No weekend plans? We’ve got you. If you’ve ever dreamed of floating above the hills of NSW as the sun rises, now’s the time to make it happen. The Balloon Aloft Hunter Valley Fiesta – an annual event that fills the sky above the Hunter Valley with colourful balloons – is back this weekend (from Friday, October 3 until Monday, October 6). To celebrate its twelfth edition (and Balloon Aloft’s 45th birthday), this year’s event is coming to life with a particularly dreamy theme: Balloons and Bubbles.
Each morning of the coming long weekend, 30 hot air balloons will drift skyward at dawn, carrying passengers over rolling vineyards and mist-shrouded paddocks. The event is already one of the region’s most iconic – but this year, it comes with an extra dose of magic. Passengers will be kitted out with bubble blowers, filling the morning air with a glittering cascade of bubbles. If you ask us, it sounds like a pretty unreal vision: rainbow-coloured balloons set against the golden sunrise, surrounded by a shimmer of bubbles catching the light like Champagne beads.
"It’s such a special feeling being on board one of thirty balloons as they float over the valley together at dawn," says organiser Matthew Scaife of Balloon Aloft. "It really is an awe-inspiring experience and a must-do for anyone visiting the Hunter Valley over the October Long Weekend."
Once back on the ground, the fiesta will roll straight into a sparkling breakfast at Peterson House Winery. Here, expect bubbles in their most beloved format (drinkable), a guided tasting with your pilot and fellow balloon-goers, soundtracked by live music from Hunter Valley favourite Pat McMahon.
RECOMMENDED READ: These are the best wineries in the Hunter Valley
Tickets for the fiesta sell out every year, so if this sounds like your idea of a long weekend well spent, get booking before the balloons take off without you. It’s worth noting, tickets for a balloon ride start at $285 – so if you’re keen to tap into the spectacle without splashing out, head to the Hunter Valley with your picnic blanket and enjoy the view from solid ground.
You can learn more and book over here.
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