Great Prosser Balloon Rally

Greetings from: the Great Prosser Balloon Rally

The largest hot air balloon festival in the world – the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta – will take place October 1-9.

But one of the most charming hot air balloon festivals in the world took place this past weekend in Prosser, WA.

This was the 33rd year for the 3-day Great Prosser Balloon Rally and close to 20 balloons took to the skies from Prosser Airport each morning at around 7 am.

For our first-time attendee, things didn’t look too promising when she arrived to find all the hot balloons just lying flat on the ground.

There were families gathered in the field with their kids still in their pajamas. And lots of people with giant cups of coffee. And for a while, nothing seemed to be happening.

But after a set of small test balloons were sent up to make sure the wind conditions were suitable for hot air balloon adventures, the business of filling up the balloons, taking off, and flying over Washington’s lower Yakima Valley was underway.

The sunrise launches are thrilling, but somehow we missed out on seeing the Night Glow when all the hot air balloons are anchored to the ground and are then lit up from inside so that they glow against the night sky.

So we’re already planning on attending next year. See you there.

Courtesy Great Prosser Balloon Rally