Plano, Texas – Rainbow-hued orbs will fill the skies and there will be plenty of fun on the ground when the H-E-B | Central Market Plano Balloon Festival & Run comes to Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve September 22-25. 

Tickets to the signature 40th anniversary event are now on sale at $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 and under and for seniors ages 65 and up. Admission is free for children 36” and under and for all military and first responders who present a valid ID.  Kids Fun Zone ride wristbands are $20 and include all day play on the inflatables and mechanical carnival rides. Individual ride tickets may be purchased for $2.50 each.

This year, the event has expanded from three days to four.  The festivities kick off at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 22 with a family-friendly concert by the Plano Symphony Orchestra followed by a balloon glow at 7:00 p.m. A limited number of $150 VIP tickets will be available for this 40th Anniversary concert that includes a reception and reserved seating. PSO’s Maestro Hector Guzman will conduct the orchestra in musical selections from films like Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, Silverado, and favorites from the James Bond franchise.

Tethered hot air balloon rides will be offered (weather permitting) and tickets are sold on-site only. ($30 for adults and $20 for children ages 6-12; cash only.)  All passengers are required to sign a waiver and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The hot air balloon can accommodate 10-12 passengers per ride and hovers 20-30 feet in the air but remains anchored to the ground.

On Friday and Saturday, the RE/MAX of Texas Parachute Team will bravely jump out of an airplane and glide down onto the field. The FOX4 Main Stage entertainment includes Party Machine and Moving Colors; two bands that deliver high energy performances and music hits that crowds know and love. The Spectacular Fireworks Show is at 9:00 p.m. on September 23 and 24 and custom designed by Pyrotex with an amazing array of colors.

The Plano Balloon Festival Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, 1K, and Challenges are scheduled for September 24-25 and runner registration for the races may be found at www.pbfraces.org.

Festival Hours:
Thursday, September 22 – 5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Friday, September 23 – 4:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturday, September 24 – 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sunday, September 25 – 6:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Prime parking is $15 per car for a one-time entry and off-site parking is $10 per car. The festival is located at Oak Point Park and Red Tail Pavilion at 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.planoballoonfest.org. 

About Visit Plano

As the official destination marketing organization for Plano, Texas, Visit Plano is responsible for promoting the city as a premier meetings, convention, group, sports and leisure tourism destination.

While a Chamber of Commerce promotes individual businesses, Visit Plano is charged with marketing the city to the outside world. To do this, the organization uses targeted communications to attract groups and individual travelers for overnight hotel stays and to boost direct spending in Plano, ultimately increasing overall revenue.

A robust visitor economy has multiple benefits. During the 2020-2021 fiscal year, Plano brought in some three million overnight visitors, not only did they spend their money in Plano hotels (generating the hotel occupancy taxes that fund Visit Plano’s efforts) but they also frequented our restaurants, shops, and attractions and patronized many other businesses.  Overall, in 2021, visitor spending generated more than $750,005,806 and supported some 6,800 local hospitality industry jobs.