Twin Cities Balloon Glow

Welcome to Twin Cities Balloon Glow!

Join us for a magical evening filled with glowing hot air balloons that light up the night sky. This family-friendly event is perfect for all ages. Come and witness the beauty of these colorful balloons as they illuminate the darkness with their soft glow.

Bring your loved ones and enjoy the festive atmosphere, delicious food vendors and activities for the kids. Don't miss out on this unique experience that will leave you in awe.

Mark your calendars and get ready for an unforgettable night at Twin Cities Balloon Glow!

MORE DETAILS

Hot Air America is bringing hot air balloons to the Twin Cities on May 25th, 26th and 27th May, 2025. Below are the key details that you need to know - and we will continually update this post so please see below for the latest details.
*VENUE INFORMATION AND DIRECTIONS*
There will be a slightly different address and access route for the different ticket types. Please follow the route advice on your ticket - This will ensure that you are taken to the correct parking area.
*HOURS AND ADMISSION TICKETS*
*Event Dates: May 25th - 27th, 2024
*Gates Open: 5pm Daily - PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE BEFORE 5PM
**PLEASE ARRIVE BY 7PM as our entry points become exit only soon after 7pm to help get guests out quickly and efficiently.**
*Ticket Prices: General Car Pass - $25 / Premium Car Pass - $50
**TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED BEFORE YOU ARRIVE AT THE GATE - WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT PAYMENT AT THE ENTRANCE AND THOSE WITHOUT TICKETS WILL SADLY BE TURNED AWAY**
*BALLOON RIDE INFORMATION*
*Tethered rides will be available to purchase at this location.
*VENDOR INFORMATION*
Vendors can apply here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSevFmpusq32O6ODJPKgjZeU_aZxKKkUBQXKp4UOCa9WXxHT6A/viewform
(Food Vendors are $500 / Retail, Arts & Craft Vendors are $50 - prices are for the entire weekend - all vendors expected to be on site by 3pm and ready to open at 4pm daily)
*GENERAL GUIDANCE*
*Please do not show up before 5pm or after 7pm as we have a strict traffic plan to avoid any traffic issues for the local community.
*Food and drink is available to purchase - please do not bring coolers.
*This is a family friendly event - please do not bring weapons of any kind to this event.
*For security reasons, security checks may be in operation. Please restrict any purses to a small clutch. You may brig supplies for people with medical or special dietary needs, and baby supplies are permitted. If bag checks are in operation, the fewer items in your property the better.
*No animals are permitted on property (unless service dogs with appropriate documentation) - the noise of the hot air balloons can be scary for animals.
**Please follow advice and guidance of event staff at all times. We are not the fun police - any rules or guidance issued is simply for the safety of you and others. Your cooperation will be much appreciated - Thank you in advance.
*PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO*
We implement a fair use policy at all of our events. You may not add a copyright or watermark your images unless you secure a photography or filming permit from [email protected]. This policy is only in place to stop people from profiting from our events, we have no problem with photo or video being shared on social media without watermarks. Hot Air America Inc. retain ownership of all images, video and content taken at our events unless a Commercial Photography or Filming Permit is obtained from [email protected]. We reserve the right to request that images, video or content be removed from social media or websites without explanation unless a Commercial Photography or Filming Permit has been obtained from [email protected].
*WEATHER INFORMATION*
We don't typically know what the weather will do next week, let alone months in advance when we start planning these events.
*Hot Air Balloons cannot inflate in overly windy conditions or rain. We cannot inflate in overly windy conditions for safety reasons and balloons can't inflate in rain as the wet conditions damage the fabric of the balloon.*
The event itself will open rain or shine - unless conditions are significantly bad to which we will issue special guidance and information. In the event of a postponement, tickets will be able to be transferred to another evening of the event, another location or our 2025 festival.
Even when the forecast is good, sometimes the actual conditions will vary and balloons may not be able to inflate, for example in gusty conditions. Should the hot air balloons be able to inflate, tickets can be switched to another evening of the event, another location or the 2025 festival.
As a general rule, we will not inflate in sustained winds or if there is a large variance in gusting of the wind. For instance if conditions are generally calm or low winds but gusts of more than 10mph, those conditions would be unsafe for operation.
*TERMS OF PURCHASE / REFUNDS*
*Event admission (car pass) is non refundable. We have made it as easy as possible for guests to transfer tickets to another date, location or even the following year with no explanation required. We just ask that you make this transfer before 5pm on the day that your tickets are allocated for.
*As we are not running these events to make money, we try to keep ticket prices as lower than most other festivals or industry provider. If the weather does not cooperate, we still have our operational expenses and do not receive a refund based on weather. For this reason, while we do not offer a refund we do offer the ability to transfer tickets to any other date, festival or the following year.
*If balloons do not inflate for a minimum of 30 minutes, we will allow you to attend on another date, to another location or the festival the following year by switching your tickets using our self service platform. We will supply guidance on how to do this in the event of this policy being activated.
*We will not postpone or reschedule events if weather is bad. Once again, you may transfer tickets to another date, location or the following year at no cost if this policy is activated.
**If the weather conditions are forecast to be so bad in advance of the festival dates that result in a date change and / or full can cancellation, we MAY take a decision in partnership with venue and other permitting authorities to cancel the festival. If the event is canceled entirely to the point that staff and equipment does not travel to the venue and all costs incurred by Hot Air America Inc. are waived, we will open up a refund process via email. This process will be advised if activated and typically refunds are processed in eight business days per the terms and conditions of our ticket provider. This policy only applies in full event cancellation.**
**This policy is created with best intentions and to ensure those who purchase a ticket to see balloons can actually come and see balloons. We cannot control the weather, but we can go the extra mile to ensure that you can come another time if weather is an issue.**
**At all times, you may request a refund if you have special circumstances by emailing [email protected].**
*SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY*
Please treat each other and our staff with respect. We reserve the right to delete abusive comments and remove people who behave in a disruptive manner. We ask that if you have an issue or concern that you reach out to our social media team via direct message so that we can address you directly. Please do not repeat the same question or post over and over on different threads as this makes it difficult for our team to stay on top of things and ensure that everyone gets a response. Please also check to see if your question has already been asked before posting.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Washington County Fairgrounds, 12300 40th St N, Lake Elmo, United States