Fifty Balloons Over Ann Morrison, Five Mornings, and It’s All Free

BOISE, ID—Somewhere between fifty hot air balloons and a reasonable hour of the morning, the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic makes its case for being the best free event in the city.

The classic runs Wednesday, September 2 through Sunday, September 6 at Ann Morrison Park (1000 S. Americana Blvd), with morning launches most days starting as early as 6 a.m. Wednesday is Kid’s Day, with free tethered rides and children’s activities. Thursday brings the first full launch. Sunday wraps the week with the Great Launch and a Dawn Patrol at 6 a.m. All morning flights are weather permitting—as @boiseinsiders notes in the video, balloons don’t negotiate with wind.

Friday, September 5 is the one to circle. The morning includes a Nite Glow Tribute launch honoring festival founder Scott Spencer, but the evening is its own event: the Fun Zone opens at 4 p.m., food vendors and live music kick off at 5 p.m., and the balloons glow after dark. It’s the kind of thing that’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t seen it and completely obvious once they have.

All five days are free to attend. The advice from @boiseinsiders: get there early, park once, bring coffee, and stay for the whole thing.