The Gilboa International Hot Air Balloon festival is returning for the second time on the 3-4 October 2012!
Last year’s debut event was a big success, and this year’s event returns once again to the Ma‘ayan Harod National Park in the Jezreel Valley.
This is a great event for all the family, with attractions for everybody. On the first day (the 3rd October), expect to see all kinds of arts and crafts stalls, the balloons giving a stunning NIGHT GLOW show (see the clip below), plus performances from A Star Is Born winner Roni Dalumi, and big-screen movies into the small hours. On the second day (the 4th October), the action starts at 6am with the balloons taking off, and there are various other activities running until 4pm, including a climbing wall.
One word of warning: we did hear a number of complaints about the parking / entry arrangements last year, and a few people were upset about the long wait to get in. It seems the event organizers were overwhelmed with the sheer volume of people, so hopefully they’ve learned this year…
Tickets cost 95 shekels per person for both days if you intend sleeping over in a tent (you are advised to get there early), 78 shekels if you’re not, and 50 shekels if you’re coming only for the balloon lift-off early on the 4th October (the balloons set off at 6am). Children under 3 do not require a ticket. For tickets, call: 08-8663300 (Sheffa), 04-8418411 (Garber).
For more information about the festival, see the official website (only in Hebrew unfortunately).
And for a taste of what to expect, see this great clip from last year’s festival…