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The Adirondack Mountains are a protected area in upstate New York with beautiful hiking, fall foliage, waterfalls, and wildlife. This area is not as well-known as the Catskills, but is equally beautiful and full of family-friendly activities.
One of the great events that takes place in the fall is the Adirondack Hot Air Balloon Festival. It is an annual event that has been on my “to do” list for many years. This year we finally took the family!
Location: Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport 443 Queensbury Ave Queensbury, NY 12804
Our Day:
Our family decided to see a morning launch of the balloons. We woke up at 5:00 AM and drove about 45 minutes to the airport. There was no traffic until we reached the last mile, where hundreds of cars were lined up to enter the parking lot.
There is a varying schedule of launches for each day; in between launches, there are activities on the same grounds.
The parking area was very organized and went quickly and smoothly. Once we entered through the gates, there were people waving cars in to park. Parking and admission to the festival are free. There is paid premium parking; however, if mobility issues aren’t a concern, it isn’t necessary.
We bundled ourselves up with our fall jackets and blankets. It was about 40 degrees before the sun came up, but it quickly warmed up after sunrise.
The walk from the parking lot to the field was about two minutes. We, as well as many other people, packed a light, portable breakfast of bagels with cream cheese and thermoses with warm coffee. We had a picnic blanket , but we never sat down on it because the kids were enthralled with the balloons and we walked around to see many different balloons being blown up.
We arrived promptly at 6:30, which is the time for the scheduled launch, but we were there for the first balloon to take off. I was expecting the hot air balloons to already be inflated. It was a pleasant surprise that we were able to see balloons unpacked and inflated before they took off. It took about 15 minutes from the time the balloons were unpacked to take off.
The kids’ favorite part was when the fire turned on below the balloons. We got a blast of warm air, and well, what kid doesn’t love fire?
There were some fun-shaped balloons, including a puppy and a peacock, that the kids enjoyed watching fly through the air.
I enjoyed watching dozens of Hot Air Balloons flying in the early morning glow with the mountainous backdrop. It was a truly peaceful and beautiful way to spend a Sunday morning. When we went back to the car, I even stood out of the moonroof to watch for some time.
Many of the balloons were taking 6-8 passengers. That is a limited opportunity that needs to be arranged ahead of time. One balloon owner, whose Balloon is named “Light N Up” gave us his card; Michael can be reached at [email protected]. There are also lots of opportunities to speak to the balloon owners and the pilots to ask questions or get their information for a private balloon ride.
The festival includes a tented area with small business vendors, music, food trucks, bouncey houses, face painters, and lots of other family-friendly activities. The tented area is beyond the field toward the airport building. A family could easily spend the entire day there.
Next year, we are going to go for an evening launch of the balloons known as a “moonglow”. I am very excited to see all of the fires from the hot air balloons light up the sky at dusk.
Would you make the trip to the Adirondacks for this festival? Would you like tips about other things to do in the area? Let us know in the comments!
