Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival in Yuma AZ

The Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival in Yuma AZ is back Friday through Sunday, November 13 to 15, 2026, and it is the one fall weekend when half of Yuma sets an alarm for 5 a.m. on purpose. The Caballeros de Yuma run this festival, now in its 36th year, and this year it lands at a new home: the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex at 1700 E. 8th St. If you searched Yuma balloon festival 2026, things to do in Yuma in November, or Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival tickets, here is the schedule, the cost, and the local advice that actually matters.

When is the Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival in Yuma AZ?

The festival runs Friday, November 13 through Sunday, November 15, 2026 at the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex, 1700 E. 8th St. in Yuma. Friday hours are 6 to 10 a.m. and then 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday runs all day, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday wraps up early, 6 to 11 a.m. The pattern is simple: balloons fly at sunrise, and the party happens in the evening. Show up at 10 a.m. on Sunday hoping for a sky full of color and you will be looking at an empty field, so plan around the early launches.

What happens at the balloon festival?

Each morning brings a mass ascension, when the balloons lift off together over the desert and drift across the river valley. It is the photo everyone in Yuma has on their phone, and it never gets old. Saturday night is the other half of the show: the Balloon Glow, where the balloons stay tethered on the ground and fire their burners in the dark, lit up like giant lanterns, with music and fireworks to close the night. During the day you get food vendors, family activities, and tethered balloon rides for anyone who wants a short trip up. Tethered rides cost extra; they were 25 dollars a person last year, so check the price at the gate before you promise the kids a ride.

How much does the Yuma balloon festival cost?

Friday morning's launch is free, and the Caballeros ask for canned food donations at the gate, so bring a can or two if you can. Friday evening, Saturday, and Sunday run 5 dollars per day at the gate. A weekend pass is 10 dollars in presale or 12 dollars at the gate. For a full weekend of sunrise launches and the Saturday glow, that is one of the best entertainment bargains in Yuma County, and the food donations go to help local families heading into the holidays.

What should military families at MCAS Yuma know?

If you are new to MCAS Yuma, this festival is a perfect first Yuma tradition. The Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex sits on the east side of town, an easy drive from base housing areas and from neighborhoods like Mesa Del Sol and the Foothills. Bring the kids early on Saturday, let them watch the balloons inflate at dawn, and you will understand why families who PCS here end up staying for the winters. November mornings in Yuma are cool and clear, which is exactly the weather balloons need, and exactly the weather that sells people on desert living.

Any local tips before you go?

Arrive before sunrise for the launches, because parking fills up and the light is best in the first minutes. Bring a light jacket; desert mornings in mid November are chilly until the sun clears the mountains. Charge your phone, because you will take more photos than you planned. And if the weekend makes you think about putting down roots here, you are not alone. Festival weekends are when a lot of winter visitors and new military families start asking what homes near the east side cost.

Thinking about buying or selling in Yuma AZ? Book a complimentary consultation with Johanna Suggs, licensed Arizona real estate agent with eXp Realty and the Rise Up Team. We will talk through neighborhoods, timing, and real numbers, with no pressure and no obligation.