One Beautiful Hot Air Balloon Event in Colorado is a ‘Rodeo’ in the Sky

One hot air balloon festival in Colorado dates back over 40 years; the summer of 2024 will include the Yampa Valley Balloon Rodeo.

Steamboat Springs is key part of Colorado's history, and long known as being a "cowboy town;" so, it just makes sense that they would name their hot air balloon event a "rodeo."

Three days of people gathering in the beautiful Yampa Valley seeing unique and majestic hot air balloon take to the skies above Colorado. This is one Colorado event that folks should have on their "to-do" list for the summer.

RELATED: Man in Steamboat Creates a Bar Out of Snow

Steamboat Springs' Name is Actually a Mistake

When French trappers would visit the Steamboat Springs area in the early 1800's, they mistook the sound of the mineral spring for the "chugging" sound of a steamboat. By 1909, when a railroad came to town, you couldn't hear that sound at all, anymore.

The Yampa Valley Balloon Rodeo started in 1981 as the Steamboat Hot Air Balloon Rodeo. In 2022, the event didn't happen at all; not due to the pandemic, but because it was "in between" organizers. It did return, with its new/current name, in 2023.

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The 2024 Yampa Valley Balloon Rodeo

• July 26-28 (Pilot's Dinner of Friday July 26)
• Bald Eagle Park
• Free
• Balloon Lifts in the mornings of July 27 and 28 (weather permitting.)