Hot air balloon festival lights up small Kansas town every year
It’s shaping up to be the busiest weekend of the year in Anthony.
The Sunflower Balloon Festival is celebrating its 20th year in the town of 2,200 about an hour and a half southwest of Wichita.
The festival, which runs from Friday evening to Sunday morning, attracts hundreds from around the region every year to this Harper County town.
“People come from all over,” said Gwen Warner, executive director of the Anthony Chamber of Commerce. “We have a lot of people who have called, and our hotels are getting pretty much booked.”
The Sunflower Balloon Festival is a multiday hot air balloon rally featuring 16 balloons. Spectators can watch the balloons fly four times, weather permitting – Friday night, Saturday morning and evening, and Sunday morning.
There’s also a fireworks display, a kite festival, a fun run, a car show, inflatables, helicopter rides, a flight simulator and more.
And the best part: Almost everything is free.
Warner said she is expecting an even larger crowd than normal because it’s also graduation weekend at Chaparral High School, which means families will be in town.
The Sunflower Balloon Festival is one of a few long-running hot air balloon events operating in Kansas, Topeka’s autumnal Huff ’n Puff Festival and Kansas City’s Rhythm ’n Balloons Festival being the other major balloon festivals in the area.
Hot air balloon flights are highly dependent on weather conditions, which can make festivals tough to plan. Kansas City’s festival was abruptly canceled because of weather last year.
Balloonists have started going on flights in Wichita in recent months, though in general the sport has declined in popularity since the 1970s and ’80s.
Luckily for the Sunflower Balloon Festival, the forecast for Anthony appears to be nice and sunny all weekend.
You can watch all the balloons for free, but if you want a ride on one, it’ll cost $150 per person.
Matt Riedl: 316-268-6660, @RiedlMatt
Sunflower Balloon Festival
What: Three-day hot air balloon festival in Anthony, with free activities all weekend
When: Approximately 7 p.m. to dark Friday, 6:30 a.m. to dark Saturday, 6:30 a.m. to late morning Sunday
Where: Balloon/helicopter/ kite events at Anthony Municipal Airport, other events in downtown Anthony
Schedule:
Friday
7:30 p.m. – First hot air balloon flight or glow
Evening – Helicopter rides ($40)
7 to 9 p.m. – Tethered hot air balloon rides ($20 adults, $10 children)
Dusk – Fireworks display
Saturday
6:30 to 7:30 a.m. – Second hot air balloon flight
All day – Baseball tournament
All day – Food vendors and craft fair
All day – Helicopter rides ($40)
8 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Show & Shine Car Show
9 a.m. – 2-mile fun run/walk
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. – Inflatable rides for kids
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Chainsaw folk artist live demonstration
10 a.m. to noon, 1 to 4 p.m. – Tours of the Historical Museum of Anthony
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Book signing with prisoner of war Paoul Montague and Jim Tuorila
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. – F-4 flight simulator
2 p.m. – Sunflower Balloon Festival Parade
6 to 7 p.m. – Third hot air balloon flight
7 to 9 p.m. – Tethered hot air balloon rides ($20 adults, $10 children)
Sunday
6:30 to 7:30 a.m. – Fourth and final hot air balloon flight
This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 4:44 PM with the headline "Hot air balloon festival lights up small Kansas town every year."