You are currently viewing Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival
launch field at West Wetland Park

Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival

hot air balloon with Arizona flag design flying over Yuma Arizona
Flying over Yuma during the Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival

2020 marked the 30th annual Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival (CRC) in Yuma, Arizona.

History

The festival started in 1990. It was named “Colorado River Crossing” because the balloons crossed the river from Arizona into California. Crossing the Colorado has only happened once since we started attending in 1996.

When and where

balloon launching from grassy field
Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival launch field at West Wetland Park

This 35 balloon rally is always the weekend before the Thanksgiving holiday. All flights are limited to sunrise with Friday being media day. Saturday is sponsor day when the pilots fulfill their sponsor ride requirements and Sunday is crew day. The balloon glow is scheduled for Saturday evening.

two people look down from a balloon basket at launch at the Colorado River Crossing balloon festival
Happy sponsors

The launch site has varied throughout the years but more recently has found its home at West Wetland Park. The balloon glow takes place at the Desert Sun Baseball Stadium with fireworks following the glow.

crowd gathering for balloon glow at Colorado River Crossing balloon festival
Crowd gathering for the balloon glow

What makes this rally unique?

Flying the Yuma rally can be a little tricky. Yuma sits in the southwest corner of Arizona where Mexico is to the south and west. Additionally the wind typically blows to the south and frequently quickly.

Pilots can’t complain about the weather briefing though. The Yuma Proving Ground sends out a mobile weather station which provides up-to the minute wind readings every 100 feet.

hot air balloon splash and dash in Lake Powell
I did say it can be windy

Another challenge is that Yuma is the “Winter Lettuce Capital of the World”. Landing in lettuce is a big “NO”, unless you want to buy lots of lettuce. Even the harvested fields are not for landing. The furrows are laser leveled which is extremely expensive.

hot air balloons flying over lettuce fields

The Caballeros de Yuma, who run the event, work extremely hard to make the pilots welcome and well fed. A Santa Maria style tri-tip dinner follows the glow. The added benefit is that while the pilots are eating the spectators are leaving so the traffic has cleared out for us.

After flying, or watching the wind blow, on Sunday is a brunch to thank the sponsors, pilots and crew. Once again the Caballeros’ are cooking but this time it is a local favorite, Kammann sausage.

balloons glowing at Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival
remote controlled hot air balloon
Remote controlled hot air balloon
three hot air balloon burners firing in unison at Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival
Pilots making the best of the night when it is too windy to glow

The balloon glow is a popular event with vendors and music as well as the balloons to entertain the crowds. Pilot built remote controlled balloons and tissue paper balloons built by the local school kids are frequently at the balloon glow events.

Photography Tips

The typical winds in Yuma take the balloons away from the launch area quickly. The balloons typically form one line for launch but each crew will be working at their own pace. The first balloon up will carry the US flag from the side of the basket.

Chasing the balloons will give more opportunities for photographs. The lettuce fields can be used as leading lines as seen in the image below.

The balloon glow offers lots of opportunities to get up close and spend time photographing.

What to do in the area

Places

Activities

Dining

Downtown Yuma has a variety of restaurants and microbreweries. A trip south of the border into Mexico is also an option if you have your passport on hand.

Contact information and links

http://www.crcballoons.com

https://www.caballeros.org

https://www.visityuma.com/things-to-do/

hot air balloons flying over lettuce fields
Did I mention there is lots of lettuce?

Spectator Information

Spectator admission to the morning launches or the glow is a donation of canned food to the Yuma Community Food Bank.

Great Dane looking at a small dog in a backpack
The launch events at West Wetland Park are dog friendly.

Leave a Reply