From Thursday, Sept. 10 to Sunday, Sept. 13, the Great Reno Balloon Race takes off right in the backyard of the University of Nevada, Reno. Hundreds of balloons ready to take flight at San Rafael Park, minutes away from campus. The free event welcomes over 150,000 spectators annually.
Gates open at 3:30 a.m. Visitors can start their morning shopping along Balloon Boulevard, a strip running through the middle of the festival. It features a variety of vendors selling donuts, coffee and official event merchandise.
The festivities start at 4:30 a.m. with the Super Glow Show, a light display along the main fields. Several balloons light up on command and synchronize with the music playing in the background.
Soon after, Dawn Patrol, one of the events’ flagship shows, begins. It involves a select group of specially trained pilots taking off before the sun rises, lighting the sky with bright balloons.
The Mass Ascension follows at 7 a.m. Over 100 pilots from across the country take part, dotting the Northern Nevada skies with balloons in many colors, shapes and sizes.
However, as the crowd peacefully takes in the remarkable views, many pilots in the sky frantically race to different GPS physical targets in order to accumulate points towards their weekend point total. The pilot that accumulates the most points by the end of the weekend is crowned winner of the Great Reno Balloon Race.
Check out https://renoballoon.com/ for more information about the event.
