For a week during the height of the sweltering summer of 2016, folks in North Louisiana’s sister cities of Shreveport and Bossier found themselves suddenly transfixed by the sight of giant, colorful globes drifting silently through clear, morning skies. High above his hometown, hot air balloon pilot Pat Harwell was in his element—gazing out over the sprawling Northwest Louisiana landscape—when he spotted a school out on a rural road. From it, he could see a stream of children pouring out of the doors like ants. He told his crew, “Let’s drop down right here.”
After touching down on the lawn, waving like a fanciful master of the skies, Pat and his team spent the hour that followed taking the kids aloft for tethered flights. At one point, one of the children turned to Pat’s wife, Susan Harwell, and said, “We’ve been saying prayers every day that a balloon would land here.”
“It’s moments like that,” Pat said, recounting the memory. “… Well, you can’t ask me why we fly.”
Shreveport-Bossier first began hosting the U.S. National Hot Air Balloon Championship in 2016, then caught a new wind in hosting the Louisiana State Ballooning Championship soon after. In the decade that has followed, the annual event has made the sister cities a prime summertime destination for many of the country’s most accomplished hot-air balloon pilots.
That summer saw another new tradition take flight in Shreveport-Bossier: the Red River Balloon Rally, which today draws tens of thousands of attendees who come to celebrate humankind’s oldest means of taking to the skies. After the 2016 U.S. Nationals, the cities became hosts of the Louisiana State Ballooning Championships—which draws more than twenty elite pilots each year to compete for national qualification.
To celebrate the annual summertime showcase, the Shreveport-Bossier Sports Commission joins forces with Visit Shreveport-Bossier to host two days (July 10–11 this year) of unforgettable family-friendly festivities at Louisiana Downs Casino & Racetrack, now the Red River Balloon Rally’s long-term home. For visitors, the experience blends airborne spectacle with classic festival fare: evening balloon glows, live music performances, a farmer’s market, tethered rides, and a Saturday night fireworks spectacular.
“This is not done to make money; it’s really done to bring something wonderful to the people of Shreveport."
—Pat Harwell
David Bradley, Vice President of Business Development at Visit Shreveport-Bossier, noted that the festival’s tenth anniversary stands as a testament to the longstanding collaboration between organizers, pilots, and the community. “If you don’t have that kind of dedication and buy-in, you don’t get ten years out of an event like this,” he said. Over the years, the Rally has grown alongside the city itself, settling into a venue that offers top-tier amenities for visitors and pilots alike.
Such attention to detail matters. According to Pat, experienced balloon pilots are increasingly rare, and the events that treat them well quickly earn a reputation. “Shreveport-Bossier is trusted,” he said. “The team makes sure the pilots have a great experience and that they are as safe as possible.”
The Harwells have been piloting hot air balloons since 1991, when Susan joined a flight crew on a whim and fell in love at first flight. Within a week of her first ride, she and Pat purchased a balloon of their own—a step that set Susan on a path to becoming the first female balloon pilot in North Louisiana. More than thirty years later, she and Pat have raised their family in the ballooning community and continue to share the magic across the South.
“It’s the freest experience I’ve ever had,” said Pat. “You’ve got 360-degree visibility, can see for twenty, thirty miles. I just fell in love with it and love the chance to share that.”
That generosity of spirit is common among balloon pilots, Pat noted, and it’s a defining feature that visitors to the Red River Balloon Rally will feel, either while watching the aerial displays from terra firma, or going aloft themselves—rising weightlessly into the sky.
Celebrating the sport they love with their hometown has become a yearly highlight for the Harwells, and they’ve enjoyed drawing other pilots into the fold. “I can’t say enough ‘thank-yous’ to the Sports Commission for making this happen for our community,” said Pat. “This is not done to make money; it’s really done to bring something wonderful to the people of Shreveport. It takes a lot of work to make this happen, and it’s so good for the city, it really is.”
The Red River Balloon Rally’s tenth anniversary celebration on July 10–11, 2026 aligns with Shreveport-Bossier’s broader plans commemorating America’s 250th birthday, making this summer an especially meaningful time to visit. Stay up to date on upcoming festivals and events at visitshreveportbossier.org.
