If you’re looking for a Labor Day weekend activity that doesn’t involve sweating at a barbecue or arguing over who gets the last burger, may we suggest looking up?

For three days, dozens of hot air balloons will inflate across the grass of Memorial Park at 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave., with their bright colors slowly stretching toward the morning sky before lifting off over the city.

While Colorado Springs residents have spent the last five decades perfecting the art of looking up, the 50th annual Labor Day Lift Off will continue the tradition that has floated above the city for half a century from Sept. 5-7. 

And this year, there are anniversaries all around. As the balloons mark their 50th lift off, Colorado celebrates 150 years of statehood and America settles into its 250th birthday.

The celebration comes with three days of balloon launches, food, family activities and plenty of reasons to stick around after the balloons disappear into the sky, carrying with them generations of memories, first dates and family outings since its inaugural event in 1976.

Rands Keasler, director of marketing for the Colorado Springs Sports Corporation, the event’s sponsor alongside Hot Apple Productions, said the festival has grown well beyond its initial years.

“It’s definitely expanded from just the balloons,” Keasler said. “We have now taken over the entire park with incredible activities, making it more family friendly and community-focused. It’s Colorado’s largest hot air balloon festival, and it’s a staple in the community that we look forward to every year.”

Fifty years and still flying

Originally held in Black Forest as the Colorado Balloon Classic, the event challenged balloon pilots to compete in a course that took them over Pikes Peak. 

A few years later, the event moved to Memorial Park as its audience grew, where it has remained for the vast majority of its history. Over the decades, the competitive race evolved into the large-scale community festival Colorado Springs knows today, eventually taking on its current name, Labor Day Lift Off, in 2015.

Today, the event draws thousands of people to Memorial Park and brings nearly 100 hot air balloons to the city’s skies, making it the largest hot air balloon festival in Colorado.

For some families, attending has become a tradition of its own, passed from one generation to the next.

“We have individuals who have brought their kids from being a year old to now in their teens or maybe they’re adults already,” Keasler said. “It’s a super family-friendly event because it’s free to the public, walkable and we definitely see people of all ages there.”

Ready for liftoff? Here’s what to know about the balloons

The morning launches begin at 7 a.m., with locals encouraged to arrive early for the best spots on the grass. 

Across the launch field, crews will spread out, fire up the burners and slowly inflate the balloons until they stand towering above Memorial Park. Then, as the balloons lift off one by one, spectators can watch them drift over Colorado Springs — or, for those willing to splurge, climb aboard one.

Balloon rides through Rainbow Ryders begin with check-in at the company’s tent. From there, passengers are escorted to the launch area to watch their balloon inflate before climbing aboard for a flight lasting roughly 45 minutes to an hour. 

Prices range from $395 per person to $650 for a private flight, and the experience includes a celebratory toast after landing and transportation back to the festival grounds.

On Saturday and Sunday evenings, the balloons return to the field for the balloon glow, when pilots fire their burners while the balloons remain tethered to the ground. 

“We see balloons from all over the country, with a lot of new and returning ones,” Keasler said. “We have balloon pairs, Ziggy and Zorro, llamas and fun shapes that include everything from your classic balloons to all kinds of animal shapes.”

Stick around: There’s plenty more to see and do

This year, the festival is expanding with Sky Fest Village, a new area in the northwest section of the park packed with activities and entertainment.

Families can take on the Ninja Nation obstacle course, watch IncrediBubble Entertainment turn bubbles into a performance and let the kids burn off some energy while parents explore.

DJ Max Kruse will provide music, while a beer garden gives adults another place to take a break from the crowds. The event also features drone shows, fireworks, aerial acrobatics and more.

Food won’t be hard to find, either. Nearly 100 food trucks will spread across the park, along with retail and merchandise vendors.

For those looking for a little more breathing room, the festival also offers VIP experiences, including Scotty’s Skyview Lounge. 

Visitors are also welcome to bring water, coolers and blankets, making it easy to settle in for the day rather than simply stopping by for the morning launch.

So whether you’re there before sunrise for the first takeoff or returning after dark for the glow, the Labor Day Lift Off is designed to be less of a quick stop and more of a weekend-long festival.

IF YOU GO
What: 50th annual Labor Day Lift Off

Where: Memorial Park, 1605 E. Pikes Peak Ave.

When: 7 a.m. Sept. 5-7 

Price: Free, coloradospringslabordayliftoff.com