Hot Air Balloon Festival

Every city has its special events or festivals that draw in visitors from all over the world. For instance, the annual Toronto International Film Festival has actors, writers, critics, filmmakers and movie buffs scrambling to rent a Toronto condo each September. Few cities have as colorful or exciting a festival as Plano's hot air balloon extravaganza, held each year at the end of September. Over 95,000 people turn out to see the bobbing kaleidoscope of color by day and the haunting shapes of lit-up balloons by night. If you're going to be living in Plano, the hot air balloon festival is something you won't want to miss. Read on to learn more.

Hot air balloons may seem simple to you, but the average cost of one is around $9,000. They take special training to operate and their pilots are required by the FAA to carry a wide array of safety equipment. Watching a launch first hand is a great way to see what a difficult and dangerous sport ballooning can be.

There are so many events at the balloon festival that even the most overworked seller of Arlington TX homes takes the weekend off to experience it. The festival opens at 4pm on Friday afternoon, when a bus service starts up to ferry observers from the Parker Road DART station to the fields. That night there's a demonstration by a precision parachute team followed by the launching of the balloons. Then, lit by the glow of the balloons at night, there's a concert and a family street dance, carrying the festivities well into the night.

The next day, Saturday, begins with a 6:30am wake-up call followed by a balloon launch and an exhibition by a second parachute team. Some of its members even come from as far away as Burlington. Real estate company ReMax sponsors a number of the events, including the parachute drop. The drop is followed by another balloon launch as well as a concert. The balloons glow again after nightfall and the evening is topped off by a fireworks show. Saturday morning's events are repeated again on Sunday and followed by the festival's closure at 7pm.

Admission to the festival is only $5 per day or $8 for two days, which is even less than you would pay for parking outside your Mississauga condo. Seniors and kids get $1 off and very young children get in for free. While you're there, you can also take a ride on a hot air balloon for an extra fee of $250 if the weather is cooperating. However, it's only open to kids over 10 and teenagers under 18 must have a parent's permission.

For the duration of the festival, continuous entertainment is provided on the ground for spectators in the form of music and performances on two stages. There are also inflatable rides, kids' activities and rock climbing. Even taken by itself, this is enough to pry reluctant tourists out of their Brampton homes for the trip to Texas. There are also merchandise booths on the grounds selling souvenirs, jewelry, art, photographs, local crafts, aviation paraphernalia, and of course, food. The proceeds of many of these booths go toward nonprofit foundations.