Courtesy of Plano Balloon Festival
Hours:
Sept. 20: 4-10 p.m.; Sept. 21: 6 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sept. 22: 6 a.m.-7 p.m.
Price:
General admission $5, discounted admission (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) $4. Seniors (65+) $1 off. Free for children under 36 inches. Parking on-site $10, offsite $5.
Type:
Festivals
The Plano Balloon Festival may only come once per year, but it’s definitely an event to see. If your trip happens to fall during this weekend in late September, grab the kids and make the trip about 30 minutes north of Dallas (or an hour northeast of Fort Worth) to this feast for the senses. Look on as colorful hot air balloons take to the sky and then stick around until the evening when all balloons participate in the “Glow,” all lighting up at once. Enjoy typical fair-type food (with typical fair-type prices), from corn dogs and cotton candy to pretzels, snow cones, funnel cakes and more from 40-plus vendors. There are also skydivers, an amazing fireworks display, a marathon and activities for the kids to make a day of it.