DC Hot Air Balloon Festival

A Sky Full of Balloons Over Rosecroft

There's a specific sound a kid makes the first time a hot air balloon inflates in front of them, somewhere between a gasp and a shriek, and this festival sells that sound by the dozen. On Friday and Saturday evening, the field at Rosecroft Raceway fills with balloons in every color, and if the wind and the line cooperate, you can climb into a basket for a tethered ride and float up over Fort Washington with your kid gripping your arm. Around the balloons: a kids zone, festival food, and DJ entertainment carrying the evening along.

But the reason to stay past bedtime is the finale. After dark, the balloons stay on the ground and light up from the inside, glowing in sync with music while lasers cut across the sky above them. We've seen a balloon glow once before and it's the rare thing that leaves the adults as quiet as the kids. Gates run 5 to 10pm both nights; kids' tickets start at $17.85 and adults at $33.85, and the tethered rides cost extra. Come at 5 for the inflation show, plan dinner from the food vendors, and keep the little ones awake for the glow. It's worth it.

Parent Tips 💡

• ✓Come at 5, not 7. The inflation hour is half the show, and the tethered ride line only grows.
• ✓Book tickets online. Gate prices run higher, and Saturday can sell through.
• ✓Bring a blanket and layers. You'll want a home base on the grass, and the field cools after sunset.
• ✓Manage the ride expectation. Tethered rides depend on wind. Frame it as a maybe, not a promise.
• ✓Stay for the glow. It starts after dark and it's the whole reason to break bedtime.