Balloon festival is one of the oldest
This year the festival will be held June 8-10 with activities for the whole family at the fairgrounds.
Coshocton’s Hot Air Balloon Festival is one of the oldest balloon festivals in the state. This year the festival will be held June 8-10 with activities for the whole family at the fairgrounds. The festival is presented by Frontier Power and is free to attend.
The event will begin at 4 p.m. on Thursday with the midway and vendors open.
From 4-9 p.m. there will be a wristband special of $15 for the midway rides.
Weather permitting, tethered balloon rides will be from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The balloon rides are $20, and the fee is donated to the FPC Community Connections Fund. The tethered balloon will lift 20-50 feet above the ground, but the balloon will not fly away. These are on a first come, first serve basis, and all passengers must be 42 inches tall, in good health and able to get into the basket on their own. At 7 p.m. three balloons will lift off.
On Friday the midway and vendors will open at 11 a.m., and the opening ceremony for the festival will be held at 5 p.m. at the grandstand. Visiting queens will introduce themselves at 5:15 p.m., and the balloon launch will be at 6:45 p.m. The balloon night glow, a local favorite, will be at 9 p.m. The balloons are tethered and lit for a beautiful display.
On Saturday balloons will launch from the countryside and fly toward the fairgrounds at 6:30 a.m. Tethered balloon rides will be offered from 7-8:30 a.m., and the midway and vendors will open at 11 a.m. There will be another wristband special from noon to 4 p.m. that day. At 5:30 p.m. the COSI Science Show will be presented by Muskingum Valley Health Center, and a balloon launch will be at 6:45 p.m. Fireworks will begin at 10 p.m.
Musical entertainment for the festival is sponsored by COTC and Standard Power of Coshocton. On Friday The R & D Duo will start at 7:15 p.m., and the Shane Stephens Band will perform on Saturday at 7:15 p.m. The Shane Stephens Band plays southern rock with some country music.
Spectators are invited to bring blankets and lawn chairs for the best views. No one will be permitted in the infield near the balloons.
The Hot Air Balloon Festival is something many people look forward to each summer. Emily Gephart said her grandson Tyler likes watching the judges change the red flag to green, signaling the balloons will launch, and enjoys watching them take off. Where they live, the balloons sometimes fly over their home, so they stay home and watch them.
“We all need to support community events. It’s the backbone of our small communities,” Gephart said.
Ashley Wilson said her family loves the balloon festival. “We love watching them take off. It’s the building of excitement to see them finally lift off. We like the night glow as well. I think people should go to the festival because it’s a great summer tradition for the people of Coshocton. Everyone looks forward to it every year. Growing up, I couldn’t wait to wake up in the morning to watch them come over the house. We lived two blocks from the fairgrounds, so we would always wake up from the sound of them coming over the house. That’s one of my favorite summer memories growing up.”
Haylie Brown said this is the first year her boys are both old enough to go to the festival, and she can’t wait to take them. “My mom and I both love the night glow, and Marvin’s favorite is the fireworks. I’m excited to see their reaction to the balloons inflating.”
Karen Royer said she loves the balloons. Her daughter surprised her with a balloon ride for her birthday a few years ago. “It was so peaceful.”
Allison Hammond and her son Gage love to chase the balloons. “Gage and I go to it. It’s so much fun. Last year Gage got to help pack one up. He was so excited.”
Many people follow the balloons as they fly over the county. Remember to pull safely off the road and do not block it. Remember to stay back from the balloons unless a pilot or a crew member invites you to come closer.
All balloon activities are weather permitting. Remember the pilots monitor weather several miles away, so even if it is a beautiful evening in Coshocton, the balloons may not launch if unsettled weather is nearby. The safety of the pilots and spectators is always the most important consideration when deciding whether to launch or not. Times are approximate, due to possible weather. All cancellations will be announced on the Hot Air Balloon Festival Facebook page.
Coshocton County Fairgrounds is located at 707 Kenilworth Ave. in Coshocton.