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    • Great Reno Balloon Race 2024 Guide: Schedules, Parking, and More
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    Great Reno Balloon Race 2024 Guide: Schedules, Parking, and More

    Vaseline Posted on

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    The skies over Reno will be a lot more colorful this weekend, despite the lingering smoke from the wildfires.

    The Great Reno Balloon Race celebrates its 43rd anniversary from Friday through Sunday. And while hot air balloons can be seen on the horizon throughout Truckee Meadows, the best up-close views are at Rancho San Rafael Park, which draws thousands of spectators each year.

    Planning to go? Set your alarm early. Here’s what you need to know.

    Grand Reno Balloon Race 2024 Schedule

    The top events to see each day are the Glow Shows, where balloons attached to the ground light up in sequence; Dawn Patrol, where a small number of balloons rise before sunrise; and Mass Ascension, where all the balloons are released after sunrise. Here’s the full schedule.

    Friday September 6th

    • 03:30 am: Gates open
    • 05:00 am: Super Glow Show
    • 05:30 am: Morning patrol
    • 06:45 am: National Anthem
    • 06:45 AM: Women of Aviation Mass Takeoff
    • 07:00 AM: Mass Ascent Launch
    • 08:00 AM: Tethering Activities
    • 09:30: EL Cord Foundation Tissue Paper Balloon Launch

    Saturday September 7th

    • 03:30 am: Gates open
    • 05:00 am: Super Glow Show
    • 05:30 am: Morning patrol
    • 06:45 am: National Anthem
    • 06:45 AM: Women of Aviation Mass Takeoff
    • 07:00 AM: Mass Ascent Launch
    • 08:00 AM: Tethering Activities

    Sunday September 8th

    • 03:30 am: Gates open
    • 05:00 am: Super Glow Show
    • 05:30 am: Morning patrol
    • 06:45 am: National Anthem
    • 06:45 AM: Women of Aviation Mass Takeoff
    • 07:00 AM: Mass Ascent Launch
    • 08:00 AM: Tethering Activities

    Where to Park for the Great Reno Balloon Race

    The event itself is free, but limited parking spaces at Rancho San Rafael are $25 each — cash only. Entrances to the lots are on Sierra Street, just south of McCarran Boulevard, and on Coleman Drive; RVs, buses, and other large vehicles are not permitted on site.

    Once you park the car, you still have to walk a bit over rolling hills to reach the field.

    Need a disabled parking space? People with disabled parking permits or license plates can enter the park through any entrance. Event organizers note that the handful of disabled parking spaces are full by 4 a.m. every day.

    Motorists can also park for free in the Green and Blue 1 parking lots on the northwest side of the University of Nevada campus, but cars not removed by 11 a.m. will be fined.

    Free transportation to the Great Reno Balloon Race

    RTC Washoe offers free public transportation daily from 4 a.m. to 10 a.m. People parking at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center can take the RAPID Virginia Line to Rancho San Rafael Park. Buses run every 15 minutes.

    Which balloons will be at the Great Reno Balloon Race in 2024?

    With the Bear Fire still belching smoke across the area, it’s fitting that two of this year’s special balloons are the Wildfire Prevention Campaign’s mascots Smokey Bear and Fire Dog, a firefighter’s Dalmatian. Also in the special-shape lineup:

    • Axel Tiger
    • Balloonaful Sunrise, a hot air balloon in the form of a hot air balloon festival
    • Cosmic Crisp, in the shape of an apple
    • Kermie, a balloon in the shape of a frog (not to be confused with Kermit the Frog)
    • Keystone Willy, a mustached police officer; and his arch-nemesis, Con-Air, in striped prison overalls
    • Montie the black sheep
    • Police dog (who is almost, but not quite, Chase from “Paw Patrol”)
    • SnoBird, a tourist penguin
    • Sushi, a balloon in the shape of a fish
    • Tico the Sloth
    • Under the Sea, a tribute to marine life with a sea turtle as the highlight
    • Yogi Bear

    This year, an additional 57 balloons are participating, including the patriotic Eagle and Dee IV balloons and the Nevada flag balloon, Battle Born.

    Vaseline
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