The Eyes to the Skies Balloon Festival displays a wide variety of Balloons including sport balloons, specialty shape balloons, and sponsored balloons. The Festival typically draws between 20 and 30 balloons and balloonists each year. Due to weather restrictions balloons only fly in the morning (starting at 6:00 AM) and in the evenings (starting at 6:00 PM), and flights are completely weather dependent.

The Morning Flights do not require the $10 Festival Admission and remote parking & shuttle service is NOT available.

BALLOON FIELD LAYOUT

As you face the balloon field the display balloons will be on your right and the tethered balloons will be to your left. Balloon inflations will happen on both sides of the field, the glow and some launches will take place from the display side of the field, the tethered balloons will always be secured to the ground.

(Balloons “launched” from the display field will fly off the field, launches from the display field are viewable by the public but no rides are available for those launches. Only tethered rides are available to the public.)

TETHERED BALLOON RIDES

Tethered balloons will rise up 50 feet or so on the tether, remaining there for a short period of time, allowing you a panoramic view and pictures of the festival, and then come back down.

Tethered balloons are always secured to the ground at multiple points on the field and will NOT fly off the field.

There will be two balloons available for tethered rides each morning and evening, except for Friday morning, June 30, 2017, when only one tethered ride balloon will be available.

Tethered rides are given when weather permits. If rain or winds exist that the Balloon meister determines not to be favorable for safe tethered rides, tethered rides will be delayed or cancelled until conditions improve.

(We do not offer un-tethered balloon rides.)

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE EACH DAY AND RIDING IS COMPLETELY WEATHER DEPENDENT INCLUDING WIND SPEEDS BASED ON FAA RULING ON THE FIELD AT TIME OF FLYING.

LIMITED TICKETS AVAILABLE EACH DAY AND RIDING IS COMPLETELY WEATHER DEPENDENT INCLUDING WIND SPEEDS BASED ON FAA RULING ON THE FIELD AT TIME OF FLYING.

BALLOON RIDE RESERVATION

On the balloon field there is a designated passageway and sign indicating where the line will form for the distribution of these numbered vouchers starting at 1:00 pm. each day of the festival. The voucher given to each person asking will be for the evening ride on that day only.

At 5:00 pm each day, a notification will be displayed above the same designated passageway on the sign indicating the series of numbered vouchers that are being accepted at the present time. This notification will change as the rides progress throughout the evening.

Festival volunteers will be there to assist riders in getting into the proper order based on their voucher number. If a rider is not present when their numbered voucher is called, the next person(s) will move forward. When they do arrive, they will be placed in the queue of existing riders as soon as possible.

There is a waiver that must be signed by all riders in the presence of festival staff. If a rider is less than 18 years of age, the parent or guardian must sign the waiver for the minor. Any child under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a paid adult on the tethered ride.

Payment is due when voucher is presented and waiver has been signed. Should the weather prevent the tethered rides, anyone that has paid for their ride will be reimbursed

Balloon pilots have the right to refuse anyone they do not deem capable of riding for safety reasons.

The recommendation is to arrive to ride the balloons 30 to 45 minutes before the scheduled times for tethered rides.

The morning flights do not require the $10 festival admission; however, the evening flights and glows will require a paid admission.

All flights will originate at the Lisle Park District Community Park or attempt to fly towards the park (see map and directions for details).

The balloons are not inflated all day. Only prior to the launch.