The Great Texas Balloon Race

07/17/2026

Flashback Friday! Check out this photo from the 2006 Great Texas Balloon Race from Longview News-Journal Photography! ❣️

It Was Twenty Years Ago Today... Nick Donner celebrates after being the first of only two competitors to toss a ring around a pole during the ring toss competition Sunday, July 16, 2006, on the final day of the Great Texas Baloon Race. (Michael Cavazos/News-Journal Photo)

This is an ongoing effort to raise awareness of our online archive of digital images located at https://lnjphoto.smugmug.com/News-JournalPhotos.

06/26/2026

Thank you to Kristen Ishihara Mayor of Longview and the Longview City Council for recognizing the Great Texas Balloon Race during Thursday evening’s council meeting.

We’re grateful to our team of board members and volunteers who lend us their time and talents to help bring a memorable event to our community each year. We’re equally grateful to our incredible community for the support and love you show to this event each year! Thank you, Longview!

06/25/2026

From a morning mass ascension and daily competition flights to breathtaking evening balloon glows, the 2026 Great Texas Balloon Race was truly one for the books! ❣️ Thank you to our incredible pilots, crews, volunteers, sponsors, and everyone who joined us in Longview to make this year’s event unforgettable. Be sure to check out this video recap of the 2026 Great Texas Balloon Race.

And, mark your calendars to join us again June 11–13, 2027, as we celebrate the 50th Great Texas Balloon Race! We’re planning a milestone celebration that you won’t want to miss!

50 years of flight. 50 years of memories. See you again in 2027, and don't forget to Look Up, Longview! ❣️

🎥: Michael Cavazos Photography

06/18/2026

The 2026 Great Texas Balloon race was one for the books! From a morning mass ascension to evening balloon glows, it was an incredible weekend. A HUGE thank you to our incredible sponsors who help make this year's event possible! We couldn't do this without your support. We appreciate you!

06/17/2026

Lots of special memories were made during the 2026 Great Texas Balloon Race! From marriage proposals to first item tethered balloon ride experiences and more, we love hearing about the moments that made this event memorable for you. ❣️

Let us know in the comments below what made this year’s GTBR special for you! ⬇️

06/16/2026

Good afternoon, folks! Here’s a few more photos of sponsors and pilots that we’d like to share. Let’s give it up one more time for the pilots and sponsors of the 2026 Great Texas Balloon Race! 🎉

06/16/2026

We’ve had a few more photos come in that pilots took with their respective sponsors, and we love to see it!! Let’s give one more shoutout to our AMAZING pilots and to our INCREDIBLE sponsors!! 👏👏👏

06/15/2026

Here's another round of photos the pilots have sent from their visits with sponsors. We love to see it!

Thanks to our wonderful pilots and sponsors.

06/14/2026

The final night of the 2026 Great Texas Balloon Race was a GLOWING success! 🔥

Thank you to our pilots, vendors, and volunteers who put their hearts into the GTBR to make it such an incredible event for the community. And we want to give a huge THANK YOU to our sponsors, whose support makes this event possible!

We look forward to seeing you again in 2027 as we celebrate the 50th Great Texas Balloon Race! ❣

📸: Michael Cavazos Photography