Welcome to the Great Texas Balloon Race
It's a world class event attracting the very best competitive pilots from across the United States and the world.
Considered by many of the pilots that compete at the Great Texas Balloon Race to be the best run event on the circuit, the Great Texas Balloon Race earned Longview the official designation as "The Balloon Capital of Texas" by the Governor of Texas in 1985.
In 2013 Gregg County was proclaimed "The Balloon Race Capital of Texas" by the 83rd Texas Legislature.
The U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship in 2023 also returned to Longview for another three years bringing some of the most competitive ballooning anywhere to East Texas. Competitive balloon flights are scheduled for the mornings of Monday through Sunday over Longview. Launch and landing sites change each day as they are always determined by wind and the weather.
U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship
June 10-16, 2024
U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship + Great Texas Balloon Race
Longview will again welcome the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship June 10-16, 2024, with the Great Texas Balloon Race competition run in conjunction with it June 14-16, 2024.
U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship
The GTBR competition
The Great Texas Balloon Race Story
In 1978, the Great Texas Balloon Race was born from an agreement between Dr. Bill Bussey, D.D.S., a world-record hot air balloon pilot, and Frankie Parson Riggins and Mary LeTourneau, Longview Mall managers.
A world-class country artist who has had 14 No. 1 singles headlined the Great Texas Balloon Race in 2023.
Watch here for ticket information
It will be a while before we release the lineup for the 2024 event, but check back here for ticket information once we do. Tickets are $15 for Friday only; $20 for Saturday only; and $30 for a weekend pass.
