Hall of fame balloon festival 2022

Date:  July 30, 2022 at Dusk

Expired event; awaiting update on next occurrence.

Admission: Free

Event Parking: Parking is only $5.00 after 3:30 p.m. in the Kent State University at Stark/Stark State College lots. There is limited disabled parking available to those who present their disability parking permit.

Event Details:

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival Balloon Classic attracts balloonists from throughout the United States. It has become one of the most popular of all Festival events with more than 130,000 spectators viewing the balloon activities over the weekend. The 2022 event will be July 29, 30, and 31. There is a total of five scheduled flights, weather permitting, and an exciting Night Glow on Friday evening. Added excitement is generated with the fabulous fireworks display which will occur on Saturday evening! There will be musical entertainment both Friday and Saturday nights along with two children’s areas. Whether you’re in the mood for a funnel cake or a slice of pizza there will be a vendor to meet your appetite! The Balloon Classic & Fireworks is truly an event for all families and friends to attend!

Have you seen this Fireworks Display? Rate it! 

Rating: 3.7 (38 votes cast)

Note: I am not affiliated with this event, I only list them; if you have a specific question, please use the contact information provided to get in touch with them directly

Balloon Classic & Fireworks presented by Aultman

Fri. 7/29

Pro Football HOF Enshrinement Festival Event

Questions? (330) 456-7253

Balloon Launches Friday and Saturday, 6 - 7:30 p.m. (weather permitting)

Due to ever-changing weather conditions, clearance for balloon lift-off is determined immediately prior to launch.

Hot air balloon pilots put on a show on the ground on Friday morning, since weather required the first of five scheduled launches to be grounded

CANTON, Ohio — Hot air balloon pilots put on a show on the ground on Friday morning in Canton, to kick off the 37th annual Balloon Classic and the first of many official Pro Football Hall of Fame Enshrinement Festival events.

The 'Hidden Shamrock' balloon crew was one of dozens inflating their beautiful balloons, since the first of five scheduled launches throughout the weekend-long festival had to be grounded due to unsafe weather conditions.

The person responsible for making that call is Balloonmeister Paul Suttle, who is married to the pilot, Penny, of the 'Hidden Shamrock,' making this year's event another family affair for the Suttles who have long been involved with the Balloon Classic.

Before meeting the Suttles bright and early on Friday morning in Canton, I spoke with Paul on Thursday afternoon. He shared details with me about the responsibilities of being the Balloonmeister, how he and Penny got involved in flying hot air balloons, and behind-the-scenes secrets from the pilots' perspective of the Balloon Classic.

"It's a very safe sport," Paul told me. "It's the one thing in my entire life -- I have never experience anything quite like this -- in how many smiles it brings, both to us as pilots and to people around. And every time you look up in the sky [and see a hot air balloon], it just brings a sense of wonderment to you. How something seven stories tall, several tons in weight, could just literally float away from the earth, effortlessly. Gentle giants is what they're called, and that's why we like flying them: making smiles on everybody's face."

Watch my full conversation with 2022 Balloon Classic Balloonmeister Paul Suttle in the player below:

When the conditions are right, the balloons that bring all of those smiles during the Balloon Classic take off from the Kent State University at Stark and Stark State campuses. Typically the balloons fly North and Northeast. 

For every single balloon in the sky, a crew on the ground follows each balloon from take-off to landing. That's important, because you can't steer a hot air balloon. Weather alone determines the flight path and elevation.

There is a weather team that goes through an extensive procedure to determine whether the balloons can fly before each launch, and on Friday morning, the winders weren't in the pilots' favor.

Pilots come from all over the country to fly in the Balloon Classic, with the furthest traveler this year coming from Arizona. Those pilots will have several more chances to get in the sky, Friday through Sunday.

In total, 48 balloons will fly during the four remaining scheduled launches throughout the weekend (weather permitting). Two of those will happen early in the morning on Saturday and Sunday, close to 6:30 a.m. That's when the sun's positioning creates the best flying conditions, crew members from the 'Hidden Shamrock' told me. (I was curious why these things always seem to happen so early because we had a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call to get from Cleveland to Canton for this morning's scheduled launch!) The remaining two will happen at around 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The event surrounding the launches draws a crowd of about 130,000 people to take in the sights, and enjoy live music, food and drinks, and fireworks (on Saturday night) at the festival grounds, at the Kent State University at Stark and Stark State campuses from 4 to 10 p.m.

Check out the event website, here.

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