Annual hot air balloon festival takes flight Thursday; bringing weekend community events downtown

By BRENDAN MILLER on May 22, 2024.

Thursday morning skies over Medicine Hat will be painted with bright colours and patterns as 25 hot air balloons take flight, weather pending, for the third annual Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival.

As the four-day festival continues to balloon in popularity, organizers are planning to host two separate free Balloon Glow events at dusk Friday and Saturday as tethered balloons are inflated and illuminated to provide an ideal photo opportunity and a chance to get up close.

They are also moving community day events downtown to allow more residents an opportunity to take part in the family friendly events planned for Saturday.

“Since the first festival just to watch it grow and the engagement in the community each year,” says Ryan Oscar, director of operations and education at Our Collective Journey. It’s just been phenomenal.”

Oscar says organizers have included more community events this year and chose to move community events to Kin Coulee Park and downtown to allow ease of access to free events at the Monarch, public library, Towne Square and the Esplanade.

Â “So really trying to get everybody downtown because we have a beautiful downtown district,” says Oscar. It’s just another layer of trying to get the community engaged and get some attention.”

Aside from eyes on the skies, the festival hopes to draw attention and emphasize the need to focus on mental well-being and resilience by partnering with Our Collective Journey, a local non-profit focused on helping individuals improve their quality of life.

“There’s a lot of stuff that gets thrown your way in a day, same as a balloon,” explains Oscar. “We really got to focus on the pieces we can control and that really does help build resilience in the community.

“Just focus on what you can control and do the best you can with each obstacle you face everyday.”

Although the non-profit isn’t expected to benefit financially from the festival, they hope it brings awareness to programs they offer including their recovery coaching program. Oscar says if the festival is profitable those funds will go towards a resilience coaching program offering in schools.

Flights have been sold out since the beginning of May and will take off daily at 6 am and 6 pm Thursday to Saturday with flight locations to be announced on the festival’s social media pages.

Balloon Glow events begin around 8:30 pm Friday and Saturday at Kin Coulee Park and there will be several free events downtown between 11 am to 5 pm Saturday.

The final flights will take off Sunday at 6 am.

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