Balloons inflate at the Plano Balloon Festival in Oak Point Park. The annual event begins Thursday, Sept. 18, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 21.

The balloon capital of Texas will be open for business later this month. The 46th Plano Balloon Festival runs Thursday, Sept. 18, through Sunday, Sept. 21.

More than 30 hot air balloons from around the country are scheduled to take part in the annual event sponsored by H-E-B / Central Market. Launches are scheduled for 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday at Oak Point Park.

Popular attractions include the colorful balloon glow at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights as aeronauts inflate the balloons on the ground with the roaring burners illuminating the brightly colored envelopes. The glow will be followed nightly by fireworks.

The four-day festival will also include a variety of foods, artisan vendors and carnival rides. Some balloonists will also offer tethered rides – weather permitting — allowing spectators to see from above what all the excitement is about.

The FOX4 Main Stage will feature live music including a big band concert by the Plano Symphony Orchestra, the Plano Community Band, Midtown 10, Ice House Band and the Children’s Chorus of Collin County.

A classic car show begins at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The festival is processing parking, admission tickets, and Kids Fun Zone ride tickets via credit card, debit card or Apple Pay instead of cash. However, some vendors will accept cash and tethered balloon rides are cash only.

Admission tickets are available for purchase onsite for $10 per adult, $5 for seniors 65 and older and kids 3-12 years of age. Kids under 36 inches in height are free as well as active duty or retired military with valid ID or first responders including doctors, nurses, police, firefighters and EMTs. Tickets are non-refundable.

Prime parking is $15 at Collin College Spring Creek Campus, Oak Point Recreation Center, First United Methodist Church and Community Unitarian Universalist Church. Offsite parking for $10 per car is available at the Plano Event Center. Parking is free at the Parker Road DART station where free bus shuttles will be available.

Coolers are not prohibited but are strongly discouraged. Alcohol is prohibited.

Pets should be left at home because of their sensitivity to the high-pitched sound made by balloon burners.

The tethered balloon rides will be available Saturday and Sunday mornings and Thursday, Friday and Saturday afternoons, weather permitting, on a first come first served basis.

Tethered rides can accommodate 10 to 12 people, depending on height and weight. Tickets are sold onsite, cash only, for $30 per adult and children 6 to 12 for $20.

Every passenger will have to sign a waiver. Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian and they must sign a release for the child. There is no minimum height requirement, but adults are not permitted to hold a child in their arms during the tethered ride.

All passengers must be in good health. Passengers may not be pregnant, recently released from the hospital or have current broken bones or casts.

More information is available at planoballoonfestival.org.

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