The balloons are back Nov. 13-15. Here's when to set your alarm, and what it costs.

There's a particular kind of Yuma morning in November: cold enough that you want a jacket, clear enough that you can see forever, and, one weekend a year, full of hot air balloons.

The Caballeros de Yuma's Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival is Friday through Sunday, Nov. 13 to 15, at the Pacific Avenue Athletic Complex, 1700 E. 8th St. (Caballeros de Yuma)

The thing to know up front: the balloons fly early. If you show up at 10 a.m. on Sunday expecting a sky full of color, you're going to be looking at a field.

The schedule

According to the Caballeros:

• Friday, Nov. 13: 6 to 10 a.m., then 4 to 9 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 14: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., all day. Morning launch, music, food and family activities, then the Balloon Glow and fireworks in the evening.
• Sunday, Nov. 15: 6 to 11 a.m.

Vendors and tethered balloon rides run every day. There's live entertainment Friday and Saturday. (Caballeros de Yuma)

The morning launches are the mass ascension, when the balloons go up together. The Saturday night Glow is the other half of the show: the balloons stay tethered to the ground and fire their burners in the dark, set to music. If you can only pick one, it depends on whether you're a sunrise person. (Visit Arizona)

What it costs

• Friday morning launch: free. The Caballeros ask for canned food donations, so bring a can or two if you can.
• Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday: $5 per day, sold at the gate.
• Weekend pass: $10 in presale, $12 at the gate.
• Ages 5 and under: free.

(Caballeros de Yuma)

Tethered balloon rides are extra. They were $25 a person last year, according to KYMA. (KYMA, 2025) Check the price at the festival before you promise anybody a ride.

Before you go

• Leave the dog home. The organizers' festival listing says service animals only. (FestivalNet listing)
• Balloons and wind don't mix. Launches depend on conditions on the morning. If it's breezy, pilots may not fly, so check the Caballeros' page or social media before you drag the kids out of bed at 5:30.
• Dress in layers. Dawn in mid-November is genuinely chilly by Yuma standards, and you'll want that jacket off by lunch.

The Caballeros de Yuma are the volunteer group behind several of the city's big annual events, from Midnight at the Oasis to the Yuma Territorial Marathon. Their Holiday Pageant and Tower Lighting is Nov. 28. (Caballeros de Yuma)

For everything else on the calendar through mid-December, see our fall events guide.

Sources

• Caballeros de Yuma, Colorado River Crossing Hot Air Balloon Festival page (dates, hours, prices, location, activities)
• Caballeros de Yuma, homepage (event calendar)
• Visit Arizona, festival listing (mass ascensions, Balloon Glow description)
• KYMA, "Colorado River Crossing Balloon Festival returns to Yuma," Nov. 10, 2025 (2025 tethered-ride price)
• FestivalNet, organizer-registered listing (service animals only)