Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival 2026: Balloon Glow, Fireworks & Family Fun
Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival 2026 fills the sky over Norton Park with hot air balloons on Friday and Saturday, August 28–29, during a free two-day festival featuring a Friday night balloon glow and fireworks, Saturday balloon launches, nearly 100 vendors, amusement rides, food trucks, live entertainment and a classic and specialty car show.
This one is outside The CT Beacon’s usual southeastern Connecticut and southwestern Rhode Island coverage area, but we’re making an exception. The 39th annual festival offers something different enough to justify a little road trip, particularly for families looking for one more big summer outing before Labor Day.
From Mystic, plan on a little over an hour in the car. The most natural route takes you west along I-95 to Old Saybrook and then north on Route 9 into central Connecticut. Route 9 follows the Connecticut River corridor for much of the trip, passing the lower river valley before continuing through Middletown toward the Plainville area. It’s a relatively easy drive, and considerably more pleasant than spending an hour crawling through a string of commercial highways.
At the other end: dozens of enormous balloons glowing against the night sky.
That seems worth the mileage.
Friday Night: Balloon Glow and Fireworks
If you’re making the trip from southeastern Connecticut and only choosing one portion of the festival, Friday night is the obvious choice.
Friday’s signature event is the Hot Air Balloon Glow, when tethered balloons remain on the ground while their burners illuminate the envelopes from inside.
Once darkness falls, those enormous balloons essentially become glowing lanterns scattered across Norton Park.
Then look higher.
The festival’s fireworks display is scheduled for approximately 9:15 p.m. Friday, creating a night that combines two things you don’t ordinarily get at the same summer festival: glowing hot air balloons and fireworks.
The exact fireworks start time is flexible. Organizers specifically warn visitors not to plan on arriving at precisely 9:15, since conditions could cause the display to begin somewhat earlier or later.
If weather prevents Friday’s fireworks, they’re scheduled to move to Saturday night.
Saturday Starts at 6 A.M.
Saturday belongs to the balloons.
The first launch is scheduled for 6 a.m., taking advantage of the calmer atmospheric conditions balloon pilots typically seek early in the morning.
For this one event, visitors can actually park at Norton Park. There is no shuttle service that early, and all vehicles must be removed from the park by 9 a.m. before the main Saturday festival gets underway.
If 6 a.m. sounds a little ambitious for a drive from Mystic, there’s another chance.
A second mass balloon launch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday.
Both launches are weather-dependent, and the pilots themselves make the final decision about whether conditions are safe enough to fly.
That’s worth emphasizing if balloons are your primary reason for making the drive: a scheduled balloon launch isn’t a guaranteed balloon launch.
Wind, visibility and other conditions matter enormously to these aircraft.
No, You Can’t Ride in the Balloons
This is probably the festival’s most frequently misunderstood attraction.
The Plainville Fire Company doesn’t sell or arrange balloon rides.
Many of the balloons participating in the festival are classified as experimental aircraft and aren’t permitted to offer commercial passenger rides. The balloons are there for the launches and glow rather than paid sightseeing flights.
So come to watch them.
Just don’t arrive expecting to climb into a basket.
There’s Plenty Happening Between Balloon Launches
The balloons get the photographs, but they’re only part of the weekend.
Norton Park fills with nearly 100 arts, crafts and other vendors, offering handmade goods, local products and other items throughout the festival. Organizers are also promising a particularly large collection of food trucks representing a variety of cuisines.
Amusement attractions include rides, bounce houses, games and an expanded ride area featuring a giant slide. Those attractions aren’t included simply because festival admission is free; bring money for ride tickets, food and shopping.
Live music and other entertainment continue throughout the festival as well.
Saturday also adds a classic and specialty car show, giving visitors something substantial to explore during the middle of the day when the balloons aren’t flying.
That’s actually useful information when planning your visit. If you arrive at noon Saturday expecting a sky filled with balloons, you’re going to be disappointed. The scheduled balloon activity happens at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
At noon, go look at the cars. The balloons need a nap.
Admission Is Free
There’s no admission charge for the Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival.
Norton Park is a public park, and the Plainville Fire Company keeps admission to the festival free. Visitors pay individually for food, rides, games and anything purchased from vendors.
The event is also a fundraiser for the Plainville Fire Company, which has served the community since 1885. Festival proceeds help support community organizations and the company’s student scholarship programs.
For a family making the drive from the Mystic area, free admission makes the road trip considerably easier to justify.
Parking: Read This Before You Leave
This is probably the most important logistical part of the guide.
Do not drive directly to Norton Park expecting general festival parking.
There is no general public parking at Norton Park during the main festival hours on Friday or Saturday.
Instead, festival visitors park at designated off-site lots and take shuttle buses to Norton Park.
The primary parking areas are:
Robertson Airport
62 Johnson Avenue
Plainville, CT 06062
This is the festival’s largest parking area, with thousands of spaces, and organizers specifically recommend it for families and visitors traveling with children.
A second parking area is available at the former GE/ABB lot on Woodford Avenue.
Parking costs $5 per vehicle, cash only, with the money helping offset the cost of the shuttle system.
Buses run continuously between the parking areas and Norton Park, and strollers are permitted aboard the shuttles.
After the Friday fireworks, expect crowds. Festival organizers say they operate approximately 30 buses continuously to return visitors to the parking areas, but thousands of people may be leaving Norton Park at approximately the same time.
In other words, don’t expect to watch the final firework and be cruising home five minutes later.
Accessible Parking
Limited accessible parking is available closer to the festival inside Norton Park for vehicles displaying the appropriate disability placard or license plate.
Organizers ask drivers to have the placard clearly displayed before reaching the Broad Street/South Washington Street intersection so traffic personnel can direct the vehicle appropriately.
Motorcycle parking is also available at Norton Park.
What About Rain?
There is no festival rain date.
Light rain doesn’t necessarily cancel the festival, and many activities may continue.
Balloons are another matter.
Launches and the balloon glow are highly dependent on weather conditions, and pilots have final authority over whether their balloons participate. Wind conditions that wouldn’t interfere with walking around a festival can be enough to keep balloons grounded.
The fireworks are scheduled for Friday night, with Saturday serving as the backup night if weather forces their postponement.
For anyone driving from southeastern Connecticut, this is one event where checking conditions before getting into the car really matters.
Leave the Drone at Home
It would certainly produce spectacular video.
Don’t do it.
Drones are prohibited because of the danger they present to hot air balloons.
Festival organizers also strongly discourage bringing pets. Between the crowds, balloon burners, music, rides and fireworks, Norton Park can become an unusually loud and stimulating environment for animals. Service animals are permitted, including aboard the shuttle buses.
Is It Worth the Drive From Mystic?
For most events an hour or more outside our normal coverage area, probably not.
This one’s different.
If you’ve never seen a hot air balloon glow, Friday provides the best argument for making the trip. You get the festival during the afternoon and evening, food and rides for the kids, the balloon glow after dark and fireworks to finish the night.
Saturday makes more sense for people who really want to see the balloons fly. The 6 p.m. launch lets visitors skip the brutal wake-up required to reach Plainville for the 6 a.m. launch while still experiencing the rest of the festival.
And because admission is free, you’re really committing to the drive rather than an expensive admission ticket.
Sometimes that’s enough reason to stretch the borders of a weekend.
Event Details
Event: 39th Annual Plainville Fire Company Hot Air Balloon Festival
Dates: Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29, 2026
Location: Norton Park
Address: 1–15 Norton Park Road, Plainville, CT 06062
Admission: Free
Friday: Hot air balloon glow and fireworks
Fireworks: Approximately 9:15 p.m. Friday; Saturday backup if weather requires
Saturday Balloon Launches: 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., weather permitting
Saturday: Classic and specialty car show, balloon launches and festival activities
Activities: Amusement rides, games, bounce houses, arts and crafts, food trucks, vendors and live entertainment
Balloon Rides: Not available
General Parking: Off-site only during the main festival
Primary Parking: Robertson Airport, 62 Johnson Avenue, Plainville
Additional Parking: Former GE/ABB lot on Woodford Avenue
Parking/Shuttle Fee: $5 per vehicle, cash only
Pets: Strongly discouraged
Drones: Prohibited
Weather: Balloon activities are weather-dependent. No general festival rain date.
More Information
Complete schedules, weather updates, parking information and festival announcements are available through the Plainville Fire Company Hot Air Balloon Festival website.
