Winter fun for all at Wisconsin’s Hudson Hot Air Affair

Last updated on January 7th, 2025

Every February, the Hudson Hot Air Affair brings a variety of balloons and hardy ballooning enthusiasts to Hudson, Wisconsin, for a weekend hot air balloon festival.

While the weather isn’t always suitable for actually taking the balloons up into the sky, it’s still an opportunity to get a look at some impressive works of inflatable art.

And it’s a ton of fun.

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A weekend of fun at the Hudson balloon festival

Each winter Hudson, Wisconsin, ignores the weather to celebrate a weekend of family fun centered around hot air balloons.

While the balloons don’t always get into the air, there’s always something fun to do.

And, when the balloons do rise into the winter sky, it’s pure magic.

(Ok, so it’s just basic physics, but it seems like magic!)

Hudson hot air balloon festival torchlight parade (Friday)

While there are a number of earlier events, the Hudson Hot Air Affair really gets started with a short “torchlight” parade. While evening torchlight parades are not uncommon, most don’t feature torches large enough to fill a hot air balloon and towed by trucks!

I’ve never made it to this event, but it looks like fun. And it’s followed by fireworks over the Saint Croix River.

Morning mass launch (Saturday and Sunday)

The main event on both Saturday and Sunday morning is a mass ascension where all the balloons take flight just after the sun rises.

When the weather cooperates, all or most balloons take to the air about the same time.

When the weather is less than perfect, but not too wet or windy, many pilots will inflate their balloons, but keep them tethered to the ground.

If the weather is too nasty for balloons, some crews will take out their baskets and fire up the burners. Many also let children in the basket and some even let them fire the burner.

And you can always go inside to check out the market and craft fair or grab something warm to eat and drink!

Morning starts early at the Hudson Hot Air Affair

If the weather looks promising (light winds under 8 mph, good visibility, and sunshine or high clouds), I try to arrive well before 7 am. Often that lets me park where I can watch for activity on the launch field while sipping a chai in my warm car.

By 7 am there are usually a few vehicles on the field. Most carry a basket and tow a trailer — hot air balloon enthusiasts need a lot of gear!

The balloons themselves are packed in neat bundles.

But they don’t stay bundled up very long. If pilots think they will be able to inflate their balloon, they begin unpacking even before an official flight decision is made.

Once the balloon is unpacked and neatly spread out, the next step is to fill it with warm air.

Fans are used to start the process. When the balloon is partially inflated, the burners are turned on to finish the job.

It’s an awkward process. One that includes a lot of holding lines and adjusting the balloon, both to fill it smoothly and to keep it from rolling into other balloons as it fills.

It becomes even more of a challenge if there is a bit of wind!

(If there is too much wind, the balloons won’t come out because it is too hard to control them as they fill. But sometimes unexpected gusts create problems. That happened at the 2016 festival, when crews struggled to to fill balloons before deciding it was getting too windy.)

Once the balloon fills enough to use the burners, the hot air quickly finishes the job, causing the balloon to rise from the ground.

At that point a bit of a scramble ensues, as the basket is tipped upright and the pilot hops in while everyone else holds on tight!

Sometimes balloons are tied to the ground

If the weather isn’t suitable for flying, but is still good enough to allow the balloons to be filled, they will be tethered to the ground to keep them in place with the basket on or just above the ground.

While this probably isn’t much fun for the pilots (who would rather be in the air), it’s great for visitors who are stuck on the ground anyway. (The Hudson Hot Air Affair doesn’t offer balloon rides to the public.)

Because the balloons are stationary, it’s easy to get a good look at them.

All are colorful. Occasionally there will even be a hand-painted work of art.

(Minnesota artist Charlie Markert painted four of the balloons I saw at the 2016 Hudson Hot Air Affair.)

It’s nice to have a chance to have a chance to get a good look at them. And it makes it easy to see how they are heated. (I’m always impressed by the sight of flames shooting up into the colorful and fragile-looking fabric.)

The only downside for ground-based viewers is that the balloons might not be up very long. Conditions that make it too difficult to fly usually also make it hard to keep the balloons safely tethered.

Sometimes balloons fly free

Of course, everyone really wants to see balloons rising up to float freely in the sky.

In 2019 the weather was perfect for a morning balloon flight. That created a chaotic scene as people and balloons jostled each other amidst balloons on the ground, partially inflated, and rising into the air.

And then, in what seemed like no time at all, they were all drifting away.

While chase crews follow balloons through the countryside, for most visitors the morning’s balloon-viewing ends as the last one floats out of sight.

But there are plenty of other things you can do during the Hudson Hot Air Affair.

There are more than balloons (Saturday activities)

The Hudson Hot Air Affair stands out from other regional winter events because of the hot air balloons, but there are plenty of other activities available too. And they are much less weather-dependent than hot air balloon flights!

While there are activities in the days leading up to the weekend event, most are held on Saturday. This gives everyone plenty to do between the morning and afternoon balloon launches.

Afternoon launch (Saturday)

While all balloons will usually take part in the morning launch (if there is one), the afternoon launch is less predictable.

If the balloons were unable to take flight in the morning, most will participate in an afternoon mass launch – if the weather is suitable. But if they flew in the morning, many pilots may choose not to go up again in the afternoon.

However, even if no balloons fly, at least a few pilots will inflate their balloons and tether them to the ground so people can see them. Or, if it’s too windy, they’ll fire their burners for entertainment.

Moonglow or Field of Fire (Saturday)

As much as I love the mass flights, the evening Hot Air Balloon Moonglow is even better.

With their burners going, the balloons light up like enormous lanterns glowing in the cold night air.

 

There’s something mysterious and magical about it.

If it’s too windy to inflate the balloons, they set up the burners and shoot flames into the air instead. They call that the Field of Fire.

Plan your trip to the Hudson Hot Air Affair

The hot air balloon festival in Hudson, Wisconsin happens in early February. You can find more information and a full schedule of events on the Hudson Hot Air Affair website.

Each year’s festival has a theme and organizers usually expect more than 30 balloons to participate. Some favorites like Rubber Ducky and Fred G. Monster appear some years, but not others.

 

If you are making a special trip just to see the balloons launch, watch the weather and check the Hudson Hot Air Affair website, Facebook page, and Twitter feed.

If they know there won’t be a launch due to weather, they’ll announce that in advance. But that happens in the afternoon more often than in the morning; usually there won’t be a decision until quite close to launch time. They will also announce in advance whether there will be a Moonglow or Field of Fire.

Balloon rides are NOT available as part of the Hudson balloon festival. However, there are many other activities available throughout the weekend.

Since most activities are outside, prepare for the weather and dress warmly. And leave your pets at home – they aren’t allowed on the field where the balloons launch.

Getting to Hudson and the balloons

Hudson, Wisconsin, is located along the Saint Croix River about ½ hour east of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Twin Cities metro area.

Most events are held at EP Rock School at 340 13^th Street South in Hudson. This is in a neighborhood and can be a little tricky to find. There are usually a few signs off the main highway, but consult the event’s website and/or GPS to find it.

During the day there is a reasonable amount of parking available at the site itself. However, there is not enough parking for everyone who comes to the evening Moonglow. In that case, look for a spot in the neighborhood, and be prepared to walk a few blocks.

The best time to arrive

If, like me, you are there to see the balloons and not to participate in various other events, the best time to arrive is in the dark. That means before sunrise for the morning flight and after sunset to see the balloons lit for the evening Moon Glow. Arriving as dawn breaks gives you a much better chance of seeing the balloons inflated and in the air than sleeping in and hoping they fly in the afternoon.

Pay close attention to the weather and the Hudson Hot Air Affair Facebook page and Twitter feed. They’ll share real-time information on the weather. Sometimes you’ll know well in advance whether or not they will inflate the balloons. (For example, if there is freezing rain or strong wind, balloons will remain packed.) But often it’s hard to know in advance. What seems like perfect conditions on the ground may not be something else up where the balloons fly. And sometimes weather forecasts are just wrong.

Once you arrive

There is no charge to attend any of the launches or the evening Moonglow/Field of Fire.

Visitors can walk pretty much anywhere on the field where the balloons are inflated. You can take all the pictures you want and talk to the pilots and crew. Just be careful to avoid balloons, lines, and other equipment. And keep in mind that things can happen quickly and crews may need to react in an instant – stay alert and give them room to work.

But there are a few rules on the launch field, and all of the following are prohibited:

• Alcohol
• Smoking
• Drones
• Dogs, except service animals

Lodging in Hudson

While it’s an easy drive from Minneapolis-Saint Paul to Hudson, you do have to get up early for the morning flights. To sleep in just a bit later, consider staying in Hudson.

Check your options at TripAdvisor, Hotels.com, Booking.com, or Expedia. As always, check the location carefully, because not all hotels that come up in the search are actually in Hudson.

Airbnb also has a number of options available in and around Hudson.