What’s more relaxing than watching colorful balloons glide across a blue sky with powder puff clouds? It’s certainly hard to beat! You can enjoy this experience during the four-day Leon International Balloon Festival in Leon, Mexico. The festival, one of the three main ballooning events worldwide, will be held from November 18 to 21 at Metropolitan Park in Leon.
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Metropolitan Park is a protected natural area with 362 hectares of green space. It’s often frequented by city residents for kayaking and cycling. There are also spaces with games for children, a small train to tour the place, and several food areas.
More than 500,000 national and foreign visitors are expected to visit the Balloon Festival. Each day, visitors will enjoy the early morning rise of 200 giant airships, creating a cosmic color show. Balloon pilots hail from 20 different countries, including France, Chile, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Belgium, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, and Russia.
What Else Can I Do At The Festival?
The festival is not only a hot air balloon event, it is also an opportunity to enjoy an incredible day outdoors and have fun with activities for the whole family. There is a cultural exhibition, spaces to shop for beautiful souvenirs, and places to eat delicious snacks.
In the park, you’ll relish a wide selection of yummy foods from one of 40 vendor stands. Food trucks will provide typical regional food, as well as hamburgers, sushi, cocktails, and other drinks.
On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings, you’ll enjoy musical concerts and light and music shows at the Aerodrome. Ten giant balloons will remain anchored at 50 feet above the stage so visitors can admire them. Here is the current performance schedule. There will be updates in the next few days!
Don’t want to wait for schedule updates? Check the festival’s Facebook page here for news about the performers.
How Do I Purchase Tickets, And What Do They Include?
There is an exclusive pre-sale for CitiBanamex cardholders from September 19 to 23 (three, six, and nine months without interest). After the pre-sale, starting September 24, you can purchase tickets on the e-ticket platform and on the website. In the next few days, the complete program will be officially presented on the event’s social networks. Ticket prices have not yet been posted, but we can use 2021 prices as a reference; a 2021 ticket cost 253 pesos ($12.67).
With your access ticket, you can enjoy the excitement of 200 balloons taking off, illuminated magical nights, and outstanding concerts. The festival will confirm the performers for these events sometime in September.
Your ticket comes with some restrictions. It is valid for single access; if you leave the venue and want to re-enter, you will have to purchase a new ticket.
How Can I Participate In The Balloon Festival?
Visitors can enroll as crew members (register here) to experience the incredible joy of balloon flying. Crew members work with experienced pilots from all over the world. Each balloon has a team that supports the pilot during the four days of the event. Crew members are responsible for transportation, inflation, take-off, and rescue of the aircraft.
How Do I Get There?
Unsure of how to get there? Here’s a map with festival access information. It shows event locations and includes three links to navigate to the festival from where you are. If you are coming from Mexico City, you’ll be four hours from Leon. You’ll get into Leon through Boulevard Aeropuerto. Before getting to the road distributor, Jean-Paul II, continue driving in the right lane to the bypass (also known as Boulevard Morelos). Take this route to Metropolitan Park, the festival site.
Still Have Questions?
Visit here for details on the event and here for contact information.
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