Sandy Balloon Festival
Sandy, Utah
Website: Sandy.Utah.Gov
Kid’s Ages: 5, 8, 10, 12
Looking for a free, colorful and lively activity to do with the family?
Every August, the city of Sandy, UT, hosts a hot air balloon festival. Companies from various communities in Utah release hot air balloons at Storm Mountain Park on Friday and Saturday morning. On Saturday evening, approximately ten hot air balloons boast their massive splendor while thousands of individuals stroll through the South Towne Promenade next to Sandy City Hall.
Hot air balloons aren’t the only thing you’ll find at the festival. There are ample amounts of food vendors scattered throughout the center of the promenade. With everything from pizza to nachos to hot chocolate and more, you’re sure to find something that tantalizes your taste buds! To be honest, we’ve never purchased anything, but the desire is always there. In fact, our kids usually beg to buy SOMETHING! This year Pixels, a local camera store, sponsored the event and had a tent for renting camera lenses- perfect if you’re in the market for purchasing a lens but haven’t taken the plunge.
We enjoy listening to the different bands that come to perform on a stage set up in the middle of the festival grounds. It’s fun to watch kids and parents alike get “footloose” and feel the beat. I also love to hear the crowd singing along to the popular tunes being performed. Even I can’t help wanting to tap my foot to the beat.
The kids love talking to the pilots of the hot air balloons. They ask a billion questions and the pilots take time to answer every one of them. If you’re lucky, they may let you climb in the basket for a picture or to help heat up the balloon. This year, the kids got to do those very things and even got to participate in taking one balloon down. The boys and one of our daughters rolled across the balloon to help push the air out and helped to fold it up while our other daughter helped place it in the bag. For the most part, all the pilots and companies were eager to share their prized trophy and stories of their flying experiences. If you ask the right questions and pay the right amount, you might just get to take a balloon ride at some point during the year. They also may need volunteers for helping the pilot during the festival as well. WARNING… If you attend the balloon launch on either morning, they may not take off, based on weather conditions. If the wind is below about 8 miles per hour and if the weather is warm then you’re pretty safe. Anything over 8 and they won’t take the balloons up.
For those of you who have small children or just need a restroom, Target restrooms are available to the east of the promenade and there are portable toilets available for use on the west end of the festival grounds.
It’s a great event to just roam around and take photos with your camera or cell phone. But, if you plan to stay a while, make sure you bring a chair a blanket or both.
My family loved attending the balloon festival and can’t wait to go back! For more information on the Sandy Hot Air Balloon Festival, http://sandy.utah.gov/government/community-events/balloon-festival.htm.
