14th Annual Havasu Balloon Festival
Schedule
Thu, 09 Jan, 2025 at 12:00 pm to Sun, 12 Jan, 2025 at 03:00 pm
UTC-07:00Location
Lake Havasu State Park, Windsor 4, Lake Havasu City, AZ, United States, Arizona 86403 | Lake Havasu City, AZ
You are cordially invited to the annual Havasu Balloon Festival & Fair designated as one of THE TOP 100 EVENTS IN NORTH AMERICA by the American Bus Association — an event you do not want to miss!The Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair Store is available to answer questions by calling: 928.505.2440 from 10am-2pm Tue-Fri or by e-mailing: [email protected].
Balloon Festival pilots will assess the weather very early in the morning on a daily basis as to whether they will launch. Their decision will be posted on the Havasu Balloon Fest Facebook page.
Main Gate/Parking/Boat Parking Along the Channel
The main gate entrance Gate 1 ( Event map ) is located at 171 London Bridge Road (across from the swap meet parking lot, same entrance as other Windsor 4 events such as Rockabilly, boat shows and Bluegrass Festival).
All event parking is free other than VIP parking, the only reserved parking available. There will be no traffic restrictions and the Swap Meet will occur on Sunday morning as usual. Shuttle buses will be available for those parking off-site, location and other details will be posted as the event nears. Available free parking will include: near Windsor 4, as well as off-site parking with available shuttles at:
(RED LOT A on Offsite Parking map) Pima Wash Parking Lot on Mesquite Avenue across from Fresenius Kidney Care at 2145 Mesquite Ave. (map: http://bit.ly/2CdlC7l)
(BLUE LOT B on Offsite Parking map) Mohave Community College-Lake Havasu City campus at 1977 W. Acoma Blvd. (map: http://bit.ly/2llsV2g),
(GREEN LOT C on Offsite Parking map) Lake Havasu High School at 2675 S. Palo Verde Blvd. (map: http://bit.ly/2lbvGUI),
The Express Shuttle Service is free round trip to and from the main gate (Gate 1 on Event map ). The shuttle service will run from noon to 10pm on Thursday, 6am to 10pm on Friday, Saturday, and 6am to 3pm on Sunday. The shuttle will run continuously (not on a set pick-up or drop-off schedule) without breaks.
Parking near the event site will be free and will be along London Bridge Road and in the London Bridge Plaza (with the exception of Sunday during the swap meet). Please be considerate of businesses in the surrounding event area. Vehicles that are left overnight will be towed. There is no parking allowed in the parking lots for either the English Village or the Havasu Landing Casino.
VIP parking will be available to everyone who purchases a VIP pass, and is located in the parking lot of the newly-built launch ramp at the south end of the State Park. Tour bus access only on the street that runs behind Bridgewater Motel; no other vehicle traffic permitted.
Boat Launching at Windsor/Lake Havasu State Park
Lake Havasu State Park, Lot 2 (the main launch ramp and parking area) will be open for public boat launching/trailer parking. Lot 1 (the PWC ramp), overflow parking adjacent to Lot 1 and Lot 2, and the new launch ramp area adjacent to Windsor 4 is reserved for Balloon Festival parking and camping. No boat parking will be permitted other than at Lot 2. Park rangers will direct boaters accordingly. Public access is subject to the State Parks rules and regulations for launching and parking.
Lake Havasu Balloon Festival Boat Parking Click on map to expand
Morning/Evening Ascension* Locations
Windsor 4, Bridgewater Channel, various parking/dirt lots around the London Bridge and throughout the city, golf courses, and schools. Ascension locations depend on wind direction and conditions; launch locations will not be known until the hour of ascension.
PLEASE REMEMBER! Ballooning is fully dependent on wind conditions. The safety of the operator and crew is always of the utmost importance; balloons cannot ascend in windy conditions and morning or afternoon ascension will be cancelled if the wind picks up. Notice of cancellation will not be known until the hour of ascension as wind conditions change quickly. For updates, check the Havasu Balloon Festival's Facebook page.
Run with Balloons 5K/10K
6:30am on Saturday, Jan. 20 to begin at the lower end of the Balloon Field. The 10k begins at 8:45am and the 5k at 9am. https://havasuballoonfestival.com/balloonfest-5k/ Cost is $40/person, $135/families (2 parents and 2 children), $185/Teams of 6
Schedule
The full schedule of events will be updated on the event website.
Advance Tickets will be available at the admission trailer located off of London Bridge Road at Windsor IV.
Camping - RV and Campers will utilize Gate 2 (near volunteer tent and V.I.P. parking on map)
Click here for camping information and locations.
Tickets
Click here to purchase tickets for camping, VIP admission, and general admission.
Fun Zone
The Carnival is packed with non-stop fun for kids of all ages.
You must pay the entry fee for the Balloon Festival to access the carnival; however, all carnival ride tickets are purchased at the carnival (not the main event gate).
All rides require tickets, which are $1 each (all rides cost 4 tickets). There is a discount per tickets if a larger quantity of tickets are purchased. The best deal is a wristband for $30, which allows you unlimited access to all rides for one day.
Although children 10 and younger have free event access, all riders must puchase tickets (regardless of age).
Activities*
Mass Ascensions
Glowin on the River Night Glow
Dog Shows
Car Shows
Kids' Events
Carnival Rides & Events
Live Stage Bands
Merchandise Vendors
Food Vendors
Gondola Club/VIP Access
Synchronized Kite Flying Demonstrations
Daily Entertainment
The balloons love to soar over Lake Havasu City and in and around the Bridgewater Channel and the London Bridge, so get your cameras ready. Giant balloons lightly touch the water and quickly ascend if there are no boats or non-motorized craft or persons in harm's way.
If you want to experience ballooning from lift-off, bring your cameras and watch as the balloon teams ready their rides for ascent and experience up close and personal the heat of the burners as the teams rise into the sky on the balloon field on the island or around town where they are lifting off. Balloon teams will be available throughout the weekend to talk about the art and history of hot air balloons.
Co-sponsored in partnership by: the Lake Havasu Kiwanis Club, The London Bridge Rotary Club, the Lake Havasu Rotary Club, the Sunrise Rotary Club and the Daybreakers Lions Clubs. The Havasu Balloon Festival and Fair, Inc. promotes philanthropy, volunteerism, and community camaraderie. Over 1,200 volunteers from the community and surrounding area assist in this event.
Check out Havasu Balloon Festival & Fair on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/HavasuBalloonFest or visit the website directly at havasuballoonfestival.com.
DID YOU KNOW? On January 9, 1793, the first balloon flight in North America was made by Jean Pierre Blanchard from Philadelphia to Gloucester County, New Jersey and George Washington was present to see the balloon launch!
*Mass Ascensions and balloon rides may be cancelled based on weather conditions. Balloon flight fees and event dates, times and/or details are subject to change. Please contact event coordinator or check event website to verify information.
Where is it happening?
Lake Havasu State Park, Windsor 4, Lake Havasu City, AZ, United States, Arizona 86403
