The sky over South Baldwin County doesn't usually look like a kaleidoscope. Most days, it’s just that endless, humid Alabama blue or the bruised purple of an incoming Gulf storm. But for one weekend every May, everything changes. You're standing in a field at OWA Parks & Resort, squinting against the morning sun, and suddenly these massive, seven-story nylon giants start breathing. It’s loud. The propane burners make this rhythmic whoosh that you feel in your chest more than you hear in your ears. This is the Gulf Coast Balloon Festival in Foley AL, and honestly, if you show up expecting just a few balloons and a corn dog, you’re going to be overwhelmed.
It's massive.
Most people think they can just roll up at noon and see balloons floating everywhere. That is the biggest mistake you can make. Hot air balloons are finicky. They’re basically giant physics experiments held together by wicker and prayer, and they hate the heat. If the wind is gusting over 7 or 8 miles per hour, or if the Alabama sun has already baked the ground by 10:00 AM, those balloons aren't going anywhere. They stay tucked in their trailers. To really see the magic, you have to be a morning person or a night owl. There is no middle ground here.
The Science of Why Balloons Stay Grounded
Physics is a buzzkill sometimes. You've got these pilots—some of whom have been flying for thirty years—staring at weather apps like their lives depend on it. Because they do. Hot air rises, right? Everyone knows that. But once the sun hits the pavement in Foley, it creates thermals. These are invisible columns of rising warm air. If a balloon hits a thermal, it’s like a rowboat hitting a whirlpool. It becomes unpredictable. This is why the Gulf Coast Balloon Festival in Foley AL schedules its "mass ascensions" for the crack of dawn. We’re talking 6:00 AM.
If you aren't there when the dew is still on the grass, you've missed the best part.
I’ve talked to pilots like Bill Whidden, a veteran in the ballooning world, and they’ll tell you straight up: the safety of the basket comes before the spectacle for the crowd. Sometimes the crowd gets restless. They’ve paid for parking, they’ve bought the funnel cakes, and they want to see fire. But if the flags on top of the OWA buildings are flapping too hard, the balloons stay down. It’s a game of patience.
The Glow is Where the Magic Happens
If you can't make it for the sunrise launch, the Balloon Glow is your best bet. It happens in the evening, usually around dusk. The balloons don't actually fly during the glow. They stay tethered to the ground, anchored by heavy trucks or stakes. But when the sun goes down and the pilots hit those burners in unison, the nylon envelopes light up from the inside. They look like giant Chinese lanterns scattered across the grass.
It’s loud, it’s hot, and it’s beautiful.
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You can walk right up to them. You can see the texture of the wicker baskets and smell the propane. It’s a sensory overload. The kids go nuts, and honestly, even the most cynical adults end up taking a hundred photos. The festival has moved around over the years, but its current home at OWA provides a much better backdrop than the old municipal fields. You have the lights of the amusement park in the distance, the reflection on the lake, and then these glowing giants.
Why Foley?
You might wonder why this tiny city in Alabama became a hub for this. It started small, over 20 years ago. It was just a handful of enthusiasts. Now, it’s an event that pulls in over 50,000 people. Foley sits in a sweet spot. It’s far enough from the coast to avoid the worst of the immediate shoreline gusts, but close enough that visitors can spend the morning at the festival and the afternoon at the beach in Gulf Shores.
It’s a logistics nightmare that somehow works.
The city puts a lot of money into this. We’re talking shuttle buses from remote parking lots because the local infrastructure just wasn't built for 50,000 cars hitting Highway 59 at once. If you try to drive directly to the gate at 5:00 PM on a Saturday, you will sit in traffic for two hours. I’m not exaggerating. Take the shuttle. It’s usually located at the Wolf Bay Center or similar satellite lots designated by the city each year.
Beyond the Balloons: The Festival Ecosystem
Let’s be real: you’re going to spend a lot of time waiting. Whether it’s waiting for the wind to die down or waiting for a pilot to decide if it’s safe to puff up. So, what do you do? The festival has evolved into a full-blown fair. There are dog shows—specifically the "Disc Connected K9s" who do these insane acrobatics—and live music that usually leans heavy into country and classic rock.
The food is exactly what you’d expect from a Deep South festival.
- Fried everything (oreos, pickles, Twinkies).
- Local seafood, because you’re ten minutes from the Gulf.
- The inevitable "alligator on a stick."
There’s also a huge craft market. It’s not just cheap plastic toys; there are actual local artists from across the Southeast selling pottery, woodcarvings, and paintings. It’s a good way to kill three hours while you wait for the evening glow. But bring cash. While most vendors take cards now, the cell service at OWA gets absolutely throttled when 20,000 people are all trying to post TikToks at the same time. Your card reader might fail. Cash is king.
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The Tethered Ride Experience
If you want to get off the ground, you can buy a tethered ride. This is not a flight. You aren't going to drift over the city. You’re attached to ropes, and you go up maybe 50 to 100 feet. It’s a great way to see the layout of the festival, but it’s over in about five minutes.
Is it worth the $20 or $25?
Depends on your tolerance for heights and lines. The lines for tethered rides are legendary. If you have kids who are obsessed with Up, do it. If you’re a photographer, do it. If you’re just looking for a thrill, you’re better off going into the OWA theme park and riding the Rollin’ Thunder coaster.
Logistics and Survival Tips
Foley in May is a pressure cooker. The humidity sits at about 90%, and there is very little shade in the middle of those launch fields. If you don't bring sunscreen and water, you’re going to have a bad time.
- Sunscreen is non-negotiable. You will burn in twenty minutes.
- Download the app. The festival usually has a dedicated app or a very active Facebook page. This is where they announce "Green Flag" (balloons are flying) or "Red Flag" (everything is grounded).
- The "Blue Angels" Factor. Sometimes, if you're lucky, the festival timing aligns with the Blue Angels practicing over at NAS Pensacola. You might see a different kind of flight overhead if the timing is right.
- Parking. Do not try to be a hero and find a "secret spot" in a nearby neighborhood. You’ll get towed. Use the official lots.
One thing that people get wrong about the Gulf Coast Balloon Festival in Foley AL is the cost. Entry to the festival grounds is usually very affordable—sometimes even free depending on the year's sponsorship—but you pay for parking. And you definitely pay for the activities inside. Budget for it. It's a "free" event that can easily cost a family of four $200 once you factor in food, rides, and souvenirs.
Realities of the Pilot Life
It’s easy to look at the balloons and think it’s all whimsy. But these pilots are hauling thousands of pounds of gear in trailers across state lines. They come from Texas, Georgia, Florida, and even further. They do this because they love the community. There’s a specific "Balloonist's Prayer" they recite, and a tradition of sharing champagne after a flight.
The pilots are generally very happy to talk to you if they aren't in the middle of a launch sequence. If you see a pilot standing by their basket during the day, ask them about their balloon's name. They all have names. "The Beagle," "Humpty Dumpty," "Liberty." Each one has a personality and a specific way it handles the air.
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Mapping Your Weekend
If you’re coming from out of town, stay in Foley, not Gulf Shores. The commute from the beach into Foley during festival weekend is a nightmare. The traffic flows toward the water in the morning and away from it in the evening, which is exactly the opposite of what you want if you’re trying to catch a morning balloon launch.
Stay at one of the hotels right near OWA. You can literally walk to the festival gates. No shuttle, no traffic, no stress.
The festival usually runs Thursday through Saturday. Thursday is "Local’s Night" and it’s significantly less crowded. If you can take a half-day off work and get there Thursday evening, you’ll get the best photos without a thousand people in the background of your shots. Saturday is the busiest day, and by Sunday, everyone is packing up and heading home.
Final Practical Steps for Your Visit
To get the most out of the festival, don't just wing it. Start by checking the official South Baldwin Chamber of Commerce website for the specific dates of the current year. Once you have the dates, book your accommodation immediately. Rooms in Foley sell out months in advance for this weekend.
When you arrive, head straight to the information booth and grab a physical map. Even if you have the app, a paper map is a lifesaver when your phone battery dies from taking too many videos. Target the 6:00 AM window for at least one day. Seeing thirty balloons rise simultaneously into the cool morning mist is a completely different experience than seeing them glow at night. It’s quiet, it’s graceful, and it’s something you won't forget.
Lastly, be patient with the weather. If the balloons don't go up, it’s not because the organizers are lazy. It’s because they don’t want anyone to get hurt. Enjoy the music, eat another funnel cake, and wait for the wind to die down. The "glow" usually happens even if the morning flight was cancelled, so stick around until dark.