There's something whimsical about hot air balloons, and you can see dozens of them in Illinois this summer.

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Hot Air Balloons

There's something kind of whimsical about seeing a hot air balloon in the sky, and these days we don't seem to see them very often.  Hot air balloons have been around since the 1700s and work on the heat-rising principle. Virgin Balloon Flights explains:

A hot air balloon is a unique flying craft which works because hot air rises. There are two main types of hot air balloon. Both were developed in the late 18th century and are still used today.

You can see dozens of hot air balloons in Illinois this summer at the Centralia Balloon Fest.

Centralia Balloon Fest

Centralia, Illinois is a little more than halfway between Evansville and St. Louis, so it isn't a far drive from the Tri-State.  Every year the small city of Centralia hosts the annual Balloon Fest, and this year they're getting ready to host dozens of hot air balloons for the festival.

The Centralia Balloon Fest will take place on August 16th, 17th, and 18th 2024. According to the Facebook event page, there will even be a performance by Josh Gracin!

This 3-day hot air balloon festival in Centralia, IL. is a family-friendly event where you can experience being up close with hot air balloons! Join us for hot air balloons, live music, craft vendors, food vendors, and much more!

Admission is just $5 a person for the whole weekend! Pre-order your wristbands now to save time at the gates!

All balloon events are weather permitting so follow our Facebook page for the latest updates! We will be sharing all of the details there as they become available!

Each day there are different events to celebrate the festival, like a balloon glow event where you can see the hot air balloons light up the night.  They'll also have hot air balloon flights, a Taylor Swift tribute concert, and country artist Josh Gracin will perform on Saturday the 17th!

For more information, you can check out the Cenralia Ballon Fest website, here.