The Macomb Balloon Rally will host its 39 th annual event Friday- Saturday, Sept. 11-12 throughout the city of Macomb and at Western Illinois University.

This year, 18 hot air balloons, flown by pilots from across the Midwest, will take to the skies over Macomb for competitive flights. This year’s theme is the Disney movie, “Up.”

Events kick off at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, with a performance by WIU’s Jazz Studio Orchestra on Vince Grady Field. At 6 p.m., weather permitting, balloons will then fly from Vince Grady Field to locations throughout the county.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, at approximately 6:45 a.m., the balloons will attempt to fly from locations around the area to Vince Grady Field and drop bean bags on a themed target mowed into the grass on the field. From 6-9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, “Just Another Band” (JAB) will perform on Vince Grady Field. At dusk, approximately 7:30 p.m., the popular balloon glow will be held at the WIU field.
The status and location of each scheduled flight will be updated on the Rally’s Facebook page at facebook.com/MacombBalloonRally.