Great Galena Balloon Race

06/22/2026

Wow! Check out this AMAZING 360° shot from our friends at Elevated Images!

The rough estimate for Saturday night attendance was an unbelievable 10,000 people! That's more than double the highest single-night attendance we've seen in the 24-year history of the Great Galena Balloon Race.

To everyone who came out to support this event and our charities—thank you! What an amazing weekend! 🎈❤️

Beautiful balloons in Galena, Illinois!! 🌞 🎈
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Great Galena Balloon Race / Galena On The Fly / Visit Galena / Enjoy Illinois

06/21/2026

We had another beautiful launch this morning!

06/21/2026

The ride balloons are taking off now!

06/20/2026

Things are hoppin’ out here at the balloon race, we hope to see you tonight!

06/20/2026

The balloons have landed and are now getting ready for tonight’s festivities! In the meantime, head down town to Corkless Galena?

Sunshine, river breeze, Illinois wine—yes, that’s your Saturday plan. ☀️🍷

Corkless Galena runs today from noon–6 pm at Depot Park along the Galena River, with 7 Illinois wineries pouring, live music on stage, and plenty of food so you can settle in for the afternoon. 🎶🧺

Don't have tickets? Not to worry...Just head to the gate for general admission tickets, grab your glass, and start exploring Illinois wine one pour at a time. 🚶‍♀️🥂

06/20/2026

We had an amazing launch this morning!

06/20/2026

We’ve got balloons starting to inflate for the night glow!

06/20/2026

Tonight's flight has been canceled, but we are still trying to get the night glow in about 8:30pm

06/19/2026

We are on a weather hold for the balloon launch until 7pm, and things still look excellent for the Night Glow!

06/19/2026

At this time, all event activities are taking place as scheduled unless otherwise posted on our page.

While weather apps can provide a general forecast, hot air ballooning is extremely weather-dependent, and conditions can change significantly from hour to hour.

Fly/no-fly decisions for the balloons are made by the pilots based on the actual conditions 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝, including wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation.Because weather changes quickly, especially in the Midwest, forecasts days—or even several hours—in advance are often not accurate enough to determine whether balloon activities will take place.

In many cases, we may begin the evening under a weather hold and then launch once conditions improve. Likewise, there are times when balloon flights may not be possible, but conditions become perfect later in the evening for the Night Glow Extravaganza.

For the most up-to-date information, please follow our page, where any schedule changes or weather-related updates will be posted.