Hello All,
I wanted to write this post earlier when my mind still had the freshest details of what I had experienced but better late than never. Sonoma Classic Hot air balloon festival was held on the 18th & 19th of June 2016 at Windsor,California. The event starts at wee hours in the morning until around 10:00 AM on both days.
To avoid having a long drive so early in the morning, we drove to Santa Rosa the previous day and stayed at a hotel that night. This was our first time and I was so excited that I had no problem waking up at 3:00 AM in the morning. We left the hotel around 4:00 AM, it was just 20 minutes drive to the location. As we took the exit, the traffic struck.The cars weren’t moving an inch!!! And we were there for a good hour or so until we started moving again. Finally, we made it to the location at around 6:30 AM. We had missed the dawn patrol(viewing the hot air balloon lit in the dark) and waited for the main launch to begin.
The main launch was delayed and we had no clue what was happening, not a single balloon in sight!! All we could see everywhere was, people eagerly waiting for the launch. Around 7:30 AM the pilots started firing up the hot air balloons one by one. It was good to see up close the secret behind these lovely things , how they form into a beautiful balloon.
It was told that there were around 30 hot air balloons flying that day with some of them coming from other countries.It was awesome to see how they flew up one by one into the blue sky.
After all the balloons were launched we went up to the stalls that was set up.The hot air balloon themed items they were selling were really cute. There was breakfast, coffee, etc sold at the venue, so you don’t have to worry about having to be hungry.There were bounce houses for a reasonable price for the little kids to enjoy.
They did offer tethered rides for 10USD per person but the line for that was way too long and we didn’t wish to wait in line with fussing toddler. She was wide awake since 4:00AM in the morning and enjoyed watching the whole event.
In spite of the unexpected delays and ridiculously long wait times, we had a fun time.It was our first time going to a hot air balloon festival and we thoroughly enjoyed it!!! We’ll surely do it again.Hoping to visit the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico next year !!!!!!!!
Some tips for next year
1.Try reach the venue at least half an hour before the gates open.
2.If you have a toddler, be sure to pack some snacks may be something like banana bread,some fruits and water.
3.There were only few portable toilets and the line to get into them is again very long.Don’t wait till the last minute.
4.Be sure to take a picnic blanket or folding chairs to sit.
5.Dress yourself and your family in layers.It can get chilly so early in the morning.
5.Don’t forget your camera & sunglasses.