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SFOT RH 2026

Thousands flock to balloon festival

by | Sep 25, 2025 | Area News, Latest

Spectators at the 46th Plano Balloon Festival watch as balloons inflate and launch at Oak Point Park, Saturday, Sept. 20.

It was still dark at 6 a.m., with a twinkling of stars overhead, when spectators began arriving at Oak Point Park for the first launch at the 46th Plano Balloon Festival. Shuttle buses from the free parking at the Plano DART station pulled up at the main gate, disgorging eager watchers armed with cell phones and lawn chairs.

Many lined up along the curb of Spring Creek Parkway, with the empty field spread before them. Some hardy souls trudged up the bluff leading to the Collin College parking lot where VIP ticketholders had arrived.

The launch was scheduled for 7 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 20, but the trucks and trailers bearing their colorful cargo did not begin to appear until 7:30 had passed and the rising sun tinted the eastern sky with pink.

For more on this story see the September 25, 2025 print, or digital edition of the Murphy Monitor. Subscribe today and support local journalism in your community.

Collin WSM Summer/Fall 2026 Registration #2

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