Tigard’s Festival of Balloons is happening later this month, and you don’t want to miss this one. From June 26th through June 28th at Cook Family Park, there will be a ton of fun activities, including watching real, massive hot air balloons take flight. During the pre-dawn hours, these massive floating balloons will soar into the sky to ride with the sun. But don’t worry, there will be plenty more to do throughout the day after takeoff.
Tickets can be purchased online, and the cost starts at $17 per person for 3 days. Children under 6 are free. I know it can be a little difficult to get the whole family up and moving in the early hours, especially during summer break, but it is extraordinary to see these hot air balloons in action. Watching these flight mobiles on our phones or television screens does not do them any justice when compared to seeing them in person.
Gates open at 5:00 am, where you can see the hot air balloons in all their glory. Shortly after, it will be decided if they can take flight. Hot air balloons rely heavily on the weather, so it is not always guaranteed that they can go into the skies. That being said, most years they can take flight without any issue. The launches are usually completed around 6:30 am, and they will be flying south towards Tualatin. They do not return to Cook Family Park.
Morning Balloon Tether Rides begin promptly at 6:00 am, where you and your family can get inside one of the hot air balloons as it lifts around 30-50 feet off the ground. These rides are included with the price of admission. The only other requirements are signing a waiver, ensuring each rider is at least 3 years old, and ensuring everyone can stand on their own for safety reasons.
On Friday and Saturday, during sunset, is the NW Natural Night Glow. This is where some of the original hot air balloons from the morning return to the launch field to be inflated. The ignited burners and the colors from the hot air balloons put on a very impressive show for the crowd with nighttime as the backdrop. Pilots meet around 8:30 pm to review the weather conditions, and this amazing performance lasts for about 30 minutes.
You can come and go with your admission tickets. So, if you are only interested in seeing the hot air balloons, you can show up early in the morning for a tether ride and to see the launch, then come back in the late evening for the Night Glow. Seeing these hot air balloons on both occasions is very much worth it.
There is also a lot more going on here than just watching hot air balloons. Friday and Saturday nights will have live music from talented musicians. There is also a Kid’s Zone on the main event field with plenty of activities included with the price of admission. Local artisans will be there for some shopping too. Some of the items for sale include handcrafted jewelry, balloon animals, and toys.
Real carnival rides and games will also be there, so if anyone in your family loves roller coasters, then this should be an automatic stop for them. There will be plenty of food and drink options too, including a pancake breakfast hosted by the Tigard High School Band Boosters.
For anyone who loves doing cardio, there will be a 5k Fun Run on Saturday. And for the car lovers, on Sunday is the Festival of Cars, an open cruise-in with trophies in 30 classes for various types of vehicles.
Hot air balloons have quite a remarkable history. Their precursor was Chinese sky lanterns used during the Three Kingdoms era (220–280 CE). Many years later, in the 18th century, a Jesuit priest named Bartolomeu de Gusmão envisioned the first hot-air balloon design, which he called a Passarola. It was in France in 1793 that two brothers, Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier, developed and flew a hot-air balloon for the first time. Their flight was successful, and they flew for around 10 minutes. From there, the design of the hot air balloon has only improved.
Hot air balloons are a fascinating aspect of human innovation. It shows not only the incredible talent, but also the impressive determination it takes to pull something like this off. So, make sure to take your family to Tigard’s Festival of Balloons. Start time is early, but this event makes it worth it.
Alex is a devoted husband and father born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He is a professional artist, author, and advisor for both Yale and Harvard University’s arts departments. His books, ‘Selling Leonardo: The Art World’s Greatest Scandal’ and ‘Holy Ghost: Decoding Leonardo da Vinci’s Final Painting’ are available wherever books are sold.