Great Reno Balloon Race

Annual September Hot Air Balloon Event In Reno, Often Described As The Largest Free Hot Air Ballooning Event In The World · Reno, Nevada

The Great Reno Balloon Race is an annual hot-air balloon event held over a few early mornings in early to mid September at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, a large open park on the north side of Reno, and it is often described as the largest free hot-air ballooning event in the world. First held in 1982, it typically brings around 100 balloons, from classic striped envelopes to giant special shapes of animals and characters, and draws big crowds from across Nevada and California. The day starts in darkness with Dawn Patrol, when a few pilots inflate and fly with their burners glowing against the black sky, and, on some mornings, a Glow Show of balloons lit up on the ground. Around sunrise comes the mass ascension, when wave after wave of balloons lifts off over the crowd and drifts across the city and the hills. Admission is free, but parking and shuttles cost money, the crowds are large, mornings are cold, and wind can ground every balloon. By mid-morning it is over, which leaves the rest of the day for Reno and Lake Tahoe.

Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, 1595 North Sierra Street, Reno, Nevada, 89503, United States

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the event runs for a few mornings in early to mid September, with the park filling from about 4 am, Dawn Patrol around 5 to 6 am, any Glow Show before sunrise, and the mass ascension around sunrise to about 8 or 9 am, after which the field clears. Rancho San Rafael Regional Park is open daily, generally from early morning to dusk, outside the event. The traps that ruin a day are arriving at sunrise and missing everything in traffic, not checking whether the morning was cancelled for wind or smoke, parking illegally in nearby streets, and assuming the National Championship Air Races are still on in Reno - their last Reno race was in 2023 and they announced a move elsewhere. Confirm current times before relying on them.

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