Helen to Atlantic Hot Air Balloon Race

There aren't many places where you can stand in a field at dawn and watch two dozen balloons fill, stand up and drift off over mountains. Helen's Helen to the Atlantic Balloon Race and Festival is billed as the South's oldest balloon event and the only long-distance hot air balloon race in the United States. Pete Hodkinson came up with it in 1974: Helen is the center of the world, and the Atlantic is its edge.

The 2026 race was the 53rd. The balloons fly at dawn and again at dusk, so you can see them without giving up your whole day. For a broader look at flying in the area, including where to book a passenger ride, see our hot air ballooning guide.

No balloons fly in rain or strong wind. If storms or gusts are forecast, takeoff waits until conditions are acceptable.

A balloon can only go as fast and in the direction the wind does, so the pilot's job is to hunt for the altitude that carries them toward the finish. That finish is I-95, anywhere between Maine and Miami. The shortest route is 225 miles and the race usually takes two days, though it has been done in one and has stretched to four.

Fuel is what makes it a team sport. Balloons are limited to 40 gallons of propane, good for about four hours in the air, so every pilot has to land and refuel. If the chase crew isn't there with fresh tanks, the pilot loses time. The winner is the first across I-95, or whoever is ahead at sunset on Friday.

Helen is a tricky place to fly: the village sits ringed by mountains, national forest and state parks. The organizers say the payoff is worth it, with flights just above the treetops and views of woodlands, streams and waterfalls. On the ground, the show starts with the inflation. Burners roar, flat fabric stands up, and one by one the balloons leave the field.

While the racers head east, about 20 other balloons fly locally. The public is welcome to help crews inflate or to follow a balloon as part of a chase crew; ask on the field. The race doesn't advertise passenger or tethered rides. If you want to ride, see the operators in our ballooning guide.

Parking for the launch field was $20 per carload or $1 per walker in 2026, with a public vehicle entrance at the end of Chattahoochee Strasse. The organizers announced a new vehicle entrance that year, so check helenballoon.com before you go. Our parking guide covers downtown lots.