Carolina BalloonFest HISTORY

Early beginnings...

The Montgolfier brothers from Annonay, France conducted the first hot air balloon flight on June 5th 1783. The balloon’s envelope was made of linen and paper. The unmanned balloon had a volume of 23,308 cubic feet and the air within was heated from a fire on the ground. The first passengers were actually a pig, duck and rooster. The Montgolfier balloon flew one mile from its launch site, where a large crowd had gathered to witness this remarkable new, high-tech event—flight!

On November 21, 1783, Pilatre de Rozier and Marquis d’Arlandes made the first manned flight in a Montgolfier balloon from central Paris to the city’s outskirts. There were few advances to hot air ballooning for the next 170 years when the rebirth of ballooning took place in the 1960s and advances in technology made it possible to build safe, relatively affordable balloons.

Statesville's Role...

In 1965, Ed Yost with Raven Industries in partnership with the US Air Force, began the
development of modern hot air ballooning. With the assistance of Don Piccard and Tracy
Barnes, hot air balloon designs were standardized for Federal Aviation Administration
certification. This marked the beginning of the hot air balloon industry in the United States.

In 1973, Tracy Barnes formed The Balloon Works right here in Statesville, North Carolina to manufacture and sell hot air balloons. The Balloon Works entry into ballooning with safe and affordable sport balloons helped to ignite the market for hot air ballooning in the United States.

The National Balloon Rally got its start in 1974 at Aerial Ascensions, a flight instruction and corporate balloon company in north Statesville owned by Bill Meadows. As one of the Balloon Works’ first dealers, Meadows invited Balloon Works’ customers from across the US to come to
Statesville for a week of camping, flying and telling ballooning tales.

The Rally moved to The Balloon Works facility near Love Valley, NC in 1978, where it was an informal, week-long gathering of hot air balloon enthusiasts and local spectators. The Rally quickly outgrew that location.

In 1982, Statesville Flying Service, The Balloon Works and the Greater Statesville Chamber of Commerce combined forces to bring the Rally to the Statesville Airport. The National Balloon Rally—the second oldest balloon rally in the nation— became one of the largest, most successful hot air balloon events in United States hosting 160 hot air balloons and up to 80,000 spectators.

In 1996, the Rally relocated to the Iredell County Fairgrounds in Troutman, NC where it continued until 2006 when it was moved back to the newly-expanded Statesville Regional Airport.

Today, the spectacular event continues to amaze and delight tens of thousands of spectators annually with a full weekend of mass ascensions, sanctioned contest, balloon glow, live entertainment, arts & crafts, exhibits and great food!

We look forward to seeing you!