Citizen Potawatomi Nation’s FireLake Fireflight Balloon Festival drew in record crowds this year, with more than 60,000 people estimated to have visited Aug. 9 and 10 in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
The festival, in its seventh year, saw quite a comeback after the 2023 event, during which stormy weather kept the hot air balloons from flying.
Pilots from around the country brought 25 different hot air balloons, including character balloons Milky Way (a cow) and Ziggy (a raccoon). Visitors to the festival were able to see the balloons inflated both mornings, for the evening glows and even for a Saturday evening flight. More than 1,000 guests participated in tethered rides over the weekend.
In addition to the annual 5K race, kids’ carnival, vendor market and Outdoor Nation Expo, this year’s festival also included a Friday night drone show, camel rides and helicopter rides.
Entertainment for the event included Levi Platero on Friday night, Adam Aguilar and Midnight South on Saturday, and Cam Allen headlining the festival for Saturday night’s performance. Allen is a country artist who has recently been touring with Dwight Yoakum.
CPN first started hosting the festival in 2017 as a way to give back to the community and to offer families an affordable way to make memories. The festival will return in August 2025.