Hot air ballooning has a very long history. French brothers Joseph-Michel and Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier first flew a papier-machė and silk hot air balloon in Paris on June 4, 1783. It was lifted 3,000 feet off the ground and filled by burning straw and wool to create heat (hot air), providing lift and flight. The first manned hot air balloon designed by the Montgolfier brothers took off from the Bois de Boulogne in Paris on November 21, 1783, and a replica of this balloon was on display during the 2024 Summer Olympics.
In the United States, the first successful balloon flight occurred on January 9, 1793, when Frenchman Jean Pierre Blanchard flew his balloon from Philadelphia to New Jersey and conducted experiments along the way. This first American flight was observed by President George Washington.
During the American Civil War, balloons were used to survey enemy lines and make reconnaissance of the ground. The United States Army/Union Army Balloon Corps was formed under the command of Thaddeus Lowe, who was named the first “Aeronaut” in 1861.
Today’s modern balloons, with their inflated colorful nylon or polyester bag, called the “envelope,” are filled with hot air heated with a propane burner system carried in the woven rattan basket or the gondola suspended below the balloon, which carries passengers.
The Portland Rose Festival sponsored the first Balloon Classic in 1984 and from this event evolved the Tigard Festival of Balloons. The first balloon races were held at Delta Park, with fourteen balloonists competing from Oregon, Washington, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and New Jersey. A preview was held at Tom McCall Waterfront Park for Portland residents, and people could talk to the balloonists and see how the balloons were inflated before they took off on the race. This first event was supported by Pacific Southwest Airlines as an event of the Rose Festival. In 1987, the Hot Air Balloon Classic moved to Beaverton’s Sunset High School and then to Greenway Park until 1992. Over fifty balloonists participated in the races, offering trophies and prize money of $8,000.
Tigard’s Cook Family Park became the venue for the 1993 Balloon Classic, with twenty-five pilots and their balloons on display for the public before the races. This was a weekend event in June. Before the races, the balloons were tethered in place, and a few offered the experience of riding in the basket while still tethered to the ground with a rope. That year, 11,000 people attended the Tigard Festival of Balloons, and the crowd has continued to increase. In 1994, the City of Tigard assumed financial responsibility for the Balloon Classic when the Rose Festival withdrew its support. The Tigard City Council appropriated $5,000 for support to keep the Classic in Tigard. The Balloon Festival was reorganized in 2004 by businessman Dave Nicoli and sponsored by the Tigard Chamber of Commerce. Since 1994, the Tigard Festival of Balloons has remained the premier event in our city.
Balloons are named like ships—Knight N Gale, Emerald, Firenze, for example, and are about 65 feet in diameter. Each balloon costs between $15,000 and $50,000; many have intriguing shapes and various labeled corporate owners. The hot air inside the balloon has to be heated to about 135 degrees hotter than the outside cooler air to lift the balloon into the air, to fly, and to keep the balloon aloft. The propane burner constantly warms the air inside the balloon while in flight. During a rally, the balloons reach an altitude of about 2,000 feet, and accuracy, not speed, is the goal of the competitions.
Special events for 2025’s festival include morning balloon launches beginning around 5:45 am Saturday and Sunday mornings, morning tethered rides for all ages, and a Night Glow on Friday and Saturday evenings around sunset. All balloon activities are weather permitting. There is also a Pancake Breakfast, A Car Show, a Beer Garden, Carnival rides, and Live Music to be enjoyed. Volunteers are needed, and you can sign up at www.tigardballoon.org/volunteers. The Tigard Festival of Balloons is a non-profit 501c3 organization that raises funds for many of Tigard’s philanthropic non-profits.
Tigard Festival of Balloons this year will be held June 20-22, 2025, in Cook Family Park, and tickets are available now. Advance ticket purchase is required and can be purchased online at www.tigardballoon.org. Come and enjoy this landmark local event with your neighbors.
Visit www.tigardhistorical.org to become a member, volunteer, or for more information about the Tigard Historical Association.
