balloon ride on site during the event. There will be a sales table set up next to a 25 ft. cold-air adorned with a banner announcing that balloon rides are available. If any one time slot is sold out we will consider adding additional capacity.​

Payments: A $50 nonrefundable deposit will be collected for each passenger in order to confirm the reservation.  The remaining $250 per passenger will be collected on-site during passenger check-in.

​Cancellations: Hot air ballooning is a fair weather sport. If a cancellation due to forecasted weather is imminent, passengers will be notified via text and/or phone call as early as possible. If a flight window is cancelled, the event will attempt to roll passengers to other flight windows depending upon the forecast and availability.

FAQs:

How long is the ride? We will be in the air approximately one hour, and the entire excursion will take approximately 2 ½ to 3 hours from start to finish.

What do I wear? Dress comfortably as you will be outdoors for most of the excursion.  You ,must wear closed toe shoes such as boots or athletic shoes – no sandals or high-heel shoes are permitted.  If you are taking a flight in the morning we recommend you bring another pair of shoes to change into after the flight due to the dew on the ground – your feet will be wet after the flight.

Is it cold in the balloon? Under normal conditions the temperature will drop approximately 3 degrees every one-thousand feet in elevation.  We normally fly between 500’ and 1,500’ above the ground so the temperature will not vary greatly.  If you are cold natured please feel free to throw a jacket in with you and we can stow it away in the basket until you need it.

Can I bring a camera? You are more than welcome to bring a camera or a video unit but please keep in mind SkyCab Balloon Promotions is not responsible for damage which may result to the unit during takeoff or landing.  Each passenger must be able to have their hands free to hold on during the lift off and landing and the camera cannot interfere with this.

Are there limitations? Absolutely – YES.  If you are pregnant, just had surgery, have knee or back problems, or can’t stand up unassisted for at least one hour we are sorry, but no flights are allowed with these conditions.  No Exceptions – please do not ask.  If you have any of these conditions we are happy to give you a refund or transfer the certificate to someone else.

If you are older than 70 years of age please let us know ahead of time so we can talk about the flight and the physical requirements to ensure you are able to complete them.  We require you to climb in and out of the basket, and at times the landings can be bumpy so we want to make sure you are aware of the conditions and you feel as though you will be able to participate in the flight.

Tips: Make sure your phone is fully charged! There are plenty of photo opportunities. Also, you can exchange pictures with other passengers and the crew after the flight to make sure you have every angle covered! If you have a GoPro that you would like us to mount please let us know, we can do that for you.

Tethered Balloon Rides sponsored by Reineke Honda 

This is a great option as an introduction to a full hot air balloon ride by staying tethered to the ground!

Hours of operation:

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Friday, Aug. 13

6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Saturday, Aug. 14

Cost:

$20 – no reservation required!

Dates: August 9 – 11, 2024

Location: Emory Adams Park | 1827 S. Blanchard St., Findlay, OH 45840

Free to attend thanks to our generous sponsors! 

(Please note: some attractions and events at the BalloonFest have fees. All main attractions are free to attend!)

Click here for the 2023 festival map

Info to keep in mind if you’re attending the Flag City BalloonFest:

• Hot air balloon flights at the Flag City BalloonFest are weather permitting. In order to fly the ground must be dry, winds at ground level must be below 10 MPH and the weather conditions must be stable. Flights are often delayed to give the weather conditions time to improve and cancellations may occur when conditions are not appropriate for a safe flight.
• Pets are not permitted at the Flag City BalloonFest. Individuals with a pet on site at the BalloonFest will be asked to leave. Certified service animcals are permitted only.
• The Flag City BalloonFest is a DRONE FREE zone. Drones are not permitted on the event site.
• By entering the premises of Flag City BalloonFest (FCBF), you understand that you may be photographed, filmed, or videotaped and you hereby give FCBF the unqualified right to take pictures and/or recordings of you and grant the perpetual right to use your likeness, image, photo (collectively, “image”), without compensation, for broadcast or exhibition in any medium and to put the finished pictures/recordings to any legitimate use without limitation or reservation. You hereby waive, release and forever discharge FCBF from and against any and all claims or actions arising out of or resulting from any use of your image. FCBF shall not be obligated to use, and may elect not to use, your image.

Click here for the 2023 festival map