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The Great Reno Balloon Race

@renoballoon

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Official Instagram of the World's Largest Free Hot-Air Ballooning Event - September 9-12, 2027 🎈

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16 days ago

magic doesn’t really explain how special the balloon races are every fall in Reno 🎈 taken in Reno, Nevada by @renoballoon

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6 days ago

📸 You asked, we listened! We’re extending our GRBR 2026 Photo Contest submissions for 24 MORE HOURS! 🎈

We’ve received requests for a little extra time, so here’s your last chance to submit your favorite photos from the 2026 Great Reno Balloon Race for a chance to win a hot air balloon ride for TWO during the 2027 event! 🤩

⏰ NEW DEADLINE: September 24 at 5 p.m.

After submissions close, we’ll select the finalists and turn it over to YOU! Public voting will take place in October 2026, and the photos with the most votes will win prizes. Link in bio to submit!

Don’t miss your extra 24 hours; we can’t wait to see GRBR 2026 through your lens! 📷🎈

Photo Credit: Brynn Herman, GRBR Photographer

#RenoBalloonRace #45YearsofGRBRFlight #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams taken in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park by @renoballoon

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9 days ago

Let this be your sign to get that cheap film camera off of eBay and bring it with you everywhere you go because you never know when you might end up in a hot air balloon and get these grainy beautiful photos of the memories!!!

#renotahoe #film #filmphotography taken in Reno, Nevada by @renoballoon

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11 days ago

I drove two and a half hours from Sacramento to stand in a dark field at 4 a.m. and I would do it again tomorrow. ☀️

The Great Reno Balloon Race happens every September, the weekend after Labor Day, and it’s completely free! 🎈

Nearly 100 hot air balloons, a Glow Show before sunrise, and around 150,000 people bundled up on blankets like it’s the most normal thing in the world.

Then I got to go up in one, which I’m still not over. 😭

If you live anywhere in Northern California and treat Reno only as a place you drive through on the way to Tahoe, this is your reason to stop. Leave after lunch, sleep at the Grand Sierra Resort (ten minutes from the launch field 🙌), set a truly unhinged alarm ⏰, and watch the sky fill up.

This was easily the most adventurous thing I’ve done all year, and I got to do it while standing completely still in a basket. That is exactly my kind of adventure. 🧺💛

Save this for next September! 📌 Have you been? I want to hear your balloon race stories. 👇

@renotahoe @renoballoon @grandsierra #ad #GreatRenoBalloonRace #RenoTahoe #hotairballoon #roadtrip taken in Reno, Nevada by @renoballoon

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15 days ago

Did you know GRBR 2026 included the finale for the three-event Nevada State Hot Air Balloon Championship, where Nevada State pilots were vying for the state title🎈

Congratulations to the Nevada State Hot Air Balloon Champions:
🏆1st place: Karalyn Mumm, Citrus in the Sky
🏆2nd Place: Will Vavra, Good Morning Sunshine
🏆3rd Place: Pat Irwin, Battle Born

#RenoBalloonRace #45YearsofGRBRFlight #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams taken in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park by @renoballoon

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17 days ago

A little GRBR magic beyond the field. 🎈🐻💜

Our Great Reno Balloon Race interns, along with Smokey Bear, had the sweetest opportunity to visit the kids at Renown Children’s Hospital and bring a little balloon-race fun their way!

One of our favorite parts of GRBR is sharing the joy of the event with our community, and we loved getting to spend some time with these amazing kids. 💜

Thank you to Renown Children’s Hospital for welcoming us, and to Smokey Bear for helping us bring plenty of smiles! 🎈🐻

#RenoBalloonRace #45YearsofGRBRFlight #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams taken in Reno Tahoe by @renoballoon

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17 days ago

Don't forget to capture the magic of The Great Reno Balloon Race this September for the 2026 Photo Contest,
presented by GRBR and Reno Tahoe!✨📸

Submit your favorite photo of GRBR 2026 for a chance to win a hot air balloon ride for 2 during the 2027 event! Submissions will be accepted from September 10-20, 2026. After the submission period ends, the top ones will be selected, and you can vote on your favorite photo finalists. Link in bio to submit! 🎈

Photo Credit: Rilyn Spinks, GRBR Photographer

#RenoBalloonRace #45YearsofGRBRFlight #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams taken in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park by @renoballoon

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17 days ago

45 years of filling Reno’s skies with color! 🎈❤️

As we celebrated the 45th Anniversary of The Great Reno Balloon Race, we were incredibly honored to receive a Certificate of Recognition from Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo, recognizing 45 years of bringing our community together and showcasing the spirit of Nevada.

We were also proud to receive a City of Reno Proclamation honoring the 45th Anniversary of The Great Reno Balloon Race, an especially meaningful recognition from the city we’ve called home since our very first race in 1982.

From 20 balloons that first year to the tradition GRBR has become today, none of these 45 years would have been possible without our pilots, volunteers, sponsors, partners, fans and the Reno-Tahoe community. Thank you for growing up with us, celebrating with us and continuing to look to the skies with us. Here’s to the next 45+ years, the next chapter and SO MUCH MORE! 🎈✨

#RenoBalloonRace #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams #45YearsOfGRBRFlight taken in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park by @renoballoon

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17 days ago

A preview of GRBR’s 1st-place winner, Justin Wilkinson, in Upgrade!, aiming for the target! 🎈🎯

#RenoBalloonRace #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams #45YearsOfGRBRFlight taken in Reno, Nevada by @renoballoon

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18 days ago

Don't forget to capture the magic of The Great Reno Balloon Race this September for the 2026 Photo Contest,
presented by GRBR and Reno Tahoe!✨📸

Submit your favorite photo of GRBR 2026 for a chance to win a hot air balloon ride for 2 during the 2027 event! Submissions will be accepted from September 10-20, 2026. After the submission period ends, the top ones will be selected, and you can vote on your favorite photo finalists. Link in bio to submit! 🎈

Photo Credit: Ryan Gustafson, GRBR Photographer

#RenoBalloonRace #45YearsofGRBRFlight #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams taken in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park by @renoballoon

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18 days ago

Did you know The Great Reno Balloon Race is also a pilot competition? 🎈

Besides the standard targets on the ground, the pilot competition also includes virtual targets in the sky. Competitors use electronic devices to navigate these aerial tasks.

🏆 Here are your 2026 winners:
1st Place | Justin Wilkinson, Upgrade!
2nd Place | Michael Stone, Orange!
3rd Place | Pat Irwin, Battle Born
4th Place | Karalyn Mumm, Citrus in the Sky
5th Place | Michael Glen, Joelly
6th Place | Chris Casaceli, Phoenix
7th Place | Cindy Heinrich, Chromatica

#RenoBalloonRace #45YearsofGRBRFlight #StarsStripesAndSoaringDreams taken in Rancho San Rafael Regional Park by @renoballoon

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18 days ago