This is a very awesome event. I know some people dont understand that balloons dont like A Lot of wind. It is just magical watching the balloons jump and come in to land. A wonderful experience!

I love balloons as much as the next guy, but the Balloon Classic is a snooze fest at best. I saw 3 balloons in 4 hours and they all looked the same. Probably could of seen them for free from a parking lot in town. Lots of nothing to do time. Jason Brown put on a concert, but whose Jason Brown ?? The food venders were the highlight of the night, as was going home. It’s a balloon festival, there should be 20 balloons in the sky at any given time. And maybe someone periodically jumping out of one. I know how to put on a Balloon Festival, I am the 1999 Balloon National Champion !!!

We went out to the Indianola Balloon Classic for my birthday and we had an amazing time. The balloons couldn’t take off because of the weather but they did blow them all up and do a night glow. It was a great thing to watch. I recommend this for anyone and everyone.

We had a great time yesterday(27-July, Sat evening). They had a live band, kites and hot air balloons, inflatable bouncy castles, lot of food options.Evening balloon flights take off at 7:15pm but the band started performing around 6:15pm.Fireworks at the end (started around 9:30pm) was icing on the cake.Cons/Caution - 1. Outside food not allowed. However foods available inside are not exorbitantly high.2. Better to check their fb page or call them to check if the balloon flights will take off or not as those depends on winds.

Lots of rides for kids and good food to eat while watching. Music and announcer were good. Quite beautiful view and the show was put together well. Prices were fair and parking wasnt bad. Definitely recommend!

Great fun for family outing! Jason Brown on stage was awesome, plenty of food vendors (even a gluten free option!) Bounce house for the kids! Be advised that everything costs between $2-6, including bounce house and obstacle course. Bring cash! We had a great time. Very unique experience if youve never done it before.

Hadnt been in years. Gr8 food, entertainment, weather was perfect, lots of good food; Gr8 job Grant Pfeifer & your team.

It was awesome the balloons were great there was a lot of them it was well worth going and the night glow was the best the kids got to go down on the field and got cards from the ballonist. I recommend this to any one it was awesome, awesome. Lots of good places to eat there to. All around a 10 thanks for a great time.

Wonderful annual event which is family friendly. You should bring your own seating but they do have chairs for rent there as well.

We visited the field for their annual Easter Egg Drop! We had so much fun despite the horrible early spring weather! Everyone working there were amazing! The prices from snacks were reasonable and everything from the petting zoo to the face painting were free. They even gave your corresponding colored bracelets with your child so you left with the correct egg Hunter!! Safety first! My kids left with overflowing buckets and huge smiles!

Such an amazing thing to see if you havent seen hot air balloon. All of the balloons!

Check their calendar for fun events

Beautiful event. Very well organized.

This event was something on my husbands bucket list and it did not disappoint!Read up on all the info, as everything we needed to know was shared.Very family-friendly event, somewhat dependent on weather, which was excellent for us in late July.Only regret is that we didnt ride in one of the balloons. Maybe next time.

Excellent event to spend time in family.

Seeing all the hot air balloons go up was amazing. Make sure you go at the right time though. The parade (with no inflated balloons) was at 11 am, but the ascension wasnt until 6:30 pm.

A great setup to see the national ballon classic. There were plenty of restrooms, and food vendors. We also enjoyed the live entertainment. This is a great family event!! The kids enjoyed the inflatables (bounce house, slide etc)

The Night Glow is such an awesome and unique experience. Getting to be down on the field and meandering through all of the different balloons is a joy.

So well organized, parking was easy, workers were helpful, weather was beautiful and the balloons were fascinating. First time there was an excellent experience. Food stands, Jason Brown, and a kiddie park. What more could you ask.

Fun one time experience. Great for picture taking and family friendly.

Fun annual event with hot air balloons. Close drive from Minneapolis for a long weekend.

Parking was easy. It provides a wholesome family evening entertainment and fun. There are rides for kids, there are also bouncy castles and other attractions to keep kids safely occupied and entertained. Restrooms are easy to locate. Theres a bunch of concession stands with a wide variety of food and drinks to choose from. Theres also live music, kids and parents have lots of fun dancing long after the balloons have descended from the skies.

Peaceful place to watch balloons when they come around

Beautiful experience even though we were not able to see them go up due to the weather. I hope to go again amd get on one of them..

It was awesome even in the rain!

Never experienced anything like it. I ended up going two nights. Once as a visitor which included free parking but $5 entry and access to great views of the balloons as well as a large selection of fair style food trucks. The second night I went with a sponsor badge and was blown away by the experience! Check the weather forecast and event plan since the schedule differs but highly recommend of you have kids or have never seen a hot air balloon up close.

This is a nice festival grounds. There is live music every evening and a good variety of food stands. Sometimes the weather keeps the balloons from flying but even then it is fun. This year there were bounce houses and other inflatables for the kids.

Love to go every year.

As a pilot I love coming every year. Great competition, good food, and fun for the family.

The balloon festival was breathtaking! It was such a fun time with all the food and entertainment for both kids and adults. The actual balloons were so beautiful and I would highly suggest staying later to watch them grow up in the dark! Very cool!

It was definitely worth seeing beings we never been to it but they said hundreds of balloons.....we drove ovr two hrs to see this and only 15-17 baloons took off. Great for little kids but not really what we expected

Good food. Cool balloons. I hope to do this again next year.

Had a great time watching the balloons GLOW!!!!

It is so much fun! There was a storm coming so the balloons couldnt take off but we went on a night glow night and it was still a lot of fun. Food, beer, vendors and bounce house for kids, train ride. Did cost additional if you wanted but otherwise amazing.

Over all had a good time. Mass ascension was awesome!

4.5 stars. The parking lot will be a grass field, and the viewing area is also a grass field. The National Balloon Classic as an event has made a lot of improvements in the last couple of years, but it still retains a country/folksy atmosphere. As far as a venue goes, theres plenty of space and parking for outdoor events, though entering/exiting the venue isnt always the smoothest.

Great experience! Parking was easy.

Its a fun atmosphere to see the hot air balloons in the sky.

We took in the early morning ascension for the first time. It was wonderful! Almost 100 hot air balloons flew right over us, the pilots taking aim on one of the bean bag targets just north of us. The event was free, easy parking, and a beautiful August morning in Iowa.

Loved the night glow event. Good for families or date night.

A great family event balloons and music and food all great and beautiful

Awesome event! I would reccomend it to anyone who has kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or has never been before!

Great time! I got some nice pictures of the balloon glow, the before dawn launch, and 90 balloons soaring the Indianola skies. It really is an amazing experience. Everyone involved in the event is quite welcoming and helpful.

Super fun! We love seeing the balloons. Just be aware that they will not fly if it us windy. Be patient and understanding of this.

I didnt realize how much fun is the balloon classic. For 5 bucks you get a band and front row seats to many lift-offs and balloon games! Everyone was friendly, too. Since my bladder is weak, need porta potties in the parking lot, as well. Only complaint. We bought a balloon ride and everything there was perfect and amazing! The crew was helpful and pilot knowledgeable. Only complaint there was at the end the other 2 crews packed up and left us, and passengers helped fold balloon and lift equipment into back of pickup and my daughter had to ride in the pickup bed with a couple of crew members. Discount on next ride???

The classics are always a cool thing to do. Traffic in and out can be a mess at times though.

Was very fun to attend. Low key in the morning and lots of photo opportunities. Recommend getting there early to see the sunrise with the balloons.

Always an adventure! Night glow was limited but still beautiful. Lots of folks out tonight. Going back tomorrow morning. See you there!

Always a good time! Its always amazing to see a 100 hot air balloons take off!

I was at the balloon festival was great show.

We really enjoyed the time we spent and watching the balloons, inspire of the sprinkles. It was fun watching the little tikes reaction too. Liked the band.

2018 National Balloon event was great, wide range of food to pick up, great music, Jason Brown was great and the fireworks was really good. Cant wait for next year.

Why call it a balloon classic when theres no balloons I personally wouldnt waste my money. First time there and i wont return.

Awesome!!!! Love the balloons!! If you have never went go to a night glow for sure!!

Fun, cheap, balloon GLOW is kinda cool. Good music. Not really a bad seat.

Even if the balloons werent able to launch because of weather I still enjoyed the music, the food was good (assuming you like that sort of fair food), and the conversation with the random people seated next to us was nice. Little gift shop was a nice touch.

Bring the kids or a date. Or just come with friends. This is an anyone kind of event. Balloons flew, a great band played, and fireworks were launched. For $5 admission, it cannot be beat.

Too windy for the balloons.but enjoyed Jason Brown and the inflatables.the food was good and reasonably priced

Loved loved loved it, everyone should see that at least once in their lifetime its breathtakingly amazing!!

Exciting for many colorful balloons. Great space for children. Rides can be taken. Just good family fun, fun for all.

Great experience. Had a blast

Im sure the balloon festival is great, if I ever get there, there was absolutely no traffic control and the rode bottle necked from 4 lanes to 2 and people were going around on gravel , down the the wrong lane into facing traffic, its a miracle there werent dozens of accidents! Where were the police !!! Unbelievable!

This was a fun and enjoyable way to spend an evening. Would have liked more balloon action but a great evening over all.

Always a beautiful sight to see so many hot air balloons in one place!

Great outdoors event.Good life misic this year as well.

So beautiful seeing the balloons take off from the ground and into the air!

Great band and atmosphere! However, no balloons supposedly due to wind??? Barely felt a breeze all afternoon.

It was the best thing ever Im so glad I went and a great family experience so great wildlife

A very worthwhile event. Museum needs to be open additional hours during the event.

Fun to visit and see a night glow or take a ballon ride.

This event lasts several days. There are several food vendors set up. Its really unique and fun way to spend the evening.

Disillusioned, disorganized. Poor communication. Bad weather prevented the balloon flights. I get that, but let the people know what is going on.

Visited here for SCCA Rallycross in May 2018. Also the site of RallyX Nationals. Great venue for racing!

Great night...70+ balloons lifted off

Great experience both nights in 2017 when we went. Saw them take off one night, and come in the next night!

What a great place to take your family. It offered lots of activities for the kids and several types of foods & drinks- including adult beverages.

Always fun to watch balloons!

The NaDas performing, vendors galore, beer flowing, amazing balloons it was a fantastic time.

Parking was plentiful, with handicapped parking available. Restrooms clean. Chairs for rent for two dollars.

Paid $5.each person, maybe one balloon out of 50 made it close to the field, food wasnt bad, no after glow on opening night. Wont go again.

Always love being in the atmosphere of the balloon classic.

This was awesome lot of fun things to do and watch

So much fun !

Balloon flights in the morning are incredible!

Drove 2 hrs and we got there at 11:00, found that they didnt open till 5:30. All information we had did not have an open time. Didnt stay around because at this time, with th wind, they may not do anything.

Its great to see the balloons, but its way to expensive anymore. Concession prices are over the top.

One of the best things Iowa has to offer that dont cost a fortune....

Amazing. Just travel ahead of time or take the backdoor route to avoid missing the flights

Awesome balloon festival .Night glow is superb

Great experience! Lots of parking available.

Plan ahead, go early. Be prepared to wait in long lines for food & to get in & out. Traffic flow was awful. However, neat place & fun for kids.

Definitely worth making the trip, but make sure to arrive early.

My husband and I took our 2 grandkids (age 3 and 8). There was a long car line at 5:30 pm (it was about 2 miles long). It was extremely slow. Bring a good attitude and your patience. I had looked up the web page to make sure we were on time this year. We went last year without knowing times and had missed everything. We paid $15, 3 yr old was free. We received 4 tickets (everyone had to have a ticket). The parking was quick and efficient. They gave us glow 5 necklaces free as we went onto the grounds. She counted 5 of us. I count 4 but whatever. One extra necklace to let kids play with! The lady told us to hold onto the other half of our tickets. If we left we would use them to get back in. As if...We found a great spot to lay a blanket down, 3 chairs and a stroller. The terrain is pretty rough and uneven for a stroller, so beware. We got to listen to a live band while they set up balloons. The music was great 50s thru 60s. The band, The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, started at 6:30 and kept us entertained until the balloons made it to the grounds and filled up, then again before the 10 pm fireworks. You are not allowed to bring food or drinks of your own onto the grounds so we ate at the A and W before coming and brought ice water. Later, we broke down and bought pop and some sort of swirled potatoe fry chips? They were interesting to look at and fun to eat. There was a play place for the kids but we didnt want to miss anything, leave our stuff or pick it all up.It was a first for all of us. We waved to every balloon going up! It was an amazingly cool first experience. We had to leave JUST before the fireworks (unforseen circumstances). Leaving was much faster than arriving. Worth every tiny hassle and wait time if youve never seen it. If you didnt want to be on the grounds and just wanted to see the balloons in the air you would miss so much. One balloon didnt make it into the air (pirate parrot) but I got a picture of it blown up before they deflated it and the kids got to see it. I gave 5 stars because we had so much fun.

Balloon Classic and night glow are the things kids will remember 30 years from now.

This is nothing short of magical. If youve never been- you are missing out!!

Fantastic. Awesome. Id do it again.

Great food, music by the Nadas, and an amazing show of hot air balloons filled up the evening sky!

We went to the Easter Egg Hunt and it was super fun!!

Best time ever. If you get the chance to go, GO

Family fun.