Balloons Over Bavarian Inn

Balloons Over Bavarian Inn Join us Memorial Day weekend 2025 when competition balloons will once again take to the sky over Frankenmuth, Michigan!
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Evening balloon glows and tethered balloon rides will also be taking place. Our event is part of Frankenmuth Dog Bowl. Morning and evening flights offer many viewing experiences for the public along with Hot Air Balloon Glows in the evenings. Entry into Balloons Over Bavarian Inn is Free but some activities may charge a fee to participate. We look forward to our competition weekend featuring 24 balloons on Memorial Day weekend, May 26-29, 2023.

Thank you to all our sponsors! The weekend would not be the same with out you!
05/29/2026

Thank you to all our sponsors! The weekend would not be the same with out you!

🎈 A huge THANK YOU to our amazing RC Balloon pilots who helped make Sunday’s rescheduled Remote Control Balloon Rodeo su...
05/27/2026

🎈 A huge THANK YOU to our amazing RC Balloon pilots who helped make Sunday’s rescheduled Remote Control Balloon Rodeo such a success! 🎈

Even with the schedule change, these pilots showed up ready to put on a fantastic show for everyone, and we are so grateful they brought their incredible miniature balloons out for guests to enjoy! Seeing these tiny balloons inflate, launch, and fly was such a fun experience for spectators of all ages. ❤️

A special thank you to:

🎈 “Horsefly” — piloted by Tom Brown
(The yellow, red & black balloon!)

🎈 “Judy’s Dream” — piloted by Preston Lama
(The red, white & blue balloon!)

🎈 “Pixeled Sky” — piloted by Allen & Adele Lifer
(The blue & white balloon!)

🎈 “Mini-Moo” — piloted by Pat Rolfe
(The cow print balloon!)

🎈 “Buoy” — piloted by Dave Seekel
(The red & white balloon!)

🎈 “Mini Hoist the Colours” — piloted by Paul Felty
(The blue & rainbow balloon!)

Thank you all for sharing your time, talent, and incredible RC balloons with us — and thank you to everyone who came out to watch and support the event! 🎈✨

05/26/2026

What a weekend. 🎈❤️

While Mother Nature had other plans for our flights this year, the spirit of Balloons Over Bavarian Inn 2026 never stopped soaring. Our incredible pilots went above and beyond to make sure there was still magic in the sky — from TWO candlestick glows, to TWO evenings of tether rides, to a beautiful Sunday night glow that gave us one last unforgettable memory together.

Today, we wrapped up the weekend celebrating at the Memorial Day Parade — with several of our pilots proudly taking part — and ended the festival with our awards banquet, honoring the winners of our very unique “competition” that replaced this year’s flight events.

Of course, we’re all disappointed we didn’t get to fly. But this weekend proved that ballooning is about so much more than just getting off the ground. It’s about community, laughter, resilience, and making the very best out of circumstances beyond our control. And thanks to all of YOU, we still had an absolute blast. 🫶🎈

Thank you to our pilots, crew members, volunteers, sponsors, staff, and every single person who came out to support us this weekend. Your positivity and excitement meant everything.

That’s a wrap on Balloons Over Bavarian Inn 2026… and we already can’t wait to see you all again next Memorial Day weekend for another unforgettable weekend of hot air ballooning.

And who knows… maybe even a SECOND weekend of ballooning too 👀🤭
Keep your eyes peeled… an exciting announcement may be coming very soon. 😉🎈

05/25/2026

Let’s hear some of our pilots predict who they thought would take the win before the competition even started… and then reveal who ACTUALLY WON!👀

And you might be thinking… they didn’t fly… how do we have a winner?!

Since weather kept the balloons grounded, our pilots took the competition to the waterpark for a make-shift challenge! From the top platform, pilots tossed rubber ducks aiming for the giant X below — and after some intense competition, we officially have our Top 3 winners for this year’s event! 🏆🐥

🥉 3rd Place: Chris Smart
🥈 2nd Place: Larry Coan
🥇 1st Place: Steve King

What a fun way to wrap up an unforgettable weekend! Keep an eye out for our FINAL weekend recap coming later this afternoon! 🎈✨

Well Mother Nature won this weekend! Due to low clouds and patchy fog in the area this mornings flight is canceled! Hop...
05/25/2026

Well Mother Nature won this weekend! Due to low clouds and patchy fog in the area this mornings flight is canceled! Hope you all had a great weekend and a happy Memorial Day! See you next year and watch for an extra special announcement on our page in the next month or so!

05/25/2026

Sunday night recap ✨🎈

What a way to close out the weekend! While winds kept things a little different than originally planned, our pilots still showed up in a BIG way tonight. Seeing those balloons inflate and stand tall against the night sky was absolutely magical! 🌟

From the tethered balloon rides to the glow setups, smiling faces, cheers from the crowd, and hearing everyone’s excitement across the field — tonight reminded us exactly why we love this event so much. 💛

A HUGE thank you to our incredible pilots, crews, volunteers, announcers, vendors, and every single guest who stuck with us through changing weather all weekend long. Ballooning is always at the mercy of Mother Nature, but this community makes every moment worth it.

We hope you made memories that will last a lifetime this weekend. Until next time, Frankenmuth… 🎈✨

(PS - morning flight will be determined in the morning, and we will announce the winners of this years event tomorrow afternoon!!)

🎈 GLOW IS A GO! 🎈Tonight’s glow will be at pilot discretion, meaning each pilot will decide individually if they will be...
05/25/2026

🎈 GLOW IS A GO! 🎈

Tonight’s glow will be at pilot discretion, meaning each pilot will decide individually if they will be inflating and standing up their balloon this evening based on conditions. While the balloons will NOT be flying away, many will be inflating and standing tall for everyone to enjoy!

For safety reasons due to winds and the need for multiple tie-offs, the field will NOT be open for walking among the balloons tonight. We appreciate everyone’s understanding as safety always comes first!

Please keep your ears open for announcements from our announcer Jim so you don’t miss any important updates throughout the evening. Get ready — the balloons are standing up for your enjoyment! 🎈✨

And don’t forget — tether rides are ALSO happening next to the Lodge tonight!

🎈 Sunday Flight, Glow & Tether Ride Update 🎈Due to low clouds and wet ground conditions, tonight’s flight has been cance...
05/24/2026

🎈 Sunday Flight, Glow & Tether Ride Update 🎈

Due to low clouds and wet ground conditions, tonight’s flight has been cancelled. HOWEVER we still want to give all of you a GREAT balloon experience tonight — so here’s the plan- this may change, but this is what we're planning on now!! 👇

🔥 From 7:30–8:30 PM, we will be hosting a “Candlestick” and Pilot Meet & Greet on the field!
The burners and baskets will be set up, and pilots will be out on the field ready to meet all of you. Come up to the fence, collect pilot balloon cards, get brochures signed, ask questions, and experience the balloons up close!

🌟 As for tonight’s Balloon Glow:
We are NOT cancelling the glow at this time — it is currently ON HOLD pending conditions. After 8:30 PM, pilots will hold a briefing on the field to determine if the glow can safely happen. The SECOND a decision is made, we will post here immediately and our announcer on-site will let everyone know.

🎟 TETHER RIDES UPDATE:
Tether rides are TENTATIVELY a GO, but they have been RELOCATED.
To find tether ride check-in:
➡️ Head down the hill between the Peacock Pen and the Lodge toward the river.
➡️ The check-in booth there is where waivers will be signed and tickets will be distributed.
⏰ Tether rides are scheduled to run from 7:30 PM through the fireworks, weather permitting.

⚠️ VERY IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT TETHER RIDES:
If weather conditions change at the last minute, tether rides may need to shut down immediately for safety reasons. Because of this, rides will be FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE — so we strongly encourage you to get there early!

🎟 Tether Ride Pricing
Ages 13+ — $30
Ages 5–12 — $15
Children under 5 are not recommended for tether rides. No dogs permitted in the baskets.

🎆 As of right now, the fireworks are expected to happen. However, they are NOT part of our event, so we cannot guarantee this. The fireworks are sponsored by Zehnder’s and launched from the Fortress driving range at 9:45pm

Thank you all again for your patience, flexibility, and support this weekend. We’re excited to still bring some balloon magic to the field tonight! See you on the field shortly!!! 🎈

05/24/2026

🎈 Ever wondered why it’s called a “Pi-Ball”? 🤔

Honestly… so did we. 😂 What started as a simple question turned into a full-on investigation as we tracked down the answer!

Huge thanks to Shawn and Rick for sending us down the rabbit hole and helping us uncover the story behind one of ballooning’s most commonly used tools.

Watch to find out the answer — were YOU right? 👀

05/24/2026

🎈 Pilot Q&A Time 🎈
Would YOU rather fly at sunrise or sunset? 🌅🌄

We asked some of our pilots which they prefer — and why! From calm morning flights to glowing evening skies, every pilot has their favorite part of the day to take to the air. ☀️✨

Remember- Due to the winds, hot air balloons can ONLY inflate at Dawn or Dusk! So the middle of the day isn't an option.

Are you team sunrise or team sunset? 👇

Address

925 S Main Street
Frankenmuth, MI
48734

Telephone

+19896527200

Website

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