Snowmass Village, Colo., (September 2, 2020) – The Snowmass Balloon Festival celebrates its 45^th anniversary a little differently in 2020. Instead of featuring a festival in Snowmass Town Park, guests and locals are encouraged to watch the eclectic display of balloons from afar, September 11-13, 2020 from 7:00am-10:00am. Festival goers are encouraged to experience all the dining, retail, and activities Snowmass Village has to offer before and after the festival. Be sure to stop by participating restaurants to pick up a free commemorative Balloon Festival pin.

“Shifting our efforts again, we have focused on a new kind of balloon festival that promises all of the exciting sights and sounds of past festivals,” says Rose Abello, Tourism Director, Snowmass Tourism. “We are encouraging folks to take a hike or a bike ride to experience the festival this year, plus we are offering a ‘drive-in’ option as well.”

Attendees can watch the 45^th Snowmass Balloon Festival in their cars from registered parking lots and streets around Snowmass Village or take a morning outing to view the display from Snowmass’ hiking and biking trails, many of which offer stunning views. The long-standing Rocky Mountain tradition still features three days of festive balloons and pilot games with a night glow on Friday evening from 7:30pm-8:30pm.

The 45^th Snowmass Balloon Festival is drive-in style festival, with required registration. There are only 250 spaces for vehicles per day, so be sure to register early. Vehicles will be staged in the parking lot at Town Park, as well as on sections of Brush Creek Road. Passengers are required to remain in their vehicles within the designated event parking areas. Sitting in a truck bed is allowed but standing or sitting in chairs next to the vehicle is prohibited. KSPN will be on-site for balloon festival announcements. The audio will be transmitted via FM radio to vehicles in the designated parking areas. The station information will be provided at check-in.

For those looking to experience the festival from the trails, free parking can be found at the Brush Creek Park and Ride, the Snowmass Rodeo Lot, the Tom Blake Trailhead, Little Red Schoolhouse, the Snowmass Mall, and the Snowmass Base Village Parking Garage. These lots are for day use only; guests are not able to park and sit in their cars to watch the festival in these lots (instead, please register to watch from the designated parking area at Town Park and along Brush Creek). For more information on parking locations and for a list of the best trails for hiking and biking to watch the festival, please click here. Masks, social distancing, and trail etiquette is required.

This year’s night glow takes place around the Snowmass Golf Course and adjacent locations on Friday, September 11 from 7:30pm-8:30pm. Attendees can view the night glow from inside their cars by traveling around the golf course via Brush Creek Road, Owl Creek Road, and Highline Road. Balloons will be set up on the driving range and adjacent to the golf course. Attendees must loop around the golf course in their vehicles to catch the balloons as they glow (balloons do not leave the ground in the evening). All pilots will glow to music, with the playlist streaming in real time on KSPN (103.1 MHz FM). Multiple loops are encouraged. Attendees also have the option to watch from local trails, although headlamps and reflectors are encouraged, while masks, social distancing, and trail etiquette is required. Registration is not required for the night glow.

Be sure to stay and play around Snowmass Village after the Snowmass Balloon Festival. During the weekend, drop by for King Yoga classes at The Rink on Saturday at 9:30am-10:30am and 3:30pm-4:30pm and Sunday at 9:30am-10:30am, as well as breakfast and brunch at participating restaurants, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Stop by any of these restaurants for a commemorative Snowmass Balloon Festival pin! Saturday features a special, extended Social Saturday, starting with cultural activations from 2:00pm-5:00pm including an aerialist and DJ in Snowmass Base Village and Fairy Bubbles on the Snowmass Mall. Then from 5:00pm-8:00pm enjoy restaurant and retail specials, as well as live music from Dead Horse Flats and Nick Lenio in Snowmass Base Village and Jill Cohn w/ special guests and the Smuggler Mtn Boys on the Snowmass Mall. Saturday evening also features Movies Under the Stars: Lion King.

*Please note, due to COVID-19 restrictions, there will be no opportunities for volunteer, donation, or media rides this year.

Other Upcoming Snowmass Events & Dates

Snowmass Wine + Golf Festival – September 3: Re-concepted for 2020 from the Snowmass Wine Festival, the Snowmass Wine & Golf Festival takes place at the Snowmass Club on September 3, 2020. Enjoy golf, wine, and take part in the online auction filled with tempting items from local shops and restaurants, acclaimed wines and fine artwork. This year looks different than years past and the online auction is open to anyone regardless of participation in the golf tournament. Funds raised are allocated to non-profit organizations across the Roaring Fork Valley, charitable organizations worldwide, and for Basalt High School Senior scholarships. This event is hosted by the Rotary Club of Snowmass Village. https://www.snowmasswinefestival.com/

Labor Day Ice Cream Anti-Social – September 7: In the spirit of the 4^th of July Ice Cream Anti-Social, the Town of Snowmass Village is back at it again to give away free ice cream on Monday, September 7 in honor of Labor Day. The decorated ice cream truck will feature four flavors of ice cream including Choco-taco, Classic Ice Cream Sandwiches, Bomb Pop, Orange Push-up Pops, and a summer playlist curated by JAS Aspen Snowmass Labor Day Experiences that features the highlights from years past. The schedule can be found on www.gosnowmass.com/events. Follow @snowmass on social media for live tracking!

VIDA MTB Series Women’s Skills Clinic – September 26-27: Rescheduled due to the Grizzly Creek Fire and the August I-70 closure, VIDA returns to Snowmass for a fun filled weekend of riding in September. Supported by YETI Cycles, Yeti Cycles Vida MTB Series presented by Shimano is a two-day women’s only mountain bike clinic. The clinic provides women with the opportunity to increase their mountain biking confidence, learn new skills, and to connect with VIDA coaches on proper biking technique. The weekend includes healthy meals, yoga, bike maintenance classes, and tons of riding. www.gosnowmass.com/events

Guests and locals can take advantage of all there is to see and do in Snowmass this summer with self-guided experiences including the Art Walk and Snowmass Mountain Mission. In addition, weekly activations throughout September include Brews, Bands, & Bingo every Thursday, the Snowmass Artisan Market every Friday, and Social Saturdays every Saturday.

For the most updated summer events calendar, please visit www.gosnowmass.com/events. To sign up for Snowmass’ weekly events flier, please visit www.gosnowmass.com/today.

About Snowmass Village, Colorado – A renowned winter playground and vibrant summer community just 9 miles from Aspen, Snowmass consistently ranks as one of the best winter ski areas and summer mountain biking destinations in the world. Ski Magazine named Aspen Snowmass the #1 “resort of the year” in the West in 2020, and Snowmass, along with the rest of the Roaring Fork Valley, is the first IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) Gold-Level Ride Center™ in Colorado, only the 5^th in United States, and the 7^th in the world. Snowmass offers guests incredible views of mountain vistas, in addition to 2.8 million adjacent acres of wilderness, open for activities and exploration. Snowmass is home to 30+ restaurants, 95 percent slopeside lodging, shopping, unique special events and music – all year round. For more information and a complete calendar of events and activities, please visit www.gosnowmass.com.

Snowmass Tourism Media Contact: Sara Stookey Sanchez, Public Relations Manager, Snowmass Tourism, 970-922-2285 or sstookey@gosnowmass.com.

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