Aspen Balloon Festival


Aspen/Snowmass Balloon Festival

Where:  Snowmass, CO
When:   September 16 – 19, 2010

Aspen Balloon Festival Photo

Aspen – Snowmass Balloon Festival

The Aspen Balloon Festival is the perfect event to capture the beauty of the Aspen Skyline as hundreds of hot air balloons fill the sky.  It’s one of the most thrilling events of the valley and perhaps the entire country.  Of course, there will be fun, food, live music and entertainment for the whole family.

What an Experience

We have an adult trip with 3 other couples planned for this event to celebrate a good friends 50th birthday.  We are all pretty excited as it will be our first fall trip to see these magnificent balloons.  Friends who have ridden in these gigantic balloons claim its something they will never forget. I would imagine the views from 2000 feeet in the Aspen mountains would be extraordinary.

Event Description

The Rat Race – Down Valley Distance Race

The first scheduled event is famously called the Colorado Rat Race.  This is basically a distance race which starts at the Cozy Point and ends somewhere near Glenwood.  The winner is the ballooon that can travel the longest distance in 3 hours.  Last year’s winner ended up close to the side of Red Mountain in Glenwood.  The balloons typically fly along the 82 highway and begin close to 5pm.  A great vantage point to view the race is McLane Flats or Starwood.

Next: The Dawn Quixote

This is a contest to see how many gigantic helium balloons each team can pop with an extended ski pole while being launched from their own respective balloons. Its a fun event as each team competes in close proximity to each other and from only 50 feet off the ground.

Third: The Nite Glow

The Nite Glow event starts at about sundown where each balloon choreographs their burners to the music so as to burn as brightly as possible.  The event lasts only 15 seconds and the winner is the balloon who displays the brightest glow from their burner.

Target Tubing

This event consist of each balloon, from an elevation of only 100 feet or so, tossing balls into carefully placed tubes on the ponds located in the Aspen gold curse. Each team gets to toss only 2 balls.

Click here to learn more about the upcoming Aspen Snowmass Balloon Festival

For Local Accommodations

Looking for the perfect Aspen vacation home rental for the whole family?  Call the owner direcct – book online at www.myaspenrental.com/aspen-rentals/aspen-vacation-rentals.html