With so many summer festivals postponed, it's no wonder daydreaming about fall activities has already begun. If you're a fan of hot air balloons, you can set your sights on attending a North Carolina festival in October where apples and pumpkins aren't the only main attractions. Bring on the fall vibes. Statesville, North Carolina puts on a weekend's worth of Instagrammable entertainment at the Carolina BalloonFest on October 16 through October 18. Tickets will go on sale within the next few months, but for now you can flip through last year's gallery to get a glimpse of what to expect in 2020. This is not just another hot air balloon festival full of fun. Of course, during the day you can hear live music and drink booze, but the head in the clouds energy doesn't start until after hours. The event coordinators promise to show up rain or shine so you'll want to do the same. Besides being a bucketlist-worthy activity, the Carolina Balloonfest has some surprises. Some of the balloon shapes are not what you'd expect. Huge seahorses, crabs and penguins light up the night like they've escaped from the zoo. View this post on Instagram Hot Air Balloon Glow #AdvancedFineArt #balloonfestival #CarolinaBalloonFest #eveningglow #hotairballoonglow #hotairballoons #NorthCarolina #Statesville #teamcanon #canonbringit #outaboutnc @carolinaballoonfest @clawdthecrazycrab @ourstatemag @canonusa @outaboutnc A post shared by Advanced FineArt (@advancedfineart) on Oct 20, 2018 at 11:36pm PDT Besides the 50 hot air balloons flying in the air, over 1,000 people come out for the event. Fair food will keep you energized throughout the day for the sunset show. As it gets darker toward 7:00pm, the balloons pop out and glow against the Southeast sky. View this post on Instagram #photographyfromsue #carolinaballoonfest2019 #capturethemoment A post shared by Sue McLester (@suesidzina) on Oct 18, 2019 at 9:11pm PDT For $10 you can take a tether ride 50-feet into the sky. It's pretty cheap for the priceless view you get from above. View this post on Instagram #throwbackthursday October 2017. 🔜🔜🔛@carolinaballoonfest 🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈#carolinaballoonfest #hotairballoon #hotairballoonfestival #hotairballoons #charlotte #qcguide #visitNC #charlottenc #weloveclt #exploreclt #cltagenda #eatworkplayclt #my_citylife #best_expression_hdr #icolorama #charlottemag #northcarolina #queencity #iloveclt #shotsofresh #charlottesgotalot #loves_hdr_colour #streetlife_members #icu_usa #charlotteology #gf_hdr #ig_ard_hdr #hdr_oftheworld #almostperfect_hdr A post shared by Matt Henesy (@mattshdr) on Aug 9, 2018 at 5:20am PDT If you'd like to do a flyover away from the festival, you can book it on their website or directly through the pilot. They only offer this option during the morning, but it's a great way to soar into the day. Carolina BalloonFest Price: TBD When: Friday, October 16, 2020 - Friday, October 18, 2020 Address: 260 Hangar Dr., Statesville, NC Why You Need To Go: The glow-in-the-dark balloons will make you fly so high. Website
