Event Questions
The CenterPoint Energy Red River Balloon Rally is Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12, and the U.S. Team Nationals competition is every day starting Wednesday, June 9 until Sunday, June 13.
We do not allow for people to bring in outside food or drinks to the festival site.
You may bring in blankets or chairs to the site, but we have a list of items that we do not allow to the festival that you can find on redriverballoonrally.com.
The gates open at 5:00 PM.
The event will end at 11:00 PM.
Refund Questions
We will not issue any refunds in the event that the event is canceled.
You can check out more information for the Glow in Greenwood or the Balloons Over DeSoto on Facebook.
We do not do refunds for this event. All sales are final.
Activities/Entertainment
The tether rides cost $20 each. The balloon tether will go up weather permitting.
Not on the site itself, but if you would like to schedule a flight in a hot air balloon you may call American Escapes Aerosports at 318-458-9467 for balloon ride information.
- We have a Family Fun Zone tent with lots of great activities for children!
- We will have some different kids’ activities including bowling and amusement rides operated by Duvall’s Entertainment. There will be a small train for the younger kids and a photo booth for families too! Tickets for Duvall’s Entertainment inside the Kidz Zone are $20.00 to be able to have unlimited rides.
Yes, each of the 4 gates will have an ATM nearby and we will also have two ATM’s inside of the festival as well.
Some of the food booths do take credit cards, but we will have ATM’s on site in case some of them do not.
The fireworks will start on Friday and Saturday at 9:30 PM. The fireworks on Friday will end at approximately 9:38 PM and we will have a larger show on Saturday that ends at approximately 9:45 PM.
We do not have our list of entertainers finalized yet, but we will make an announcement on Facebook soon. Make sure to like and follow our Facebook page as we come out with more information!
Parking
VIP parking is located in the lot next to gates 1 and 2 on the south side of the HPE Building. It is on the south side of the festival site. There will be a banner that says “VIP Parking” in the event you miss it.
Handicap parking is located adjacent to the Pioneer Heritage Center on the north side of the HPE Building. It is located in the Lot 3 on the north side of the LSUS campus. There will be a banner that says “Accessible Parking” in the event you miss it.
- Parking is FREE this year! Be sure to give the parking lot sponsor- A Brighter Smile, a thank-you when you go!
- VIP parking is $15 online only
The site begins to get busy around 6:30 PM. We recommend that you try and arrive between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM.
Tickets
- Tickets can be purchased online or at participating Shreveport-Bossier City area, and Natchitoches area Brookshire’s and Super 1 Foods locations. Online tickets have a $3.50 fee.
- $12 for adults 18+
- $10 for Children aged 6-17
- Kids 5 and under are free
No, the umbrellas are only able to be rented at the event.
- Children ages 6-17 are $10 online, but do include fees ($3.50)
- Children 5 and under get into the event free.
No, due to COVID capacity limitations you have to use your ticket the night you purchased.