Warren County Hot Air Balloons, Arts & Crafts Festival

Check out this high-flying festival on June 6–7, 2026.  It's a great day out for families, featuring hot air balloons, drone exhibits, live music, children’s entertainment, food trucks, vendors, and more!

Purchase discounted tickets online through June 4, for $10 per adult, $4 for children ages 4–12, and $5 for parking. Family packs are available for $40, covering up to five people in a car, including parking. Ticket protection is available for a small fee. Cancel your tickets for a refund, within 24 hours of the start time. After June 4, prices are $12 per adult, $5 for children ages 4–12, and $6 for parking.  Family packs are also available at the gate this year for $50 per car, with up to 5 people and parking included.

If you’ve never attended a hot air balloon festival, here’s what to expect: Balloons are typically on display in the evenings before the scheduled launch. Weather permitting, a tethered balloon will be set up around 4:30–5:00 PM for rides, offering a short trip up and down with a great view of the festivities. Tethered ride pricing is $30 for adults, $20 for children ages 4–12, and free for children ages 3 and under with a paying adult (subject to the pilot’s approval). Rides unavailable for toddlers or infants.  There will also be opportunity to learn about ballooning from pilots and as night falls we will light up the big birthday cake balloon as we wish America a happy 250th!

Warren Community College hosts one of the nation’s top drone programs. Visit the WarrenUAS Drone exhibit. Meet SPOT, the robot “dog”. Learn about new courses coming this fall for counter drone. Drones are changing the security landscape—see how professionals respond. Experience a live Counter-UAS technology demonstration featuring real-world detection and mitigation systems used by public safety agencies. Check the online schedule for times.

On Saturday, June 6, enjoy or enter the Hot Rides & Hot Air Balloons Car & Truck Show. All makes and models are welcome. Trophies will be awarded for the Top 10 entries (voted by drivers), a People’s Choice, and Best of Show.

Join the Chalk Art Contest for a chance to win cash prizes, with opportunities for both youth and adults. Artists will create their designs on Saturday (with a rain date of Sunday) along the campus walking trail for visitors to enjoy. Visit the website at www.balloonfestnj.com/chalk-art-contest for details.

The June Jumble Combat Robot Competition features up to 40 combat robots battling it out each day, starting at noon on Saturday and continuing on Sunday until the last bot in each category remains.

Musical entertainment on Saturday includes the Pro Kids Holiday Vocal Troupe who will delight with amazing vocals and patriotic songs, followed by the Celtic music of Na’Nodach. StoneHearth Bluegrass band will play on Sunday earlier in the day for your musical entertainment. Back by popular demand, the School of Rock Easton Bank Street Band closes out the night.

Strolling entertainment includes strolling dulcimers on Saturday, Road Less Traveled barbershop quartet on Sunday. On both days learn circus tricks with Grins & Grins and enjoy the magic and comedy of Balloons the Clown.

Find activities for kids at the Fascination Place, where activities are free for our children of our visitors. Some activities for both adults and children include free mini golf and paper rocket construction and testing.

The vendor area include a variety of craft vendors, as well as non-profits providing information for families. There will be games sprinkled throughout, some courtesy of the festival and others for a small fee.  There is a variety of food trucks, both sweet and savory, and all different price points, for all tastes.

Enjoy time in the country on Warren Community College’s large lawn surrounding the balloon port. Bring blankets, lawn chairs, and small games like quoits or corn hole. The campus features a 1.2-mile walking trail. Try the scavenger hunt where your family can learn about all the amazing STEAM accomplishments that happened right here in Warren County.  Another way to learn about all the incredible things to see and do in the county is to sign up for the Explore Warren County Tourism Partnership e-news. Visit explorewarren.org before you head to the festival and plan some stops along the way.

Pets, outside food, and alcoholic beverages are prohibited (except snacks and drinks for small children).

Visit balloonfestnj.com for pricing on admission, parking, tethered rides, and full balloon flights, and to purchase tickets online. To schedule a full balloon flight, call 908-283-0721 and check it off your bucket list!

Funding was provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and Warren County Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a Division of the Department of Land Preservation, with support from the Warren