The Adirondack Balloon Festival runs September 18-21, 2025, with more than 60 hot air balloons launching at sunrise and sunset over Queensbury and Lake George. Events center at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport and begin Thursday evening in Crandall Park with food trucks, live music and a Balloon Moonglow. Friday through Sunday feature mass ascensions at dawn and dusk, including up to 80 balloons lifting together and Sunday’s Walter & Joan's Mass Ascension. Additional attractions include a craft fair with 50+ vendors, local food, kids’ activity zones and live performances. Premium parking is already sold out, traffic is likely at launch times, flights are weather-dependent, and dogs, drones and vape pens are prohibited.
The Adirondack Balloon Festival returns September 18-21, 2025, marking its 52nd year of sending technicolor giants into the clouds over Queensbury and Lake George . More than 60 balloons are set to launch at sunrise and sunset, turning the mountains into a dreamy kaleidoscope you can watch for exactly zero dollars (yes, admission is free).
This upstate tradition started back in 1973, when 18 balloonists floated up from Adirondack Community College. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest-and longest-running-balloon festivals in the country, drawing over 100,000 visitors a year and pilots from across the world. Despite its scale, the whole operation is still volunteer run, which feels very "community bake sale, but make it airborne."
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