Steamboat Springs’ Hot Air Balloon Festival
Steamboat Springs is a happenin’ place. It’s one of the staple destinations of vacay’ers in the spring and summertime, not to mention its booming popularity in the winter for snow sports. For one weekend a year, Steamboat Springs likes to celebrate all the splendid colors of life with their Hot Air Balloon Rodeo and Art in the Park festival. This July 8th & 9th, head to Steamboat Springs for the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. If you get to the launch grounds early enough, then you can see the balloons inflate! That’s not even the most exciting part. Let’s have a look at the schedule for the weekend to see what will be floating around.
Many people who are intrigued by hot air ballooning make sure to be at the festival before the balloons inflate. It is quite the artistic experience from start to finish. People get to see the unconventional aircrafts transform from rainbow pancakes to a floating balloon of fire glowing in the sky! And don’t forget your camera! Now that the festival has kicked off, go refill your coffee and have a nice brunch as you watch more balloons meander on down the horizon.
The rodeo portion of the Festival kicks off right after the balloons inflate. One of the popular events during the rodeo consists of ballooners dipping into the Bald Eagle Lake to see who can go the lowest! To my surprise, ballooners are a competitive bunch which makes for an exciting rodeo!
During the height of the day, spectators will enjoy a variety of things to do, including live music and Art In The Park. By the end of the day, everyone will be more than ready to experience the surreal moment of glowing hot air balloons dot the Yampa Valley sky at night!
With the conclusion of Saturday’s balloon events, people will have one more chance to watch the balloons greet the morning sky on Sunday along with more rodeo events!
Though a short festival, the Balloon Rodeo in Steamboat Springs is truly a unique experience which you cannot find in many other places. If you are looking for other activities during this weekend, head less than an hour away to Kremmling, where Colorado River Rentals offers raft rentals and guided trips. If a vacation full of unique and memorable experiences is what you want, then head on over to Kremmling, CO and rent some river gear for a wet and wild experience to balance out the mellow satisfaction of watching hot air balloons!