Hot Air Balloons Rise Over Medicine Hat This Weekend
Up to 35 balloons will take flight at the free Rise Up Festival, with evening galas, a colour run, food trucks, and more.
If you've never seen 35 hot air balloons lift off in a single morning, Medicine Hat's Rise Up Hot Air Balloon Festival this weekend is the move. Running Thursday through Sunday (May 21–24), the free, family-friendly event launches flights every morning and evening at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., except Sunday, which has morning flights only.
Friday's the warm-up. At dusk around 8 p.m., the Balloon Glow Neon Theme kicks in—balloons tethered to the ground light up in gorgeous colour, pilots come down to earth, and you can walk through the fleet. Local food trucks and live entertainment keep the energy up. It's a slower, more intimate way to see the aircraft.
Saturday is the main event. Two flights bookend a day packed with the Hues for Humanity Colour Run (proceeds go to charity), a pancake breakfast, an artisan market, and two free movie screenings at noon and 3 p.m. The Balloon Glow returns Saturday night if you missed it Friday. Sunday's just flights—no evening show.
The festival doesn't announce flight zones until the last minute; follow their socials for location drops. Bring sunscreen. Bring coffee. Bring friends who've never seen a hot air balloon up close. The whole thing's free, which means parking lots and fields will fill fast, so arrive early. Medicine Hat's about 90 minutes southeast of Calgary—easy enough to make a morning trip out of it, or turn it into a long weekend.