40th Annual Snowmass Balloon Festival, September 18,19 and 20 at the Snowmass Softball Field and Base Village. Set against a backdrop of spectacular fall colors, the Snowmass Balloon Festival is one of the highest hot air balloon festivals in the country. Families, kids and people of all ages will delight in watching these wondrous balloons take to the sky, while the Snowmass Wine Festival and Motoring Classic offer wine lovers and classic car fans the chance to expand their horizons as well.
ALL BALLOON EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
The Festival kicks off on Friday morning with the Carter Memorial Colorado Rat Race, a timed distance race where 25 of the most seasoned and daring pilots race down the Roaring Fork Valley along the Highway 82 Corridor. During the SnowMASS Ascensionand X-Marks the Spot competition on Saturday, pilots will attempt to maneuver as close as possible to two different targets, which they will attempt to hit with weighted baggies. Post competition, the balloons will float above Snowmass Valley, dotting the skies and affording spectacular views for pilots and spectators alike. On Sunday, pilots matched in pairs will take off holding each end of a flagged rope. The two balloons that stay aloft with the rope intact win this portion of the competition.
The weekend also includes the popular Snowmass Balloon Night Glow event on Saturday evening, which is a sight to behold as balloons light up the night sky on Fanny Hill. Spectators can get up close and personal with brightly glowing hot air balloons as they line up along Fanny Hill to the beat of remixed high-energy rock and roll.
Following the Night Glow, The Glow Show in Base Village offers spectators the chance to enjoy a sophisticated event that combines elements of fire, music and balloons, all taking center stage in Base Village. Against a background of balloons lighting up the sky, the night brings a procession of entertainment with a menagerie of performers, including spinning fire performers, aerial entertainers and orb floating stilt walkers performing illusions.