Festival Of Balloons — Local services in Tigard

This isn’t a hot air balloon festival. I bought tickets for my family specifically to see, photograph, and enjoy the balloons and we didn’t see a single one! We’ve been to several balloon festivals in other states/countries and this is nothing like those.

Word to the event organizers: please call this event what it is for the love of all things truthful and transparent — a small city summer fair with carnival rides, games, and food and craft vendors. Stop deceiving the public with false advertising and event misrepresentation.

There are no balloons to be seen not even at “night glow” where they say there are balloons to be seen. We left at 10:30 pm after waiting the entire day for balloons. What an absolute joke! We were totally disappointed. Now let’s address the wallet drain. This is the most expensive fair I’ve ever been to in my life. Not only do you pay for entry tickets, you pay to park, you pay for wrist bands for the rides and already you’re in it for $200 five minutes after you’ve parked your car. The food is expensive (and not that good). The drinks are expensive. The vendor lines are impossibly slow and aggravating.

And since there are no balloons at this “balloon festival,” rides and games are the only things to do. The rides require 11-12 tickets per ride and there are only about 10 total rides. You are granted two games per wristband but this means just one dart per game. If you pay directly for games, you get nine darts per game rather than the measly one they allot with the wrist band. They can’t even provide free shuttles for their attendees. Sorry elderly folks and families with small children, you have to pay for shuttle rides too.

This event is a jack rip designed to empty your wallets while pretending to be something it is not. They lure you in with glossy photos of colorful balloons on their website and Facebook event page but it’s the only place you’ll see them. I don't know how they get away with it honestly. It's deceitful. My advice: spend your money somewhere else unless you have it to burn. If you’re after balloons, look elsewhere, because there aren’t any here. And Tigard, do us all a favor and rename your event to accurately portray what it is: The Tigard...

I didn't attend the Festival of Balloons, but my friends and I run through a trail system that cuts though the park often. We did not see any signage at the start or middle of any trails saying that it was closed off. So, as we approached the end of our run the last bit was through the soccer field path about .20 of a mile. We got to the path and were stopped by two gals at a table, and I asked if they could watch us just run through for the last bit of our run. Otherwise, we'd have to backtrack 2+ miles, instead of just finishing right on the other side. They said NO, that we were not allowed due to the festival. I asked if there was any way we could just cut through, as we were tired, and our dog was panting and in need of water (also on the other side). This was at about 9am there were no people there yet still setting up for the day- but they they told us not to worry as it was going to be the last day of the festival, and that if we wanted to run through, we each had to pay for a pass (60.00) total. All this to say, signage on the paths would have been helpful to my group and other residents that commonly walk, run and bike on those paths as we were not the only group...

The Tigard Balloon Festival is an absolute gem! This was my second year attending, and I'm even more impressed than before. It's clear this event is deeply rooted in the Tigard community and expertly organized.

Last year, I had the privilege of being a VIP guest with Island Earth Water and Distribution, LLC. The VIP treatment was top-notch, complete with craft beers from sponsor Rogue Beer.

This year, I'm experiencing the festival from a different perspective as a vendor with Creole Cookin' - A Taste of New Orleans. Let me tell you, this is hands-down the best Louisiana cuisine you'll find! Our jambalaya, chicken Creole bowls, and shrimp bowls are out of this world. Don't miss our spicy mac and cheese bowls either!

If you're in the area, today's the last day to catch this fantastic event. Stop by Creole Cookin' and ask for Maurice - I might even give you a discount! Trust me, you don't want to miss out on this Southern cuisine like no other. From the South to your mouth!

Special shoutout to Cindy Murphy for her incredible work in making this event a success year after year. The Tigard Balloon Festival is a must-attend event that showcases the best of...