FREE Admission: Colliers Parkway and County Road 5, Erie, CO

Pure Magic in the Erie Sky: As the sun rises over the horizon, the quiet fields of Erie transform into a kaleidoscope of color. Experience the magic of the Erie Balloon Festival! Join us for breathtaking sunrise launches, evening glows, love music, and family fun. Plan your visit and see the sky come alive this summer.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Morning Mass Ascensions

5:30am   Field and Food Trucks Open
5:45am   Paramotor Aerial Show
6:00am   First Flight of the Balloons
6:00am   Tether Flights, $20 cash

Saturday Night Glow

5:00pm  Field and Food Trucks Open
5:00pm  Tether Flights, $20 cash only
5:30pm  Walk Through Balloons
6:00pm  Bix's Balloon Story Time at Walk Through Balloon-
yellow and orange balloon
7:30pm  Paramotor Aerial Show
8:00pm  Balloon Glow

All scheduled events are weather permitting. 

Friday - Sunday, July 10-12, 2026

5:30am   Field Opens
5:45am   Paramotor Show
6:00am   Balloon Launch
6:00am   Tether Rides Begin

Before the big balloons take their first breath, the Erie Balloon Festival sky belongs to the paramotor pilots. We’re kicking off every single session of the 2026 festival with a high-octane Aerial Paramotor Show! Watch in awe as these "powered paragliders" dance through the air, performing precision maneuvers and acrobatic flyovers right above the crowd.

Friday - Sunday, July 10-12, 2026

5:30am   Field Opens
6:00am   Balloon Launch
6:00am   Tether Rides Begin

When the morning mass ascension begins, hot air balloons take off in waves, filling the sky with a massive display of color. 

Because pilots navigate with the wind, once they take off it is unliekly that they return to the field to land. 

If the winds are too brisk for safe flights, pilots will perform a static display. This gives spectators a fantastic opportunity to talk to the pilots, and get incredible up-close photos of the balloons.

Friday - Sunday, July 10-12, 2026
6:00am   Tether Rides

Saturday Night Glow Rides
5:00pm   Glow Tether Rides
$20 CASH ONLY

There is nothing quite like the crisp morning air in Erie as dozens of giant, colorful balloons begin to inflate around you. As the fleet takes to the sky, you can join them. Our tethered rides lift you high enough to catch the first golden rays of sunshine and provide a breathtaking 360-degree view of the festival grounds. It’s the perfect way to kick off your festival morning and grab that bucket-list photo.

Tether rides are booked on-site, $20 cash only, first come, first served, and weather permitting.

Saturday Night Glow 

5:00pm      Field Opens
                    Food Trucks Open
                    Tether Rides Begin
5:30pm       Walk Through Balloons
6:00pm       Bix's Balloon Story Time
7:30pm        Paramotor Show
8-9:30pm   Balloon Glow

As the sun sets, the festival transforms into a glowing wonderland. During the Saturday Night Glow, our balloons stay grounded but "fire up," turning the fabric into massive, flickering lanterns against the dark sky.

A tethered ride during the Glow puts you right in the heart of the heat and light. Feel the roar of the burners and see the festival lights twinkling below you in a truly romantic, high-energy atmosphere.