Salina balloon festival this weekend
Photo by Robert Stevens.
SALINA — Twenty-five hot-air balloons will launch at dawn over Sevier County this weekend as the Eyes to the Sky Balloon Festival returns for its 18th year June 20-22.
Pilots plan to lift off from the North Sevier Middle School field at 6 a.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, weather permitting. Organizers schedule launches only at daybreak, when winds tend to be calmest in the valley.
Saturday’s program begins with a 6-9 a.m. fundraiser breakfast at the launch site, then shifts to Main Street, where food trucks, craft vendors and a children’s fun zone open for the day. An FMX motorcycle stunt show, free community swim and a slate of local performers—including singer Tania Evans at 10 a.m. and country band Cherokee Blonde at 5 p.m.—anchor the afternoon entertainment.
When dusk settles on Saturday, crews will tether several balloons downtown for a glow scheduled about 9 p.m., lighting envelopes with bursts of propane to illuminate the street.
Evening events start a day earlier. Friday night features concerts, vendors and a public dance, according to festival organizers. The popular cornhole tournament returns as well; players can register through the Scoreholio app and are asked to check in 15 minutes before brackets begin.
Festival chairpersons remind guests that parking and seating at North Sevier Middle School fill quickly; spectators often line adjacent streets to watch pilots cold-inflate and heat-test their craft before liftoff. Those who want to stay close to the field or Main Street can find lodging lists under the “Places to Stay” tab on the festival website.
Organizers say the balloon rally, first staged in 2008, now draws visitors from across the Intermountain West, pumping tourism dollars into local businesses at the gateway to central Utah’s ATV and fishing destinations.
With three days of dawn launches, street-side concerts and after-dark glows, they hope 2025’s edition will again keep eyes—and cameras—pointed skyward.