Telluride’s 33rd Annual Hot Air Balloon Festival

Guys, if you haven’t been to Telluride, CO, then things need to change.  ASAP.

By no means have I been everywhere, but I have been a few places!  I’ve never seen forests as beautiful as Oregon’s, and I’ve never seen a mountain town more majestic than Telluride!  The town of Telluride is nestled in a box canyon surrounded by tall white-capped mountains. The mountainsides are covered in aspen and evergreens, and a rushing river flows through the middle of town (no big deal).  It’s pretty much Valhalla, except real…and on Earth.

Most people have heard about Telluride in relation to the Telluride Film Festival, but not everybody knows that Telluride is home to many festivals! Starting around the end of May and going until about the end of October, Telluride has something going on almost every week! Whether it’s their Film Festival, Blues & Brews Festival, Bluegrass Festival, Cars & Colors Festival…the list goes on and on!

I’ve been wanting to go to Telluride for a while. I have also been wanting to see a hot air balloon festival for a while. It made perfectly logical sense that as a graduation present to myself I should go and see the hot air balloon festival in Telluride! The Balloon Festival typically occurs on the first weekend of June.  We were told by locals that the last snow was two weeks before we came, but the weather was great the weekend we were there! We got the best of both worlds –  white-capped mountains + sunny, warm weather!

(Click here to see what else there is to do in Telluride!)

We woke up early that first morning to get to the balloon launch at 6:15.  We arrived at about 6:10, just as they were getting fired up! I’ve never been to any hot air ballooning event, so it was cool to see the process of how they get these bad boys up and in the air!

The air was still crisp this early in the morning, but as the sun came up from behind the mountains it immediately began to warm up.  A decent sized crowd was gathered without being overcrowded, which is always important! There were a good 15-20 balloon pilots spread across the fields working to get their balloons in the air.  Slowly but surely, they began to pop up one by one!

As the balloons began to take off, they made their way over the Main St. of Telluride.  The crowd began to disperse across the town to see the balloons in their various stages of flight. I can’t imagine a more beautiful backdrop for this type of Festival!

Now, I haven’t been to the Albuquerque’s renowned Balloon Festival, but I can tell you that Telluride’s balloon numbers can’t compare with the hundreds of balloons that take flight in Albuquerque. I have been to both places before, and Telluride is clearly the winner for prettiest scenery.  It’s a smaller and homier affair than what I would imagine you would see in Albuquerque. Honestly, I can’t fairly compare the two without having actually seen Albuquerque’s, but I can tell you that I really enjoyed the scenery and nature that came along with Telluride.

Things to Consider:

First off, I just want to say this right off the bat: The internet will tell you that in exchange for early morning help, the balloon pilots will take you up for a free ride…I did not find this to be true! I wasn’t trying to score a free ride the first day (my sleep was a little too important to me!), but I did talk to a few balloon pilots at the Night Glow, and none of them were willing to give us a free ride in exchange for help.  Maybe I didn’t know the right people, or maybe I just didn’t try hard enough.  Either way, I don’t want anyone to be set up for disappointment like I was! Definitely still try though…maybe you’ll have more luck than I did!

Make sure and see the Night Glow on the first evening! A handful of balloons anchor themselves on Main St to light up as the sun goes down.  They close the whole street off and every one parties!

Bring a jacket for the earliest part of the morning…you are after all at about 8750 ft. elevation!

Book a hotel in advance! I booked mine about 5 months in advance at The Angler’s Inn (in Placerville), and my rates were way cheaper because 1) I stayed about 15 minutes from Telluride, & 2) I booked before they jacked all the prices up! Aside from the prices being inflated, waiting until the last minute runs the risk of all the affordable spots being booked!

What do you guys think?? Have you been to a Festival in Telluride?? Have you been to Albuquerque’s Balloon Festival??

Leave me a comment for sure, and until next time!