Kissimmee International Balloon Festival
Coming to Central Florida in September is the very first Kissimmee International Balloon Festival.
In what organizers hope will become an annual event attracting thousands of balloon and festival fanatics, the Kissimmee International Balloon Festival will also feature a race series, a food and wine event, arts and crafts and some great music.
Of course, balloons are the main attraction as more than 50 gigantic hot air balloons will fill the skies in and around Kissimmee over the three days of the festival. You’ll be able to hitch a ride to see all the natural beauty of Osceola County including lakes, trees, attractions and perhaps, even a glimpse of neighboring Walt Disney World!
The Kissimmee Festival of Festivals will also include not one, but five distinct foot races—two on the evening of Friday, September 21st and three on the morning of Saturday, September 22nd.
On Friday, more than 1,500 runners will participate in both a 5k and a 10k race at the epicenter of the festival activities on Formosa Gardens Boulevard. As the racers cross the finish line, tethered hot air balloons will line the street, glowing in the setting sun. On Saturday, as 1,500 additional runners cross the finish line, 50 hot air balloons in all shapes and sizes will lift up above them, flying to destinations unknown around the Central Florida area.
Here’s the full race schedule:
- 5:00 pm Registration Opens
- 6:30 pm 10k Start
- 7:30 pm 5k Start
- 8:45 pm Award Ceremony
Saturday morning September 22, 2012
- 6:00 am Registration Opens
- 7:00 am 10k start
- 8:15 am 5K
- 9:00 am Buccaneers and Princesses fun run
- 9:30 am Award Ceremony
And what would a festival be without the promise of festival fare? Yes, the festival will have all of the traditional fixins’, from hot dogs to ice cream cones and popcorn to cotton candy. But they’ve also paved the way for a food truck alley, where local food trucks will be lined up to serve festival-goers who may want something a little more substantial. On the drink side, they’ll be sodas, beer and wine on site as well as a fun margarita mix-off challenge.
Arts and crafts will also be on display at the festival as Central Florida is home to many talented artisans and crafters who will be showing their paintings, hand-crafted soaps, sculptures and jewelry. Put all this together with local and regional musical acts and the festival is definitely something you should be planning to attend during the 21 to 23 September 2012 time period… and… you can say you were among the very first to attend the Kissimmee International Balloon Festival!
