Carolina BalloonFest
Carolina BalloonFest has announced 15–17 October 2027 in Statesville, North Carolina.
The festival is organised by National Balloon Rally Charities and combines balloon ascensions with entertainment on the ground. Its website now announces the 2027 weekend, while parts of the FAQ still display the detailed timetable for October 2026. Those old gate times should not be carried into a new travel plan.
The organiser uses a field-flag system to explain flying decisions: red closes the field to free flight, yellow means a hold and green opens it. A published programme is therefore still conditional on the decision made at the field.
Check the current ticket and parking pages before travelling, and book a passenger flight separately if offered. The organiser warns against arriving without an admission ticket when sessions are sold out. The photograph on this page documents the 2026 gathering; it is not a list of balloons or activities confirmed for 2027.
Sources and photograph
Archive photograph of Carolina BalloonFest. It does not show the line-up for a forthcoming edition. Photograph by NCDOTcommunications. CC BY 4.0. Responsive versions may be cropped and resized.