Balloons Over Brookings

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Balloons Over Brookings

Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Balloons Over Brookings, Festival, Brookings, Brookings, SD.

A Brookings, South Dakota community balloon rally, July 17–19, 2026—creating a memorable weekend in the sky and meaningful community benefit on the ground, in partnership with local businesses and organizations.

06/19/2026

From his first balloon ride in 1986 to earning his commercial rating in 2024, Jayme Pfeifer’s ballooning journey has been years in the making.

Jayme, from Horace, North Dakota, earned his private pilot certificate in 1990. More recently, as his grown children expressed interest in becoming pilots themselves, Jayme completed his commercial rating in 2024.

Jayme and a few other local pilots primarily fly in Minnesota’s lakes country near Detroit Lakes, though flying in the Badlands of western North Dakota is a yearly highlight. For Jayme, one of the best parts of ballooning is sharing the experience and bringing joy to others.

We’re glad to have Jayme joining us in Brookings this July. 🎈

06/18/2026

Don’t just watch the balloons—help launch one!

Many of the pilots joining us for Balloons Over Brookings are traveling from outside the area—and they could use local volunteers to help crew during the weekend.

Crew members work alongside a pilot and experienced crew to prepare and inflate the balloon, assist with launch, ride along in the chase vehicle, help at the landing, and pack everything up afterward.

Volunteers who can commit to the full weekend are especially helpful. Whenever possible, we want to keep the same volunteers with the same pilot throughout the event. This helps the crew become familiar with the balloon and work together more smoothly with each session.

No previous ballooning experience is needed. Your pilot will show you what to do.

Can’t make every session? You’re still welcome to sign up with the availability you have.

👉 Sign up here: https://forms.gle/mVGqfwZQHVPoA9mN9

Come help us welcome our visiting pilots and experience Balloons Over Brookings in one of the most hands-on, up-close ways possible!

06/12/2026

We’re excited to introduce Taylor Houser of Tea, South Dakota as another pilot for Balloons Over Brookings.

Taylor got his start in ballooning as crew, spending a few years learning the ropes before beginning pilot training about five years ago. He brings an easygoing spirit to ballooning, saying that in life — just like in ballooning — he goes where the wind takes him.

We’re glad to have Taylor joining us in Brookings this July. 🎈

06/09/2026

Big news Brookings: Tethered balloon rides are coming! 🎈

A lot of you have been asking if there will be a way to ride in a balloon during the event — and we’re excited to share that tethered balloon rides will be available during the evening sessions, weather permitting.

This is your chance to get a small taste of flight, rise above the launch field, and see Balloons Over Brookings from a whole new view.

Rides are $20 per person, cash only, with limited availability. They’ll be offered first-come, first-served as weather allows.

We’re excited to welcome Just A Taste Tethers to help make this possible for our first year.

06/08/2026

We’re proud to welcome Home Team 605 as a Silver Sponsor of Balloons Over Brookings.

From helping buyers and sellers take the next step, to staying connected in the communities they serve, Home Team 605 is part of what helps make Brookings feel like home. We’re thankful for their support as we work to bring something special to the community.

Thank you, Home Team 605, for being part of Balloons Over Brookings.

06/04/2026

We’re excited to introduce Ron Oppold of C**n Rapids, Minnesota as another pilot for Balloons Over Brookings.

Ron’s journey into ballooning began on the ground, crewing for a friend of a friend. After two years as crew, he purchased his own balloon and began pilot training in 2010. A native of Harrisburg, South Dakota, Ron built deep roots in the Sioux Falls ballooning community while working as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist at Avera, earning his private pilot certificate.

Now retired from the medical field and living in Minnesota, Ron flies with Aamodt’s Hot Air Balloon Rides out of Stillwater. He’s excited to be part of this inaugural Brookings event and to fly again with friends from his home area.

We’re glad to have Ron as part of Balloons Over Brookings. 🎈

06/01/2026

We’re proud to welcome Kwik Star as a Gold Sponsor of Balloons Over Brookings.

Kwik Star is a familiar stop for families, travelers, workers, and neighbors throughout the region, and we’re grateful for their investment in making communities better. Their support helps us continue building an event we hope will bring people together and create something special for Brookings.

Thank you, Kwik Star, for supporting Balloons Over Brookings.

05/28/2026

We’re excited to introduce Robb Johnson of Council Bluffs, Iowa as another pilot for Balloons Over Brookings.

Robb grew up in Indianola, Iowa - home of the National Balloon Museum - in the 1970s and early 1980s, and his love for hot air balloons started young after being introduced to them by his uncle. That early spark stuck with him, and he has loved balloons ever since.

Robb works at USSTRATCOM at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska and enjoys flying his Aerostar balloon, "Jokers Wild." For those outside the ballooning world, Aerostar is a balloon brand with strong South Dakota roots, which makes that detail especially fun for our event.

We’re glad to have Robb coming to Brookings this July. 🎈

05/25/2026

We’re proud to welcome Dacotah Bank as a Gold Sponsor of Balloons Over Brookings.

We’re grateful for businesses like Dacotah Bank that invest in the people, organizations, and communities that help Brookings thrive. Their support means a great deal as we continue working to bring something special to town.

Thank you, Dacotah Bank, for supporting Balloons Over Brookings. 🎈

Address

Brookings
Brookings, SD

Website

http://balloonsoverbrookings.com/

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