The annual Sunflower Balloon Festival in Anthony, Kansas is happening this May. Admission is FREE and they have fun activities planned for everyone.
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The Balloon Festival is a three-day event, May 6-8, 2022, and always includes tons of fun activities, like hot air balloon rides, a parade, helicopter rides, a kite festival, car show, and more. Most of the balloon-related activities will be held at the Anthony Municipal Airport, but they’ll also have lots of fun activities and things to do in the town of Anthony, Kansas during the festival.
Check out https://www.anthonychamber.com/ for more info and for any weather-related changes.
The 2022 BalloonFest schedule has not yet been released. Below you can see the schedule for a past balloon fest in Anthony KS.
PAST Sunflower Balloon Festival overview
Here is a sample of a PAST Sunflower Balloon Fest schedule. Be sure to check out the website at the link above for the most up-to-date information.
It looks like it is so much fun!
Friday Night
The festival kicks off on Friday at the Anthony Municipal Airport with a first flight or glow. If the weather doesn’t permit flights on Friday evening, the balloons will stand and glow. You’ll be able to walk among the balloons and visit with pilots and crew.
They’ll also have a preview of the kite festival on Friday night. At dusk, they’ll close out Friday’s activities with fireworks!
Saturday Morning
The next morning, at sunrise on Saturday, weather permitting, pilots will start inflating balloons. Arrive early at the airport for the best views of the launches.
Tethered hot air balloon rides will be available ($150) or tethered rides ($20 adults, $10 children), as long as the weather cooperates, on Saturday. Helicopter rides ($40) will also be available throughout the day on Saturday.
Other events that start Saturday morning:
Kite Festival
Powered Paragliding
Powered Parachutes
Car Show
Free tours of the Anthony historical museum (10 a.m. to noon)
Chainsaw artist
F-4 Flight Simulator (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Saturday Afternoon
In town, watch the parade down Main Street beginning at 2 p.m. and enjoy a wide variety of activities, including a jet simulator, car show, food and craft vendors, specials at local Anthony merchants and restaurants, and more.
At the airport on Saturday, they’ll be having a kite festival, helicopter rides, and powered parachutes.
Saturday Evening
On Saturday evening around 6 p.m., the balloon pilots will try for another flight back at the Anthony airport. If all goes well with the weather, they’ll have a special shape balloon, Freedom Flight IV along with the other balloons.
Sunday Morning
Sunday morning will be the last flight time for the hot air balloons, from 6:30 a.m. to 7 a.m.
Hot Air Balloon Rides
The price for balloon rides during the Sunflower Balloon Festival is $250. Because hot air balloons can only go up safely when weather conditions are just perfect, you can’t reserve a ride in advance, and rides might be canceled at the last minute. When available, hot air balloon rides are offered on a first-come, first-served basis.
Anthony, Kansas is about an hour southwest of Wichita. For more information about the hot air balloon festival in Anthony, KS, visit SunflowerBalloonFest.com or visit their page on Facebook.
