Up, Up, and Away: Forty years of the Natchez Balloon Festival

Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).

• The first balloons rose above Natchez in 1986. The festival’s beginnings can be traced back to a few determined visionaries over lunch.

The city of Natchez has a way of capturing your heart and pulling you back again and again. Maybe it’s the view from the bluffs, where the Mississippi stretches out like a silver ribbon, or the way downtown’s brick streets seem to carry stories in every crack and corner. For me, it’s all of that — the views, the history, the charm — wrapped together in a place that lingers with you. And every October, Natchez glows a little brighter when the Balloon Festival fills the sky with color and the air with music, laughter, and celebration.

This year was extra special. The festival celebrated its 40th anniversary — forty years of balloons drifting above the river, families stretching out on Rosalie’s lawn, and music rolling across the bluff as the sun slips low. The festival was held Friday, October 17th, and wrapped up on Sunday, the 19th. 

Where It All Began

The first balloons rose above Natchez in 1986. The festival’s beginnings can be traced back to a few determined visionaries over lunch: James Biglane, H.I. “Cappy” Stahlman, III, and Ron Riches. Their determination to bring this event to life in the stunning river town sparked inspiration and grew into something far bigger than anyone imagined. Today, it’s not only the largest festival in Southwest Mississippi but also one of the most treasured traditions in our state.

If you’ve ever stood on the bluff at dawn — coffee steaming in your hands, the cool river breeze brushing your face — and watched a balloon drift lazily across the water, you know how unforgettable it is.

Rosalie at the Heart of It All

The festival wouldn’t feel the same without Rosalie. This 1823 mansion, with her expansive lawn and tall white columns, has a way of anchoring the whole weekend. Families spread quilts across the grass, children run barefoot between food stands, and the faint whoosh of balloon burners. It’s a whole experience. Also, If you’ve ever tried to eat a funnel cake while keeping one eye on the sky, you know that takes a special skill set!

Rosalie has witnessed nearly two centuries of Mississippi life, but for the past forty years, she has also stood guard over this joyful tradition. There’s something beautiful about that — a home built on history now serving as the backdrop for memories in the making.

Balloons, Music, and Magic

The balloons are the stars, of course — bright, towering shapes rising into the October sky and glowing like lanterns after dark. I’ve seen children gasp and clap as if they’d just spotted something out of a fairytale. And the truth is, they have. 

And the music — well, it’s the heartbeat of the weekend. Blues, country, rock, soul — they had it all. The songs float through the night air, mingling with the smell of barbecue smoke, roasted peanuts, and powdered sugar drifting from funnel cakes. It’s not background noise. It’s the soundtrack of Mississippi in October.

Forty years is long enough to weave a festival into family legacies. Parents who once darted across Rosalie’s lawn with snow cones are now holding the hands of their own children doing the same. That’s the beauty of Natchez — its traditions tie us to one another and to the past.

One of my dearest friends in Tupelo grew up in Natchez, and no matter how busy life gets, she brings her children back every single year. She told me once, “This is the one weekend I refuse to miss.” Her kids love the balloon glow most of all — she laughs about how they beg to stay until the very last balloon flickers out. For her, it’s not just a festival. It’s giving her children a piece of her childhood, stitched into their own story.

The Little Easy

At the conclusion of the 40th Balloon Festival celebration, I can’t help but feel grateful. Grateful for the dreamers who made it happen, for the families who keep it alive, and for the city itself — beautiful, historic Natchez, with her bluffs, her river views, and her streets that never quite let you go.

Every time I watched the balloons rise into the evening sky, I was reminded of why Natchez has captured my heart, and the hearts of many others. It’s the view, the music, the history, and the way this city celebrates life and the spirit of Mississippi. And it’s why, year after year, I feel the pull to return — just like the balloons that rise again and again, carrying with them a promise of wonder.