July 19, 2016
Located an hour-and-a-half drive outside of Philly, the annual New Jersey Festival of Ballooning will take place over three days beginning on July 29. Solberg Airport will host the weekend event on its grounds.
Close to 100 balloons will take flight during the festival. Attendees can choose to watch the mass ascensions or go for a ride. Those who choose to fly will need to pre-register and sign a waiver, before being assigned a pilot day-of. Most balloons carry between two to six passengers.
On July 29 the group flight will take off at 6:30 p.m., while both July 30 and July 31 will have a 6:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ride. The cost is $225 per person for the morning session and $250 per person in the evening.
Another option is to take a five-minute tethered balloon ride for $20. These rides can only be purchased on-site at the event.
General admission tickets (needed by anyone wanting to enter the festival grounds) are $10 for children age 4 to 12 and $24 for adults.
Musical performances are scheduled for all three festival dates. Third Eye Blind will perform on the first night at 8 p.m., followed by a fireworks show.
Friday, July 29 through Sunday, July 31
$10-$24 general admission; $225-$250 per balloon ride
Solberg Airport
39 Thor Solberg Rd., Whitehouse Station, NJ