Nearly 100,000 people attend 4-day Plano Balloon Festival

PLANO — The 45th annual Plano Balloon Festival wrapped up Sunday morning, with an estimated attendance of 100,000 people over the four-day event.

Visitors to Oak Point Park got to ride on hot air balloons that were tethered to the ground and watch colorful balloons rise high into the air.

Eight-year-old Ayah Linzag said the "Haunted Mansion" balloon was her favorite.

"When I see it, I'm excited. It makes me want to ride one," she said.

The Baraza family has been coming to the festival with their two kids for years.

"The variety of the balloons we really like and the number of balloons we get to see. It's a very family-friendly festival," Natalie Baraza said.

Plano Balloon Festival executive director Jo Via said the majority of vendors and nonprofit organizations at the event are from Collin County, bringing $3 million of economic impact to the county over the past 25 years.

"The money that's raised here through those agencies stays within our community. They provide their services and programs to the people who live here, and it's a win-win for everybody," Via said.

Coordinating the event and about 60 vendors takes around 10 months. Organizers will begin planning the 2025 festival in November.

"It's a year-round process," Via said. "There are a lot of different components and logistics tied to this event. It takes a lot of planning on our part and also on the part of the city."