From $360 per person (without lodging) | First Weekend in March | Ages 5+

Howdy! Lately, I've seen some confusion online as to the history, background, and future of this little shindig, so I thought I'd update this page, in order to relate the real first-hand history of one of the most unique balloon events in the country.

For more than 40 years, we have enjoyed flying over the Methow Valley and the old frontier town of Winthrop. We started flying there back in the early eighties just for fun, and as a way for our pilots to stay in practice during the off-season. The owners of the company had bought a small RV camping lot in Mazama, and couldn't help but notice that "hey, this would be a great place to fly!" They checked weather records and settled on the first weekend in March as the most likely time to fly in the snow, and still have a good shot at cleared roads. In those days, the town was still hibernating through the last weeks of winter. There were only a few stores and eateries and hotels that were open for business. However, year by year, more of our passengers heard what we were up to; and some of them wanted to be a part of it. Things got to where we started calling around to other balloonists to ask them to come join us, so we could get everyone that wanted to fly in the air over the Methow Valley, and it just got a little bigger, with a few more balloons. We started bringing some small balloons to the main street in town on Saturday night, inflating them right out in the street shortly after sunset, and doing a balloon glow, just as a "thank-you" to the town.... and more and more shops decided it would be worth their time to open their doors that weekend.

We did our best to keep this party as informal as possible, so when a few more years went by, Kurt and Melinda Oakley moved up from Colorado and set up Morning Glory Balloon Tours (having discovered the Balloon Roundup in a ballooning trade magazine), I got a little worried that our secret getaway weekend would be affected. Well, my worries were unfounded. Kurt and Melinda, over the next 17 years, did such a good job flying there, and taking care of the valley and the landowners whose fields are so important to be able to land in, that the Chamber of Commerce took notice, and started backing the event. Over the next decade or so, the party just got bigger and better! 

The Oakleys negotiated a permanent, year-round launch site right there in town, behind the Winthrop Inn. The Chamber of Commerce started arranging for such civilized luxuries like porta-johns, and *on-site snacks*! And COFFEE! Wow! Balloon pilots from all over the West; Utah, Montana, Idaho, Arizona, Oregon and more, joined in the fun. And even though Kurt and Melinda retired from ballooning a few years ago, the Roundup continued. I'll do my best to keep this rally going forever; I piloted my first balloon flight here clear back in 1990, and I want one of my last flights will take place here too, around when I get too old to fly!