Natchez Balloon Festival
Three-day outdoor event set for Oct . 15-17 at Rosalie Mansion
Live music , arts and crafts , a Biergarten , a carnival , and , of course , hot-air-balloons will be among will be among highlights of this year ’ s Natchez Ballon Festival .
Now in its 36th year , this year ’ s three-day event is set for Friday-Sunday , Oct . 15-17 , on the grounds of the historic Rosalie Mansion in Natchez . According to organizers , the Natchez Ballon Festival ( NBF ) Committee has been “ working tirelessly ” to plan the events for a fun and exciting festival weekend , while keeping a close eye on the pandemic .
“ We are aware of the rising numbers in COVID cases and taking that in consideration while planning these events ”, said Scott Adams , Director of the NBF . “ We keep the health and safety of our sponsors , pilots , volunteers , partners , festival attendees , and the community top priority . We will certainly implement protocols and guidelines to provide a safe environment . All of our events take place outdoors , which we feel provides a safe environment to move forward with the festival ”, he added .
The festival weekend will kick off on Friday , Oct . 15 with the festival favorite “ balloon glow ” on the bluff at Rosalie at dusk , followed by fireworks over the river . It will continue Saturday and Sunday with live music , arts and crafts , biergarten , carnival , and hot-air balloons ( weather permitting ).
NBF History
The Natchez Balloon Festival was founded in 1986 as a fundraiser for the Historic Natchez Foundation .
The first year consisted of a few balloons lifting off behind the Natchez Mall . The next year , a festival was added to the event and the location was changed to Rosalie , a mansion on the bluff overlooking the Mississippi River that is still home to the event today . Over time , more attractions have been added to the festival and now it is the largest annual event in Southwest Mississippi .
36th annual
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