By: Stavros

What happens when you mix hot air balloons, live music, classic cars, carnival rides, local food, fireworks, and a Connecticut summer weekend? You get one of Plainville's, and Connecticut’s, most colorful annual traditions.

In the Nor’Easter No. 6 newsletter, we visited Plainville, Massachusetts; in No. 7 we’re in Plainville, Connecticut. The towns may share a name, but trying to see both in the same day requires a short 110 mile/2-hour car ride.

Every August, the Plainville Fire Company Hot Air Balloon Festival transforms Norton Park into a lively summer destination. For that one special weekend each year, the town becomes a meeting place for families, balloon enthusiasts, food lovers, car fans, local artisans, and anyone looking for a fun excuse to spend time outside. And while the giant balloons are obviously the stars of the show, they are only part of the experience. The real magic is watching Plainville come alive from the ground up.

Friday Evening: Let the Weekend Begin

If you arrive Friday afternoon, you'll quickly realize this isn't your average small-town festival. Beginning around 5 p.m., Norton Park starts filling with visitors. Food vendors are serving up festival favorites, amusement rides are running, craft vendors are gearing up their friendliest smiles, and the sounds of live entertainment start to drift across the grounds.

As the sun begins to disappear, the festival takes on a completely different personality. The balloons are inflated and illuminated from within, creating the spectacular Balloon Glow. Imagine standing in a darkened field while enormous hot air balloons suddenly light up like giant lanterns. The burners fire, the balloons glow, the crowd gathers. For photographers, it's a dream; for children, it's mesmerizing; and for adults, it has a way of bringing out the kid in everyone.

Just when you think the evening couldn't get better, the fireworks arrive. Friday night's fireworks traditionally provide the grand finale, lighting up the sky above Norton Park. It's one of those classic New England summer moments: sitting outside with friends and family, the smell of food wafts through the air as the warmth of the day lingers, the sound of music playing nearby, and fireworks exploding overhead. Friday alone is worth the trip, but Saturday is when things really get exciting.

Saturday Morning: Wake Up With the Balloons

Here's a tip: as painful as it may be to set your alarm early on a weekend, what’s ahead is surely worth the short bout of regret. Saturday's first balloon launch takes place at around 6 a.m. Before the crowds arrive and before the summer heat settles in, the balloon field becomes a fascinating place to watch. Huge envelopes are spread across the grass, burners roar to life, and the balloons slowly inflate. Once full of hot air, they almost effortlessly lift away from the ground, carrying all who are lucky enough to be standing in the basket.

One by one, the balloons climb into the morning sky and float away with the passing winds. After a few minutes, the 70-foot giants that were being inflated right next to you are no larger than your hand. A short while later, they become too small to make out their unique designs until they eventually disappear completely from view. There's something magical about watching dozens of balloons fill the morning sky and get carried away with the breeze.

Once the balloons have flown away, you can start to explore any of the numerous vendors, giving visitors plenty to browse. You'll find handmade items, artwork, gifts, local products, and plenty of things you probably didn't know you needed until you saw them. Later in the morning, the annual car show brings classic and specialty vehicles into the park. For car enthusiasts, this can easily become the highlight of the weekend. The car show runs until the afternoon, with trophies presented around two hours after lunch.

The balloon festival also has a strong family-friendly atmosphere. Amusement rides, games, food, vendors, and live entertainment give younger visitors plenty to do between balloon launches. You can easily spend several hours here without hearing the dreaded: "I'm bored." That's a win for every parent.

One of the best things about the Plainville festival is that you don't have to build a complicated schedule. You can simply wander until you get hungry, then grab a lunch from one of the many food trucks while listening to music.

As the afternoon fades, the balloons return. In the early evening, a second balloon launch occurs, and the evening light gives the balloons an entirely different look. The colors become warmer, and the shadows grow longer. The crowds gather again around the field, and for a few minutes, almost everyone is looking in the same direction. Up.

Connecticut has no shortage of summer events, but the Plainville Hot Air Balloon Festival has something that makes it stand apart. It's not just a carnival, a craft fair, a car show, a concert, or a balloon launch. It's all of them at once.

There's also an important local connection behind the fun. The festival is organized by the Plainville Fire Company, with proceeds supporting its fundraising efforts, including scholarships and assistance for local organizations. So, while you're enjoying the food, rides, balloons, and fireworks, you're also supporting an organization that plays an important role in the community. That alone is a great reason to make the trip.

New England has so much to offer, from the impressive Boston Public Library to the shorelines of Madison, Connecticut, the delicious hot lobster rolls and chowder from Liv’s Shack, to the rocky coastline of Maine and its Pemaquid Point Lighthouse.

Once you know what you want, it’s only a matter of stepping out your door and making your way to an unforgettable destination in our little corner of the U.S.

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The Nor’easter: No. 8 - Publish Date: September 17

The Nor'easter - Stories of New England. The people, seasons, places & traditions. Building a community for those who are New England.

The Nor’easter is a publication of the New England Travel Journal