Plano Balloon Festival returns with live music, fireworks and more

The four-day H-E-B/Central Market Plano Balloon Festival begins Sept. 22 after a two-year hiatus.

This year's festival will feature about 30 balloons, with some having special shapes. Food and merchandise vendors will provide concessions such as turkey legs, funnel cakes, jewelry, cowboy hats and more. The Plano Symphony Orchestra will host a family-friendly concert on-site at 7 p.m. Sept 22. The festival also includes live music, a parachute team exhibition, a 1K and 5K run Sept. 24 and a 10K and half marathon Sept. 25. Fireworks shows are scheduled at 9 p.m. Sept. 23 and 24.

The festival is back this year after being halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. In 2019, the balloon festival attracted just over 93,000 people.

“This is a signature event for the city and our area,” said Jo Via, executive director for the Plano Balloon Festival. “The only event that's really larger than this basically is the State Fair [of Texas].”

This year’s festival will be at Red Tail Pavilion at Oak Point Park and Nature Preserve, 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway.

The city of Plano announced a traffic alert and multiday road closures in connection with the event. According to the city’s Twitter page, Spring Creek between Jupiter and Parker roads closed Sept. 21 and will reopen by midnight Sept. 25. The area around Oak Point Park will also have various road closures and increased traffic for the duration of the event.

Festival hours are 5-9 p.m. Sept. 22, 4-10 p.m. Sept. 23, 6 a.m.-10 p.m. Sept. 24. and 6 a.m.-7 p.m. Sept. 25. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for seniors as well as kids ages 3-12. Free admission is available for all military (including retirees) with ID as well as first responders and children under 36 inches tall.

For more information, including a complete schedule and parking information, visit www.planoballoonfest.org.