Thirteen hot air balloons are set to rise over Tuttle, Oklahoma this weekend as Coal Creek Winery & Event Center kicks off its third annual Balloon Fest. The free two-day festival runs Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31, bringing kite shows, food trucks, vendors and a weather-dependent lineup of balloon flights and helicopter rides to the winery grounds.
According to KOKH, gates open Friday at noon and Saturday at 8 a.m. at Coal Creek Winery & Event Center, located at 210 N Sara Rd in Tuttle. The station reports that balloon flights are planned for sunrise, with an evening glow at sunset, though both the flights and the festival's helicopter rides depend on weather conditions. Admission to the festival itself is free, with parking set at $10 per vehicle, per the same report.
The festival is scheduled for October 30 and 31. For its October 19, 2024 event, OKC Mom said balloon activities were expected to start between 5 and 5:30 p.m., with tether and glow activities lasting two to three hours, weather permitting.
What's Filling the Grounds This Year
KGOU describes a lineup that includes new hot air balloons, kite displays from Great American Kites, live music, vendors, food trucks, helicopter rides, a kids zone and Halloween-themed surprises — fitting for a festival landing on the holiday weekend. Chickasaw Country's event page puts the balloon count at more than a dozen and adds a kite show alongside tethered balloon rides, while also describing a market of more than 70 food trucks and vendors with live music running throughout.
At the October 19, 2024 event, OKC Mom listed tethered balloon rides at $15 for kids and $20 for adults, noting the activity depended on conditions.
How This Year Compares to Last
Now in its third year, Coal Creek's balloon festival shares a similar formula with its predecessor, though it falls at a different point in the calendar. Last year's event, covered by Metro Family Magazine, ran September 12 through 14, 2025, and featured hot air balloons, a kite show, helicopter rides, tethered balloon rides, food trucks, a vendor market and live music — much of the same mix returning this weekend. It also included a farmers and craft market run entirely by kids ages 5 to 17.
Whether the 2026 crowd gets a noon kickoff or an evening-focused schedule may depend on which listing attendees are following, but the core draw remains the same: a sky full of balloons over Tuttle, free to watch from the ground.
