April 28, 2022. Louisville, KY.  – The Kentucky Derby Festival Great BalloonFest returns this weekend with two hot-air balloon events lifting off on Friday, April 29 and Saturday, April 30.

It kicks off with the Derby Festival Great Balloon Glow at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 29. A new location is one of the highlights of this year’s Glow, which takes place at Kroger’s Fest-a-Ville on the Waterfront and features 16 balloons participating.

Glow spectators are encouraged to come out early and make an evening out of it at Fest-a-Ville – the ultimate entertainment venue that is home to 900,000 square feet of festivities, including concerts, cocktails, tasty food, family-friendly fun, midway rides and much more. At 8:30 p.m., the balloon pilots will fire their burners, making the balloons glow against the night sky.

The festivities continue on Saturday, April 30 when BalloonFest culminates with its inaugural event – the Great Balloon Race, which launches at 7 a.m. A field of 16 balloons will take flight from Bowman Field in the oldest portion of the BalloonFest.

Since the first Great Balloon Race was held in 1973, the Derby Festival’s balloon events have been considered among the best in the country by pilots from all around the world. BalloonFest attractions are annually among the most popular family-friendly events on the Derby Festival schedule.

Contributing Sponsors: Breeze Airlines, Kentucky Kingdom, Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport and PNC Broadway in Louisville. Media Sponsor: MIX 106.9.