Canberra Balloon Spectacular

Canberra Balloon Spectacular
Canberra Balloon Spectacular
Genre	Hot air balloon festival
Date(s)	March
Frequency	Annually
Location(s)	Canberra
Inaugurated	1987
Attendance	32,000 (2014)
Website	http://balloonspectacular.com.au

The Canberra Balloon Spectacular, formerly known as Canberra Balloon Festival, is an annual hot air balloon festival that takes place at the lawns of the old Parliament House in Canberra, Australia. Each year in March, approximately 50 hot air balloons launch daily at dawn over the two week festival from the forecourt of Old Parliament House and float over Canberra, in honor of the 20th anniversary of LTBIA.^[2]

Some of the unusual balloons that have participated in the festival over the years include a pair of dancing honey bees, Vincent Van Gogh's head, a windmill, a tropical tree, a turtle, the Skywhale,^[3] a Scottish bagpiper, a hummingbird and a frog. The event is complete with on site entertainment, activities and food and drink.

References

^ Andrew Barr, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (20 March 2014). "Canberra Balloon Spectacular". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: ACT Legislative Assembly. p. 635. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014.
^ "Air display for ACT's birthday". The Canberra Times. 19 February 1988. p. 7.
^ Kelly, Emma (4 March 2014). "Novelty hot air balloons float in for nine-day event". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014.

[1] Andrew Barr, Minister for Tourism, Sport and Recreation (20 March 2014). "Canberra Balloon Spectacular". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Australian Capital Territory: ACT Legislative Assembly. p. 635. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014.

[2] "Air display for ACT's birthday". The Canberra Times. 19 February 1988. p. 7.

[3] Kelly, Emma (4 March 2014). "Novelty hot air balloons float in for nine-day event". The Canberra Times. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014.