The Plano Balloon Festival is a four-day hot air balloon event at Oak Point Park in Plano, run by a local nonprofit. The 2025 festival ran September 18 to 21, and the 2026 festival ran September 17 to 20. Dates for 2027 have not been posted.
The short answer
- The 2025 Plano Balloon Festival ran September 18 to 21 at Oak Point Park.
- The 2026 festival ran September 17 to 20 at Oak Point Park, with the theme Shared Horizon.
- Dates for 2027 have not been posted, so wait for the organizer’s announcement.
- Balloon events depend on wind, so check the forecast on the day you plan to go.
- Plano patio work is usually a retrofit in an established yard, and the city sets permit rules.
Every September, hot air balloons fill the sky above Oak Point Park in Plano. As of November 2026, both the 2025 and the 2026 festivals are over, and the next dates have not been announced. This page covers what the festival is, how the 2026 schedule worked, and how to plan for the next one.
What is the Plano Balloon Festival?
It is a yearly hot air balloon festival held in September at Red Tail Pavilion in Oak Point Park, on East Spring Creek Parkway in Plano. The organizer, Plano Balloon Festival, Inc., is a nonprofit. The festival’s website says it is partly funded by the City of Plano and aims to teach visitors about ballooning.
The festival’s own site lists balloon glows, launch-field activities, main-stage music and tethered balloon rides. You can read it at planoballoonfest.org. The organizer’s 2026 announcement said the festival draws more than 100,000 people a year, which is the organizer’s own figure and has not been independently verified.
What was the 2026 Plano Balloon Festival like?
The 2026 festival ran Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20, with the theme Shared Horizon. FOX 4 previewed the schedule: balloon glows each evening, launches early on Saturday and Sunday, and skydiving exhibitions, all weather permitting.
| Activity | When it was planned for 2026 | What can change it |
|---|---|---|
| Balloon glow | Evenings, Thursday through Saturday | Wind and weather |
| Morning launch | Early Saturday and Sunday | Wind, fog and visibility |
| Skydiving exhibition | Each evening | Wind and weather |
| Music, rides and food | Throughout the festival | Crowds and schedule changes |
Reports on weather cancellations for 2026 were not published, so it is unclear which events ran on which night. The 2026 preview also said the nightly show used lasers in place of fireworks because of dry conditions, while other announcements mentioned fireworks. Check the organizer for what actually took place.
When is the next Plano Balloon Festival?
Dates for 2027 have not been posted. The festival’s website did not list upcoming dates on November 1, 2026. The last two festivals both fell in the third week of September, but that is a pattern, not a promise, so wait for the organizer’s announcement before you book anything.
How does weather decide what flies?
Balloons only fly when the wind is calm enough, so glows and launches can be scaled back or called off with little notice. If you are traveling in from Frisco, Dallas or Fort Worth, check the National Weather Service Fort Worth office forecast on the morning you plan to go and watch the organizer’s updates.
September in North Texas is often hot. After the summer of 2023, many of us treat shade and water as a basic part of any outdoor plan. Bring a hat, arrive early for the cooler launch hours, and have a backup for a windy day.
A short packing list helps on a hot, early morning. Bring water, sun protection, a folding chair if the organizer allows them, and a light layer for the pre-dawn hours when launches begin. Allow extra time for entry and parking, and confirm the day’s schedule with the organizer before you set out.
Does a balloon festival change what you should do at home?
Not much, but it is a reminder that September evenings are the start of good patio weather. Plano lots are mostly flat, fenced and fully landscaped, so adding a patio cover is nearly always a retrofit. That means getting a crew and a dig past an established yard without wrecking the parts you want to keep.
A pergola is an open-roofed frame that gives partial shade, while a patio cover gives more. See the pergolas page for options. Plano’s residential permit page is the place to check whether a new structure needs approval. We also have posts on extending your outdoor season and living near a major Frisco attraction. If a project is on your list, American Eagle Builders, a family-owned exterior remodeler in Arlington, offers free in-home estimates.
Questions we get asked about this
It ran September 18 to 21, 2025, at Oak Point Park in Plano, with morning launches on the weekend. The festival has since ended. Check the organizer’s website for 2027 dates, since none had been posted on November 1, 2026.
It was scheduled for Thursday, September 17 through Sunday, September 20, 2026, with the theme Shared Horizon. Events such as balloon launches and glows depend on the weather. Reports on which events ran on which night were not published, so check the organizer.
It is held at Red Tail Pavilion in Oak Point Park, on East Spring Creek Parkway in Plano, according to the festival’s materials and local event listings. Parking and entry details change from year to year, so check the festival’s website before you go.
The 2026 preview listed balloon glows in the evening and launches early on Saturday and Sunday mornings, weather permitting. Mornings are cooler, and evenings suit a glow. Winds decide what flies, so check the organizer’s updates and the forecast on the day you plan to go.
Not necessarily. Balloons fly only when wind and weather allow, so glows and launches can be changed or canceled at short notice. Check the organizer’s updates and the National Weather Service forecast on the day you plan to go.
