It isn’t every day you get to bask in the beauty of hot air balloons filling the sky, but at this festival, you can! The Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival will have balloons of all shapes, sizes and colours soaring over the Ottawa-Gatineau region plus, other family-friendly festivities to enjoy.

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According to Ottawa Tourism, “Each year at the end of August, this massive event launches balloons of all shapes, sizes and colours over the Ottawa-Gatineau region, and offers concerts, fireworks, amusement rides and more.”

This year’s Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival will happen from August 29th to September 2nd at Parc de la Baie in Gatineau, Quebec (less than a 15-minute drive from downtown Ottawa).

Guests can enjoy the carnival on the park grounds which will have all the makings for a family-friendly outing! The festival even lists all the rides visitors can expect here.

One of the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival festivities guests get most excited for is Night Glow – “the dance of the hot air balloons glowing among the stars”. Night Glow happens each night between live shows at around 8:45 PM and it’s truly beautiful!

A daily ticket for the festival starts at $44.99 per person, but if you’re feeling extra adventurous you can also book a hot air balloon ride for the price of $395 plus tax.

While the festival isn’t until the end of August, it’s also good to plan ahead so grab your tickets ASAP.

No need to just make a day of it if you’re driving from Toronto – visitors arriving from out of town can reserve RV parking, camper parking and tent sites on the festival grounds! 

Don’t forget to take lots of photos and enjoy the festival!

Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival / Festival des montgolfièresde Gatineau (FMG)

When: August 29th – September 2nd, 2024
Where: Parc de la Baie, Rue Saint-Antoine, Gatineau, QC
Cost: $44.95+ per adult daily pass, free for children ages 2 – 10

Taylor Lucas

Associate Editor – Taylor is a Toronto-based journalist with a passion for storytelling. Whether chasing a story, writing, or editing, she brings a creative spin to the media world and has a blast doing it. Taylor brings years of journalism experience in sports, local/national news, and entertainment. In her spare time, you can typically find Taylor trying out a new restaurant or cocktail bar, cooking, golfing or binge-watching true crime documentaries.

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