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2025 Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival: A Colorful Celebration of Community and Fun

  • Writer: Lori
    Lori
  • May 5
  • 3 min read

Updated: May 13

Foley, AL – May 5, 2025 – The 2025 Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival, presented by Columbia Southern University, brought thousands together for a colorful and fun-filled celebration at OWA Parks & Resort. Festivalgoers were treated to a magical Thursday night Balloon Glow, a lively and festive Friday, both with music, shopping, and family activities.



“We’re incredibly grateful to Columbia Southern University for joining us as our presenting sponsor for this year,” said Travis Valentine, President/CEO of the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce. “Their partnership played a key role in making this year’s festival such a success, and we truly appreciate their support of this special community event.”

Presenting Sponsor: Columbia Southern University President, Dr. Ken Styron, DBA, with Sir Maximus, the CSU mascot!
Presenting Sponsor: Columbia Southern University President, Dr. Ken Styron, DBA, with Sir Maximus, the CSU mascot!

Although we hoped for a repeat performance Friday night, Mother Nature had other plans. We waited as long as we could, watching the weather closely, but with developing storms and high winds in the area, we made the difficult decision to cancel the Friday night balloon glow and all Saturday activities to keep our guests, pilots, vendors, and volunteers safe. Safety is always our top priority.



Even with the Saturday cancellation, we’re so grateful to everyone who came out to enjoy the festival. From the live music and Disc-Connected K9s dog shows to the unique vendor booths and all the fun throughout OWA’s shops, dining, and theme parks — we hope you had a blast!



“The Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival is not only our largest event of the year, it’s one that truly brings our community together. We’re proud to host an event that supports our local economy, highlights South Baldwin’s hospitality, and creates unforgettable experiences for locals and visitors," said Valentine. “This festival was the brainchild of balloon meister Tommy Rachel and then-CEO Donna Watts, who brought the idea to our board 21 years ago — and we’re honored to continue building on that legacy.”


A big thank you to our event partner, OWA Parks & Resort, for their incredible support in hosting and coordinating this unique experience, along with the amazing live entertainment on the Island Stage!



This free community event takes many months to plan and could not happen without the incredible support of the City of Foley, Foley Fire & Police Departments, and our generous sponsors. A heartfelt thank you to our tireless volunteers and all of the amazing balloon pilots and crews who traveled from across the country to be here and share their passion with us.



“We’d like to thank everyone who came out to the 21st Annual Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival presented by Columbia Southern University! While Saturday’s weather didn’t cooperate, we were thrilled with the fantastic turnout and the energy everyone brought to the event," said Rachel Spear, Director of Events for the South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce. “We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support from our community, visitors, sponsors, vendors, and volunteers — and especially the City of Foley and OWA Parks & Resort. This event takes months of planning, and seeing it come to life is always rewarding. We can’t wait to watch it continue to grow and evolve in the years to come — and we hope to see everyone back at next year’s fest.”

A heartfelt thank you to the talented pilots who traveled from near and far to attend and provide our guests with such a magical experience. We’re also deeply grateful to our incredible entertainers and vendors for sharing their amazing talents. It’s an honor and a privilege to host this special event—one that brings together residents and visitors alike to celebrate and enjoy the beauty of South Baldwin County!


📅 Save the date! The 2026 Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival will be held April 30 – May 2, 2026, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back for even more fun, color, and community.


[photo by OWA Parks & Resort]
[photo by OWA Parks & Resort]

Follow us on our social media channels for the latest updates and future announcements — More photo shares will be posted soon!



NOTE ABOUT TICKETS:


The Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival is a free event open to the public. VIP parking passes are valid all weekend for flexibility. As ballooning is weather-dependent, all ticketed experiences follow a no-refund policy outlined at purchase. However, if you purchased VIP parking and did not check in or attend any day of the event, we’ll contact you about a refund. For those who purchased the $150 VIP Experience, we’ll reach out via the email provided at checkout regarding a partial refund for Saturday.

 
 
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