One of the lovely things that I have found about social media is finding new places to go and new things to do. Last summer, I saw lots of people talking about the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and it looked amazing. It is something that has taken place for years and even though we only live an hour away from Bristol, I had never heard about it before. So when we were planning our summer holidays, it was top of my list of things to do and I am so glad that it was.
Set in the huge grounds of Ashton Court, the Fiesta is a free event; you do have to pay for parking which you can do online beforehand or on the day, but once there, you can sit down and enjoy watching the balloons setting up and ascending en mass which is a really remarkable sight.
A huge number of people visit this event and there is a huge fair which the children loved, with rides for the little ones through to the more adventurous with some inflatable slides that were taller that anything that I have ever seen before. Along side the fair, there is food from around the world to buy and stalls and tents to explore.
A was particularly excited to find that the lovely people from Bristol Zoo were doing animal face painting (which was free too) and she made an excellent tiger.
Even a shower of rain didn’t dampen the excitement as the balloons started to inflate and take off. The children would shout excitedly each time a new balloon was spotted and some proved to be very popular.
There was a list of all of the balloons in the program and the boys worked together to find each balloon they spotted and tick it off.
Once the balloons had taken off and we had watched them all disappear off over the city of Bristol, it was time to head back to the fair for the children to enjoy some of the rides before heading home. It was a lovely day out and I will definitely be going back again next year.
Don’t children just love ticking things off lists!
What a fabulous time you had. I heard all about it, great to see your photos.
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I would be so scared to get in one of those balloons! Love their cal ours though and the event looks like great fun!
thanks for sharing tour experience!
otilia recently posted…Refreshing Summer Salad Recipe
Looks like a great day out – the kids seem to have had fun 🙂
Andrea recently posted…The truth that is depression – goodbye Robin Williams
I wish we had gone now. I wanted to take Amy on Saturday or Sunday, but the weather was just so horrible that I didn’t bother and watched the balloons with her from the bedroom window instead. Looks like you had a lovely time though x
Carolin recently posted…How to choose the right birth control method for you
looks absolutely amazing, would never go up in one mind 🙂
HPMcQ recently posted…st pauls cathedral
Looks like a brilliant day out – love the tiger facepaint too – so cute! We are off to Bristol for the day on Friday – too late for the balloons, but am looking forward to re-visiting where I lived as a teen and showing Max the sights!
Sonya Cisco recently posted…Cocktails and Spa Days – A Glamorous 18th Birthday
There’s something magical about hot air balloons isn’t there? Your photos are fab, it looked amazing.
Liz Burton recently posted…Get Ready for Back To School with Stuck On You – a Giveaway
I’d be terrified to go in one myself but would have loved to have seen them all in the sky – especially a Smurf one x x
Cass@frugalfamily recently posted…Five Free things you can do this Summer #4….
We went this year for the first time too – fantastic wasn’t it! I liked the ‘Up’ balloon best, but my kids loved the Smurf.
I’ve seen pictures of this over the years and always thought it looked fantastic. We got engaged in a hot air balloon so I’ve a bit of a soft spot for them.
Penny Carr recently posted…Ten things to take on a self-catering holiday
Oh my goodness – I’m SO going to this next year! We passed it a few years back, when we were racing to get a plan out of Bristol Airport. I totally forgot about it! Thanks for the reminder x
Obviously we were getting a PLANE out of the airport… not sure we’d get anywhere on a plan! xx
I am seriously loving all of the blog posts that I am seeing on this Bristol Balloon show, it is going to be on my list of things I have to do with my kids for sure!
I hope you’re having a great week!
Tammy x
Tammy Chrzan recently posted…Barbie’s Dreamhouse Experience, Florida
This looks so cool – it’s somewhere I’ve always wanted to go, next year I’ll try and get more organised!
börnin mín recently posted…Building Work – Day Two
Looks like a brilliant day out. There is something so fascinating with balloons. I would love to have a balloon ride one day.
Rebecca recently posted…Top 5 Things to Do In North Wales
What a day. My kids are so delighted to see all these pictures. Next year we will also join.