The opportunity to combine my love of wine, the rolling hills of Eastern Washington, and a photography wish list activity led me to Walla Walla for their annual Balloon Stampede. Finding a place to stay there is easy, with many hotels and house rentals to choose from. We stayed in a home rental within a five-minute walk of the downtown restaurant area and took advantage of the easy stroll for many meals.
The drive from the Seattle area takes four to five hours over Snoqualmie Pass, then southeast along a mix of two- and four-lane highways, where lush forests give way to dry country and then rolling green hills. We stopped at Benton City on the way for wine tasting in the gorgeous Red Mountain winery district. It was a nice way to break up the road trip and enjoy a charcuterie board for lunch with our wine.
The Walla Walla Balloon Stampede is a four-day event held at Howard Tietan Park over Mother’s Day weekend. Thursday offers a kid-friendly morning with tethered rides for little ones before school starts, weather permitting. Though it was too windy for rides on the Thursday we attended, balloonists still inflated multiple balloons for the crowd’s enjoyment. Watching the setup process was fascinating: connecting propane lines to the basket burners, laying the basket on its side, spreading the balloon downwind, and attaching lines to the basket. Then, a powerful fan blows air into the balloon, creating a kaleidoscope of color for photographers and fun for kids wanting to touch the outside of the balloons. Once inflated enough, flames from the propane burners heat the air inside, slowly lifting the balloon as the team rights the basket, with another member holding the tether line to maintain control. Spectators are welcome on the field to observe it all up close. I took photos with my Canon EOS R6 Mark II 24-105mm lens, which along with my iPhone worked great, but bring a wide-angle lens if you have one.
Luckily Friday morning brought calmer winds. When we arrived at 5:45 a.m., we saw teams releasing test balloons to check wind direction and speed. A jovial event announcer confirmed that conditions were good for launch and suddenly, the quiet park sprang into action. Across two grassy fields teams began emptying trucks and trailers of baskets, balloons and gear; then began the inflating process. Everywhere you looked you saw colorful behemoths rising from the grass as they were filled with air and then beginning to rise into the sky as propane flames warmed their air. Some lucky VIPs were led to baskets where they would be taken on rides to honor their community service but if you wanted to ride in a balloon yourself, you had to do it outside of the stampede event. Over the next hour about 30 vibrant balloons lifted off and floated northeast away from the park. Some attendees chase balloons to witness landings, but we didn’t know the area well enough to try.
That evening, we planned to attend the Night Glow event to see illuminated balloons. We were warned about large crowds and limited parking, so we took the free downtown transit and arrived early at 5 p.m. At that time, not much was happening besides a few food trucks and a small band. As a free, family-friendly event, the park was already filling up with locals and their lawn chairs near the roped-off balloon field. We had dinner from the pricey food trucks and relaxed on our coats. A beer tent would have been a nice touch, but no alcohol was available.
By 7:45 p.m., as the sky darkened, a few balloons had been inflated, and music played loudly over speakers. Around 8:15, children were invited to dance among the balloons, which they loved. Having booked our own balloon ride for the next morning at 5:15 a.m., we left at 8:30pm to avoid any long transit lines. Unfortunately, we missed the full Night Glow and weren’t sure whether the balloons were simply lit up or launched with lights.
At 5 a.m. the next morning, we met Seattle Ballooning south of town for our hot air balloon ride over Walla Walla. Our group of ten was transported by van along with 3 other vans full of people to a launch site in a large open field further south. There, four balloons were inflated. Each person had a "window seat" in a large basket, with the pilot standing near the propane tanks in his own section. My husband and I stood next to the pilot and felt the heat and roar of the propane flames overhead, making conversation impossible during blasts.
Liftoff was peaceful, smooth yet exhilarating. The ariel views reminded me of low-altitude drone photography—wide-angled and immersive. The ride was calm throughout, with no turbulence or jolts, unlike flying or sailing. We rose to several thousand feet at times, then descended low enough to greet a family in their yard. Though the Balloon Stampede park activities were repeated from Friday, we flew too far from the park to catch much of that action. Our landing, in a harvested wheat field north of town, was gentle. We celebrated with champagne as the team packed up the balloon. At $350 per person plus tax and tip, it's not cheap, but if a balloon ride is on your bucket list, don't hesitate. Most rides occur during golden hour, offering ideal light and dramatic shadows for photography.
Beyond ballooning, we enjoyed daily wine tastings. With over 100 wineries in Walla Walla, choosing where to go is the biggest challenge. Alton remains my favorite, with its beautiful tasting room and lovely wines, and we also loved the views at Echolands. Dining in town was excellent, but reservations are essential — book well in advance to secure the top spots. We also visited beautiful Bennington Lake Park which has some nice trails, a picturesque lake and we found baby owls to photograph in the caves of the final parking lot.
A bonus for us: as tennis players, we played a match on the Whitman College courts. These are open to the public for free when not in use by students or staff. No one was using the six outdoor hard courts when we arrived, and the beautiful surroundings and warm weather made it an enjoyable activity.
Walla Walla charmed us on this our third visit, from vibrant balloons and tasty vineyards to impromptu tennis matches. We'll definitely be back.