Watching The Hot Air Balloon Launch in Hughesville
Each fall we head to the Lycoming County Fairgrounds in Hughesville before sunrise, to watch the Hot Air Balloons Launch. Some years we head home without seeing a single balloon. Other times we are there for hours, watching the balloons set up and take off, then following them and frequently helping them load the balloons back up when they land. It all depends on the weather, but this is always one of my very favorite fall things.
The Lycoming County Rotary Clubs all come together to host the annual two day Balloonfest and Airshow. The event is not a fundraiser, every dime raised goes right back into hosting the event the following year, and even that would not be enough to hold the event. Many sponsors make this fun event possible each year.
Throughout the week-end there will be vendors, displays, and shows, inside the fairgrounds. There are typically tethered hot air balloon rides, helicopter rides, food, music, shows, a heavy equipment rodeo, an air show featuring hang gliders and any skydivers (and more!) and at night, a laser show. Find the entire week-end schedule here: https://www.lcrotary.com/schedule
Entrance to the event is $9 a person, $5 for children ages 6-12. Other events, such as a balloon walk about, and tethered balloon rides, have additional fees, which can be found listed here: https://www.lcrotary.com/tickets There are usually a lot of extra events too. A juggler is coming in 2020, and there is an atv race.. for all the latest news and information, follow the facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/balloonfestairshow/
And while all of that is a lot of fun to watch, my favorite part of this festival is free. The balloon launches take place around sunrise and sunset, setting up and taking off from outside of the fair grounds.
The launches typically occur Saturday and Sunday mornings between 6:30 and 7:00am. Evening launch will occur any time from 5pm to 7pm. Times vary, based on weather readings, and many years they have been cancelled completely because the winds were not optimal.
- Photos from the 2019 Launch
- Balloon Launch Photos 2018
- 2018 5pm Launch
- Video Of A Launch in 2018
- Photos from 2017
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The event began as the Fall foliage festival and balloon fest in 2004. It was held at the Williamsport Airport. On one or two years, Dan and I watched from the overlook on route 15, as the balloons took off, It was beautiful to see them rise over the flog on the river. When it was held there, there were all sorts of shaped balloons, very unique ones, that we do not typically see at the new location. Conditions for balloons however, are not often not ideal from the airport location. The river, and the mountain ridge, effect the wind currents, and the festival was eventually moved to the Lycoming Fairgrounds in Hughesville. In 2020, I've heard there may be a cat shaped balloon appearing at the event.
The first hot air balloon show in our area, that I have found so far, was in 1875 in Dewart Pa. It was a unique, and massive, event, and I still have not learned what brought the balloonist to the tiny hamlet of Dewart, although I assume that he knew someone who lived there, or someone who lived there was passionate about the new hot air balloon craze and hired him to come there. You can read about the event here: https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/06/when-hot-air-balloon-came-to-dewart-in.html
Williamsport used to have an annual Susquehanna Boom Festival. In 1986, a hot air balloon rally was held at Lycoming College as part of the event.
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