Summer Aviation Events 2026
Major fly-ins, gatherings, and festivals for ultralights, light sport aircraft, gyrocopters/gyroplanes, and hot air balloons — June through September 2026. As featured in the Aero Connections June 2026 edition.
Ultralight
Light Sport Aircraft
Gyrocopter / Gyroplane
Hot Air Balloon
Editor's Note
June 2026
| Dates | Event | Location | Category | Contact / Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 6–7 | 🎈Warren County Hot Air Balloon, Arts & Crafts Festival Tethered rides · Balloon glows · Live music · Drone demos | NJ Warren County Community College, Washington |
Balloon | balloonfestnj.com |
| Jun 12–13 | 🎈Springville Art City Days Balloon Fest & Aglow Morning launches 6:30 AM · Evening glow show · Free admission · Tethered rides | UT Art City Elementary / Clyde Rec Center, Springville |
Balloon | utahvalley.com |
| Jun 19–21 | 🎈Chester County Hot Air Balloon Festival Father's Day weekend · Gates open 4 PM Friday | PA Ludwig's Corner Horse Show Grounds, Chester Springs |
Balloon | ccballoonfest.com |
July 2026
| Dates | Event | Location | Category | Contact / Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17–19 | 🎈Great Wellsville Balloon Rally 30 balloons · 4 launches · Fireworks Saturday · Free admission | NY Island Park, Wellsville |
Balloon | wellsvilleballoonrally.com |
| Jul 20–26 | ✈️EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026 Fun Fly Zone · Ultralight Barn · Gyroplanes · Powered Parachutes · Weight-Shift Trikes · Hot Air Balloon Launch (Sat) · MOSAIC LSA debut aircraft | WI Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh |
Ultralight LSA Gyro Balloon |
eaa.org/airventure [email protected] |
| ★ Note | AirVenture's Fun Fly Zone features a dedicated 900-ft grass runway with morning and evening ultralight/gyroplane operations. July 24, 2026 is also the effective date for FAA MOSAIC Phase 2 — expect newly eligible LSA aircraft on display all week. | |||
| Jul 25–Aug 1 | 🎈Warren County Farmers' Fair Hot Air Balloon Festival 8-day event · Balloon glows · Tethered rides · Demolition derby · Live music · County fair | NJ Warren County Fairgrounds |
Balloon | balloonfestnj.com |
| Jul 29–31 | 🎈New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning Largest summertime balloon festival in North America · Up to 100 balloons · Concerts · Fireworks · Mass ascension | NJ Solberg Airport, Readington Township |
Balloon | balloonfestival.com |
| Jul 31–Aug 8 | 🎈National Balloon Classic 100+ balloons competing · Nite Glows · Fireworks · Kite shows · Skydiving · Kids Land · Live music nightly | IA Indianola |
Balloon | nationalballoonclassic.com |
August 2026
| Dates | Event | Location | Category | Contact / Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Aug (TBC — confirm at pra.org) |
🌀PRA International Gyroplane Convention Largest gyroplane fly-in in the USA · Gyroplanes · Helicopters · Ultralights welcome · Forums · Cross-country events · Rotary Wing Museum · Poker run · Fireworks · Banquet | IN Mentone Airport (C92), Mentone |
Gyro Ultralight |
pra.org 574-353-7227 |
| ★ Note | PRA Convention is traditionally held the week after EAA AirVenture. Exact 2026 dates were not published at press time. Pilots must hold a valid PRA passcard (CFI sign-off) to fly the pattern at Mentone. All aircraft types are welcome to fly in as spectators. | |||
| Aug 2026 (Date TBC) |
🎈Great Smoky Mountains Hot Air Balloon Festival (7th Annual) Fundraiser for Townsend VFD & Townsend Elementary · Family-friendly · Live entertainment · Food vendors · Balloons rise up to 30 ft tethered against Smoky Mountain backdrop | TN Townsend |
Balloon | timeout.com/usa/travel |
| Aug 7–9 | 🎈Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally 5 balloon launches · Live music · 5K run · Car show · Free morning launches · Tethered balloon rides | NY Otsiningo Park, Binghamton |
Balloon | spiediefest.com |
September 2026
| Dates | Event | Location | Category | Contact / Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 3–5 | 🎈Colorado Springs Labor Day Lift Off 70+ balloons · Sunrise launches · Views of Pikes Peak & Garden of the Gods · 5K · Paddleboarding · Skydiving · Live music | CO Prospect Lake, Colorado Springs |
Balloon | balloonevents.info |
| Sep 10–13 | 🎈Great Reno Balloon Race (45th Annual — Now 4 Days!) World's largest FREE hot air balloon event · 100+ balloons · Dawn Patrol 5:30 AM · Super Glow Show · Mass ascensions · Theme: "Stars, Stripes and Soaring Dreams" · Expanded to 4 days in 2026 | NV Rancho San Rafael Regional Park, Reno |
Balloon |
renoballoon.com Pete Copeland, Executive Director |
| ★ Note | The Great Reno Balloon Race is FREE to all spectators every day. Gates open at 3:30 AM — arrive early for the Dawn Patrol. Reno September mornings run 40–50°F; dress in layers. | |||
| Sep 19–20 | 🎈Warren County Hot Air Balloons, Fun & Games Festival Balloon glows · Tethered rides · Family activities · Non-profit fundraiser space available | NJ Warren County Community College, Washington |
Balloon | balloonfestnj.com |
| Sep 25–27 | 🌀Ken Brock Freedom Fly-In (KBFFI) Largest homebuilt rotorcraft gathering in the West · Gyros · Helicopters · Ultralights · Fixed-wing all welcome · Free to attend · Camping on dry lakebed · 60+ year tradition | CA El Mirage Dry Lake, Adelanto |
Gyro Ultralight |
pra-1.org/KBFFI.html PRA Chapter One — Southern California |
Key Organizations & Resources
| Organization | Focus | Website | Phone / Email |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAA — Experimental Aircraft Association | Ultralights, LSA, Homebuilts, AirVenture | eaa.org/airventure | [email protected] |
| USUA — U.S. Ultralight Association | Ultralights, Powered Parachutes, LSA advocacy | usua.org | [email protected] |
| PRA — Popular Rotorcraft Association | Gyroplanes, Gyrocopters — Mentone Airport C92, IN | pra.org | 574-353-7227 |
| PRA Chapter One — Southern California | Gyros, KBFFI Freedom Fly-In, El Mirage | pra-1.org | — |
| LAMA — Light Aircraft Manufacturers Assoc. | LSA standards, MOSAIC updates, industry news | lama.bz | — |
| National Balloon Classic | Competitive ballooning — Indianola, IA | nationalballoonclassic.com | — |
| Great Reno Balloon Race | World's largest FREE balloon event — Reno, NV | renoballoon.com | — |
| Flying Festivals of Warren County, NJ | Multiple balloon festivals — Warren County, NJ | balloonfestnj.com | — |
⚠ Editor's Note — This listing was compiled from verified 2026 announcements as of April 2026. Dates, locations, and contacts should always be confirmed directly with event organizers prior to travel. Many regional EAA chapter fly-ins and local club events are not included here — check chapters.eaa.org for events near you. To list your ultralight, LSA, gyroplane, or balloon event in a future edition of Aero Connections, contact AeroSports.org.