Yes. Ticket pricing is per person, per day. The Elevated Experience and Wine Garden are each separate ticket fees – tickets must be purchased ahead of time. Vendors may have an additional charge.

Presale Tickets (through Sept. 30th):

Adult Ticket: $12
Youth (ages 3-17) Ticket: $8

 Full Price  Tickets (beginning Oct. 1st):

Adult Ticket: $15
Youth (ages 3-17) Ticket: $10

Wine Garden (age 21 & up):

Elevated Experience One Day Pass: $150 for Saturday, $125 for Sunday
Wine Tasting One Day Pass: $25

Balloon Rides:

Tethered Rides: $20/person (purchased on-site, not ahead of time, cash only)
Untethered Rides: $350/person (reserved in advance)

YES! Bring your receipt/ticket to the event, so we can validate your purchase.  Your ticket can be on your phone. We will be scanning tickets upon entry into the event. 

You may request a refund for any reason prior to October 1, 2024. After October 1, we will not accept refunds for any reason. All events are rain or shine. If the balloons cannot fly due to inclement weather you will not receive a refund. 

Untethered balloon ride tickets will go on sale in August and will be purchased directly through our balloon meister’s website. Please check back then!

All tethered ride balloon tickets will be sold on-site the day of the festival with CASH only. We will announce from the stage when the ticket line begins.

Yes. For the safety of the pilots and the passengers, Hot Air Balloon Flights are absolutely dependent on weather conditions.  If you purchase an un-tethered ride ticket, our balloon meister will work with you directly to coordinate your ride. 

Flights will be scheduled Saturday and Sunday early morning and 3 hours before dusk, both days.  Should weather be an issue, we will try and move flights around and reschedule on Monday.  We will do our very best to get you a Hot Air Balloon flight.  However, if all efforts fail because the weather doesn’t cooperate, our balloon meister will reimburse your ticket price for the un-tethered ride.

All ticketed events are limited and may sell out, so please purchase early. All Hot Air Balloon flights, tethered and untethered, are only through our balloon meister via his website. Check back for a link to the website. 

Our balloon meister, Scott Griswold, is handling ALL hot air balloon flights. Any cancellations or time change requests need to be made directly to him. 

Parking is FREE!

The distance to the event depends on attendance and how many cars are parked.  We will have a golf cart shuttle route to assist attendees who may have accessibility concerns.

We do not have ADA certified parking. All parking is in a grassy field. However, a special designated area of the field will be reserved for accessible parking. You will need to display a handicapped tag to park in this area. We will have golf cart shuttles available for people who need help with transportation.

PLEASE BE AWARE – the field is not suitable for motorized scooters.

Yes.  There will be a dedicated area for motorcycle parking.

No, we will not have RV parking. However, there are some incredible local campgrounds in Jefferson County. Make sure to book your reservation soon – they fill up fast! https://visitjeffersoncountytn.com/stay

We have two options for those wanting to ride in a hot air balloon.  There is the tethered option, which goes about 30 ft up, for $20/person (available for purchase on-site), and the un-tethered ride for $350/person (must be reserved in advance).

In depth descriptions and ticket purchasing options can be found on our Tickets page.

There is no minimum age limit, however children who cannot see over the basket (typically 42″) cannot ride. Children cannot be lifted or held in the basket by adults. 

An un-tethered balloon ride, or a free-flight balloon ride, means that the balloon will leave the ground and fly around the area.  Most balloonists enjoy low level flight, and the typical balloon flight would be anywhere from tree level to about 3,ooo feet above ground.  The un-tethered balloon ride is about an hour long and must be purchased in advance.  After purchasing a ride ticket, you will be contacted by a ride coordinator to schedule your balloon ride.

Untethered balloon ride sales will be available at the beginning of August through a specific tab on our balloon meister’s website: Above All Balloon Rides. Tickets will go on sale in August. Untethered balloon ride tickets will only be sold in advance.  All flights are weather dependent.

A tethered balloon ride means the balloon will stay anchored to the ground via a heavy rope during the duration of flight.  Tethered rides last about 5-7 minutes and reach about 30 ft up in the air.

Tethered balloon rides will only be available on-site at the festival for cash only. 

No. Our balloon meister will coordinate your ride in your specific balloon based on your weight, number in party, and specific needs. Each balloon is beautiful in its own way! 

Since balloons move with the air, the weather is very important in deciding to whether or not to fly.  The safety of our pilots, passengers and the crowd are always first priority.  All balloon event times are approximate (including tethered rides) and are subject to delay and/or cancellation due to weather conditions. Note…. it may seem nice on the ground, but the pilots also have to monitor upper wind flows and conditions. Be assured, if they are delayed or cancelled, there is a good reason. We will be just as disappointed as you if that happens.

Balloons need stable winds to operate effectively and the hours just following sunrise and approximately 3 hours before sunset are the best for finding these winds. Since balloons move with the air, the weather is very important in deciding to whether or not to fly.  The safety of our pilots, passengers and the crowd are always first priority.  All balloon event times are approximate (including tethered rides) and are subject to delay and/or cancellation due to weather conditions. Note…. it may seem nice on the ground, but the pilots also have to monitor upper wind flows and conditions. Be assured, if they are delayed or cancelled, there is a good reason. We will be just as disappointed as you if that happens.

Yes. For the safety of the pilots and the passengers, Hot Air Balloon Flights are absolutely dependent on weather conditions.  If you purchase an un-tethered ride ticket, we will have a flight coordinator work with you personally to coordinate your flight with the pilot/balloon. 

Flights will be scheduled Saturday and Sunday early morning and 3 hours before dusk, both days.  Should weather be an issue, we will try and move flights around and reschedule on Monday.  We will do our very best to get you a Hot Air Balloon flight.  However, if all efforts fail because the weather doesn’t cooperate, we will reimburse your ticket price for the un-tethered ride.

All ticketed events are limited and may sell out, so please purchase early. Check back on our website on August 9th to buy an untethered ride. 

We understand that circumstances may arise beyond your control and we will consider that in any request for refund of ticket purchases. You will request a refund in advance from our balloon meister, not the festival. 

Yes! Be aware of your surroundings and stay away from ropes. As a balloon inflates or glows, ropes will be held by their crew to guide the balloon. If wind hits the balloon, the rope could jerk or pull in any direction causing a trip or safety hazard. Don’t walk over or under any ropes!

Stay out of the way of balloon vehicles. The balloonists and crew drive into the park to inflate and then to chase the balloon after it takes off. They are watching out for you, but please watch out for them.

There will be about 20 balloons at the festival. Keep in mind that some balloons stay on the field to do static displays/tether, and some will fly away untethered. We will have around 10-12 balloons on the field at a time.

Balloons inflate and light themselves from within. The sight of hot air balloons lit up like giant light bulbs is breathtaking. Pilots will coordinate ‘all burns’ where they fire up their burners illuminating their balloons all at once and also perform music themed glows which are very crowd participatory events. The balloons will glow on Saturday and Sunday evenings just after dusk.

Jefferson County is home to a variety of hotels, cabins, and bed and breakfasts.  To learn more about the area accommodations, head over to the Visit Jefferson County, TN website.

NO. We have many food and beverage vendors scheduled at the festival, so plan to visit them.  We will provide a full list as we have it.  There will be ATMs on site in case anyone you choose to visit is cash only.

All ages are welcome!  Children must be supervised. 

You must be 21 or older with a valid ID to taste and purchase the wines available in the Nine Lakes Wine Garden or to purchase Beer Garden tickets.

Come early and stay for the fun, the launches, glows, fabulous entertainment, and activities. Gates open at 1pm on Saturday and Sunday. Come early and stay for the fun, that way you can make sure of getting a good parking place and avoid the crowds.

Bring your own chairs and blankets for sitting.  We will have plenty of space to view the balloon launches and glows, and be sure to wear comfortable shoes for walking on our uneven grass field.

Ultimately, that’s up to you!  However, we do suggest wearing comfortable shoes that will allow you to walk easily throughout the festival.  Shrader Farm, where the event is being held, is grassy and uneven in some areas.

Yes, all pets must be leashed, and poop bags are required. Please be aware that the noise from the balloons may be scary to our four-legged friends.

Front and center from every vantage point!  Live music, balloons, and more!

The show will go on! If the balloons cannot fly, you will NOT receive a refund. 

Keep your fingers crossed for good weather. This is a not-for-profit event and the money from the ticket sales benefit local organizations and to cover festival expenses. We have scheduled many other activities and attractions in the event we have to cancel ballooning events. Therefore, all ticket sales are final, i.e. no refunds. The only exception would be total cancellation of the event. For updates in case of inclement weather check this website frequently.

Ample seating is available opposite the bowl and up-sloped area where the balloons will launch and be positioned for the glow.

No, all activities will be close to each other.

No. If you need to smoke, please do so inside of your car in the parking lot. Absolutely no litter. Absolutely no smoking in the balloon area. Discarded lit cigarettes or embers from ashes could melt or damage the balloon’s fabric. The entire field is grass, and we will take smoking seriously as a fire hazard. 

Be aware of your surroundings and bring a flashlight. There may be uneven ground and trip hazards and there aren’t many lights after dark. As you watch the balloons, please pay attention to where you walk.