Page Balloon Regatta 2026 ~ Friday

 

Tony & I had the most special experience in Page, AZ at the hot air balloon festival. This event happens the first weekend of November every year. Keep reading to see what happened!

Before any hot air balloon event, if our main pilot isn't coming, we check with our southern California pilots to see who might need our help. This year though, some pilots were not coming because they had other commitments and that left us wondering what to do.

I got the word out to a few people that we were looking and Tony suggested we just show up and see who needs our help as crew. I was not totally okay with that because if you know me at all, you know by now I like to have a plan. But, for this event, I had tried to make a plan so it was weird to not have one because we always know in advance who we will crew for.

(peep Anneliese below - Shannon's wife)

One of my crew friends suggested just a day or two before we left California, that we get ahold of Shannon White. I was immediately super excited because he is the very same pilot who flew Tony & I in Salina, UT in 2010 where we got engaged in this very balloon (well, same design, updated fabric). How magical is that?!?

I contacted Shannon right away and he was cool to let Tony & I crew for him. We showed up at the park behind Safeway (literally less than a  2 min drive from our Airbnb) at 7am on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. Each day was so good for flying!

After helping inflate the balloon on Friday morning, Shannon said, "Get in the basket" and my mouth fell open. I was truly not expecting to be invited up to fly. I was so happy to just be crew to set up, chase and pack up the balloon when it landed. My mind was in disbelief but I got in the basket and Tony followed me.

Seeing our Airbnb from above!

The views in Page are just so awesome because the surrounding scenery is amazing!

There were so many friendly families on the ground below us as we drifted by. Some we got low enough to have conversations with. One woman - it was her birthday!

Flying over a school

SO happy to see this view. Beautiful!

Up in the air together. It's very rare to get a hot air balloon ride together at a hot air balloon festival. The last time was probably in France in August 2025!

Always grateful.

No matter which direction I looked, the views were great!

It was the perfect setup, takeoff and landing.
I am beyond stoked, it totally made the rest of my year to have this experience with Shannon and the Flower Power hot air balloon. It's something I will cherish and never forget!

---------------

If you are interested in attending the Page Balloon Regatta next year, click the link with more information