Experience the magic of the Teton Valley Balloon Rally this weekend
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DRIGGS — Everyone is invited to “experience the magic that comes to life once a year in a little town on the west side of the Tetons” at the annual Teton Valley Balloon Rally in Driggs.
It begins Saturday at the fairgrounds.
Now in its 42nd year, the event is flying high. Keeping it that way is hard work, says Virginia Powell Symons, one of the event’s organizers.
“It takes so many different people who are passionate and driven and good at what they do,” she says.
Eleven years ago, the balloon rally almost reached an untimely end. The event had started as a draw for tourists, she says. Once Driggs found its niche in the tourist industry, the town didn’t need such a big event to incentivize folks to visit.
“By 2012, the Chamber (of Commerce) decided it wasn’t needed anymore,” Symons recalls. “I had to call the balloon pilots and tell them, ‘We’re not going to do this anymore.'”
Then, she says, she and her husband changed their minds. They were going to keep the rally alive.
“We said, ‘We’re going to try to make this happen,'” Symons tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Only seven pilots came with balloons that year. It was enough. Since then, the event has become a “labor of love that I almost can’t put into words,” she says.
Symons attributes the rally’s continued popularity to the “steadfast” support of the city of Driggs, the community and some key sponsors, as well as the support of the fair board, which welcomes the rally back year after year.
“And especially the pilots,” she adds.
Symons’ favorite part of the rally, she says, is “all the sleepy-eyed people.”
That’s because gates open at 5:30 a.m. Pilots begin filling balloons around 6 a.m., and the colorful balloons lift off about a half an hour later.
The experience watching gravity-defying hot-air balloons taking flight against the backdrop of the sunrise over the Tetons is something you’ll never forget.
“All the balloons launch in a group,” Symons says. “It’s awe-inspiring. We see adults acting like kids — just blown away and in awe, giddy and laughing. It makes people so happy.”
And they’re fostering the next generation of balloon-lovers.
“We have this amazing following of folks who attended as kids and they come back as adults with their families,” Symons says.
This year, people of all ages will be able to enjoy what Symons calls a “walk-in” balloon. The balloon is filled with cold air, so it stays on the ground. Folks get to walk inside the actual balloon for a colorful, immersive experience.
The Spoons Curbside Bistro food truck is scheduled to be there all three days of the rally, as is Rock’n C’s mobile coffee shop. On Independence Day, there will be live music starting at 6 a.m. from The Bush Pilots.
Although the schedule for balloon rides is full, tethered rides — a crowd-favorite — will be returning this year.
“Tethered rides will be available on the Fourth, weather permitting,” Symons confirms.
There is always a possibility that the balloons may not fly one or more mornings of the event due to weather conditions, Symons says.
“Over the past five or six years, we’ve definitely had some years where Mother Nature has not been smiling on us,” Symons noted.
Depending on the conditions, balloons may do static displays, where they are inflated but stay on the ground; or candlestick, when pilots fire off the burners, but the balloon isn’t attached to the basket.
“There’s usually s’mores for breakfast on those days,” Symons says with a laugh. “Some of our best years have been years that (balloons) have flown for two days and stayed grounded for a day.” Those rallies tend to be the most successful, Symons feels, because people get the opportunity to interact with the pilots and each other.
“If weather doesn’t work in our favor, please be patient and understanding,” she says. “Safety is our priority.”
If you want to be a part of the rally, organizers are always looking for volunteers. Every shift a volunteer works earns them an entry in a raffle for a balloon ride on the Fourth of July. Contact rally officials for more information.
The Teton Valley Balloon Rally will be held Saturday through Tuesday (July 4) at the Teton County Fairgrounds, 1413 N. Highway 33, in Driggs. Admission is $20 per vehicle containing up to six people. Walk-in and bike-in admission is $5 per person. New this year is a rally pass, which will get visitors into the rally all three mornings for $60.
Field camping (where you camp in the fairgrounds) are still available, says Symons, but they are almost full. Camping is available for the nights of June 28 to July 5. For more information on camping, visit this page.
Watch highlights from The Teton Valley Balloon Rally 2020 in the video player above.