September 2026: Great Smoky Mountain Hot Air Balloon Festival
One of the things we love most about what we do here at Destination TN Valley is finding places for you to explore throughout the greater Tennessee Valley region. Sometimes that means a great coffee shop. Sometimes it’s a walk through one of our amazing communities. And sometimes, it means finding a festival or event that gives you a reason to get out and experience somewhere new.
We try to give you an insider’s perspective on what we’re discovering, eating, drinking, and doing. Most of the time, that’s pretty straightforward. We visit a place, enjoy ourselves, take some pictures, and come back to tell you all about it.
So when we saw the Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival was happening in Townsend, we knew we wanted to go—and, of course, bring you along for the experience. The festival takes place every August, and this year marked its 8th annual event. If you’ve been reading Destination TN Valley for any length of time, you already know that Townsend is known as the peaceful side of the Smokies. It’s one of those places where the drive there is part of the experience.
The drive over to Townsend is always beautiful. You travel through Maryville, pass the turn for Blackberry Farm, and eventually find yourself on a two-lane road that opens up into Townsend. It’s an easy, scenic drive and a great reminder of just how much beauty we have right here in our own backyard.
When we saw the balloon festival was happening, we knew we had to check it out. We purchased our tickets online for $10 per person plus fees. There were also several other admission options, including VIP Balloon Ride, Sip TN Wine tickets, VIP Experience, and Tethered Balloon Ride tickets.
And this isn’t just a hot air balloon festival. The event also brings together some of Tennessee’s wine producers for the Sip TN Wine portion of the festival. But we opted for general admission and added a tethered balloon ride.
The tethered ride gives you the opportunity to go about 30 feet into the air, and the price was very reasonable. Once you purchase your ticket, you’re assigned a time slot for your ride.
Sounds pretty easy, right?
Well, here’s what you should know before you go: There are also tons of local vendors on site and food trucks galore! You will not go hungry at this event. The location of the festival is spacious, so you have plenty of room to stretch your legs. Parking is plentiful as well, although you will pay $20 per car for parking. You can reserve your parking pass when you purchase your festival tickets and add-ons. But not to worry if you don’t. There are lots of places to park for the same price and an easy walking path to the festival.
Now, let’s discuss some logistical issues that we ran into and want to make you aware of, since that’s one of the things we like doing here in addition to giving you all the amazing details. First, the balloons are weather-dependent. That means that if there is a chance of storms, they will ground the balloons. And that actually means you could show up to an empty field wondering if you are in the right place.
Rest assured, you are. You’re just waiting on the weather. Speaking of the weather. It was HOT. It was literally 100 degrees the day of the festival. Which would have been okay, except there was an hour-long wait to get inside, even with a prepaid ticket. And that meant standing on the hot asphalt under the sun, waiting for a chance to get into the festival.
We took the dog with us, which we recommend you not doing. The festival is dog-friendly, but waiting outside for an hour on the asphalt without shade or water was grueling. We ended up walking back to the car to get water for the dog. We didn’t take it with us initially because we didn’t know we would be waiting for so long to get into the festival. We presumed a prepaid ticket meant getting in straightaway.
Lesson learned.
Once we finally got inside the festival, we went right away to find the balloons since our balloon ride was scheduled for 4 PM, and it was after 4 PM by the time we got into the festival. We had a hard time finding the balloons since there weren’t any directional arrows or instructions. We later discovered that there were QR codes posted along the way to help with locations and directions, which turned out to be very useful.
We stopped and asked a volunteer how to find the balloon rides. There are lots of volunteers, and they are happy to help, so don’t be shy about asking them questions. Once we discovered where the balloons were supposed to be, we were able to find information about the storms and the grounding of the balloons.
Another thing to keep in mind: if they ground the balloons, once they get the all-clear, you will have to stand in another line with everyone else who purchased a ticket. Be prepared for a lot of standing in lines in direct sunlight and heat.
Unfortunately, we did not prepare ourselves for this. And having the dog with us, we were not able to stay to see the balloons. Which happens. We were disappointed that we couldn’t bring pictures of the balloons or our tethered ride to you, but that’s what happens sometimes. But, you can see all kinds of photos on their website, Facebook, and Instagram pages.
What we did bring to you is a list of things to prepare you for this balloon adventure for next year. Who knows? Maybe the long lines were a one-off. Some other things to note: they have these cute little cooling-off towels in ice that are free for the taking! Grab one or two and put them around your neck. Don’t worry about what you look like. We were all soaked with sweat by the end of the day.
Speaking of, there are not a lot of places to get out of the sun. There’s lots of outdoor seating, but it’s in a big field. You can bring in water, coolers, chairs, umbrellas, etc., so feel free to bring a chair or a blanket with you. We didn’t, and that’s one of our regrets.
If we’d remembered to bring a chair and a little umbrella, we could have waited out the weather and gotten that balloon ride after all. That’s why we bring these things to you, dear reader, so you don’t make the mistake of showing up unprepared.
Overall, the event is worth noting and preparing yourselves for long lines and hot weather—and the possibility that the balloons will be grounded. We wish we’d been able to see the balloons, but that’s how things roll around here at Destination TN Valley!
Sometimes you win, and sometimes you do the best you can and enjoy the view. And we’ll definitely be better prepared next time. Sometimes the best part of exploring isn’t that everything goes perfectly. Sometimes it’s learning what you would do differently next time—and passing that information along to you.
About the Author:
Kristin is the founder of Chicken Librarian, where she shares real-life stories, seasonal living inspiration, and her love for all things local. A freelance blogger and storyteller since 2017, Kristin chronicles her journey at chickenlibrarian.com, celebrating slower living, community, and the beauty in everyday moments. From exploring small-town bakeries and local shops to life on her farmstead, her writing invites readers to notice, savor, and connect with the world around them.
