Spectator Information
Hot Air Ballooning has become a familiar sight in the Northeast Ohio area. Each year, the residents of the Chagrin Valley and surrounding communities look forward to the family oriented Blossom Time Balloon Festival with anticipation. The following information will be helpful to those who wish to enjoy the balloon rally more fully.
This year’s festival will span 5 days and admission is free. Starting Thursday evening, balloonists will gather for the 9th annual Blossom Glow. This is a beautiful presentation of the colorful hot air balloons, and will feature the skill of pilots local to the Chagrin Falls and surrounding area. These pilots will later that weekend compete for prizes and glory in the Balloon Competition as part of the Chagrin Valley Jaycee's weekend activities.
Competitive flights start Friday at 6:30 pm and continue through Monday morning with a mass ascension of over 20 balloons from the Chagrin Falls High School field each evening. In the mornings at dawn, balloon pilots are given specific flying tasks to accomplish, typically requiring launch sites to be chosen from area schoolyards, mall parking lots, parks, etc., often with several balloons launching from the same area. Soon after sunrise, balloons will fly by Chagrin Falls High School field where you can watch them approach the target and compete for Blossom Time Champion, then fly on to land and be retrieved by their crews.
Hot air balloons can fly safely only in the calm weather conditions that occur within two to three hours after sunrise and before sunset. This is the reason that the balloon flights are scheduled for 6:30 pm and 6:30 am. Since the weather is not always predictable, balloon launches occasionally need to be delayed. So, even though the launch is scheduled for, say 6:30 pm, the actual activity may be delayed 30 to 60 minutes in order to allow for better weather conditions. If the weather conditions including the wind permit, the launches may start very promptly at 6:30.
All balloon flights are centered around the practice fields behind Chagrin Falls High School, located one mile east of the center of Chagrin Falls on East Washington Street. All flights will either launch from, or fly into the athletic fields unless otherwise noted.
Please note that the parking lot at the launch field is limited and is expected to full up quickly for the evening flights. It is advised that parking away from the field will reduce traffic problems. Please help to reduce traffic congestion and allow access to and from the field by the pilots and chase crews.
Contact: info@chagrinballoonfest.com
