Roughly 10 hot-air balloons are expected at the RE/MAX Skylight Balloon Fest this Saturday at Retama Park, though some may launch off site depending on wind direction and launches are weather permitting. The festival, which runs from morning launches through a 9 p.m. close, is built around the balloons and caps the night with The Spazmatics and a choreographed balloon glow.
The event is presented by the Chamber of the Schertz-Cibolo-Selma area, and its origins trace back to Chamber president and CEO Maggie Titterington, who pursued the idea of a local balloon festival after attending several similar events elsewhere, according to KSAT. Titterington has said the festival was meant to let people experience and learn about hot air balloons up close, a mission that has continued since the festival's 2017 debut. That first Skylight Balloon Fest launched in October 2017 after 18 months of planning by regional chamber leaders, hosting crowds at the River City Community Church grounds in Selma, according to MySA. The festival is now held at Retama Park.
A Full Day of Balloons, Music, and Family Activities
Saturday's schedule opens with balloon launches from 7 to 9 a.m., per the event's own festival schedule. The festival continues through 9 p.m. Entertainment includes The Spazmatics, the main concert performers, and a balloon glow, which features balloons lined up on the track, inflated, and choreographed to music. The festival also includes Dinosaur George, a family fun zone with inflatables and games, live concerts throughout the day, and food from dozens of food trucks, KSAT reports.
Organizers describe the event as a family experience intended to be affordable, and vice president Lauren Dalton has discussed the festival's attractions. Some balloons may launch off site depending on wind direction, and the launches themselves depend heavily on conditions that can shift by the hour.
Ballooning Safety Guidance
Scouting America's guidance for tethered balloon events says rides may rise to a maximum of 70 feet, require ground crews of five to six people, and are usually suspended once surface winds hit 6 mph or higher, according to Scouting America. Rohr Balloons describes a general 8–10 mph wind range for hot-air ballooning, according to Rohr Balloons.
Tickets, Parking, and Entry Rules
Online checkout prices are $18.34 for adults and $12.05 for children, according to Kids Out and About San Antonio. Festival parking is free, and entry at the gates is cashless, though vendors on site will accept both cash and credit cards. Retama Park is enforcing a clear-bag policy for the festival.
Retama Park is in Selma, just off Interstate 35.
