One important tip is to pre-order Balloon Fiesta tickets in advance, especially if planning to use the park-and-ride system.

The next morning started very early with a 3:00 am wake-up before driving to the park-and-ride location. We were dropped off at the balloon field around 5:00 am, bought coffee and donuts, and watched the Dawn Patrol crews begin inflating their balloons.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast called for light rain and cloudy conditions. Around 6:00 am, the launch was officially canceled because of the weather.

If possible plan for several days

Even though the balloons did not launch, many crews still inflated them and performed what is called “candle sticking,” where the balloons remain tethered to the ground while firing their burners. It still created an impressive scene across the field despite the disappointing weather.

By lunchtime, we were already back at the camper.