This free upstate hot air balloon festival will have Adirondack skies looking as colorful as Cappadocia

If Cappadocia feels a little far for your fall getaway, good news: New York’s Adirondacks are about to put on a balloon show that rivals Turkey’s Instagram-famous skies—and you don’t even need a passport. The Adirondack Balloon Festival returns September 18–21, 2025, marking its 52nd year of sending technicolor giants into the clouds over Queensbury and Lake George. More than 60 balloons are set to launch at sunrise and sunset, turning the mountains into a dreamy kaleidoscope you can watch for exactly zero dollars (yes, admission is free).

This upstate tradition started back in 1973, when 18 balloonists floated up from Adirondack Community College. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest—and longest-running—balloon festivals in the country, drawing over 100,000 visitors a year and pilots from across the world. Despite its scale, the whole operation is still volunteer run, which feels very “community bake sale, but make it airborne.”

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The main action unfolds at Floyd Bennett Memorial Airport, though festivities start Thursday evening in Crandall Park with food trucks, live music and a Balloon Moonglow, when balloons glow like giant lanterns tethered to the ground. Friday through Sunday bring mass ascensions at dawn and dusk, up to 80 balloons lifting off together, including Sunday’s signature “Walter & Joan’s Mass Ascension.” Between flights you can wander a craft fair with more than 50 vendors, graze on local eats, let kids run wild in activity zones and catch live performances.

If you’re making the trek, know a few things before you go: Premium parking is already sold out, traffic is inevitable at launch times and all flights are weather-dependent—no wind, no lift-off. Dogs, drones and vape pens are on the no-fly list, so leave them at home. Getting there from New York City is straightforward: It’s about a 3.5 to 4-hour drive straight up the Adirondack Northway or you can opt for Amtrak to Fort Edward–Glens Falls station or hop a Trailways bus to Glens Falls or Lake George.

line: if you’ve ever wanted to sip cider under a sky full of rainbow bubbles, this is your chance. Mark your calendar, pull on a flannel and get ready for one of Upstate New York’s most photogenic weekends.