Hudson Hot Air Affair will be here soon, and there are some big changes coming to this popular balloon rally and winter festival. Join us in Hudson on February 7-9 as we celebrate the “Staying Alive in 2025” theme. The weekend a packed full of hot air balloons, events, and some major event changes.

We are moving to a new location (due to construction at our previous location). The 2025 Hot Air Affair will be held at River Crest Elementary School at 535 County Road F, just south of Hudson. The core activities including the Balloon Launches (weather permitting), Marketplace and Craft Fair, Smoosh Board Competition, Prize Drop Fundraiser, and the Moon Glow/Field of Fire are all moving to the River Crest School grounds.

While River Crest School offers several advantages, it also comes with limited parking, so this year we will be introducing free shuttle buses on Saturday, February 8th. All guests MUST take one of the four shuttle buses to attend events at River Cres School. Only handicap parking will be available at the school on Saturday, and it will be limited to a first come basis.

Shuttle bus stops (and parking) are available at: the Hudson High School at 1501 Vine Street; Hudson United Methodist Church at 1401 Laurel Ave, Faith Community Church at 777 Carmichael Road; and Plaza 94 Shopping Center at 1801 Ward Avenue. The shuttle buses will travel back and forth from these pick-up locations to River Crest School from 6am until 9pm. Shuttle details are available at HudsonHotAirAffair.com/shuttle.

Thirty hot air balloons are scheduled to participate in morning launches on Saturday and Sunday, February 8 and 9, at 7:35am. With cooperation from Mother Nature, spectators can expect to see a launch field full of colorful hot air balloons inflate, lift off and fly in a mass ascension flight. Should the Saturday morning flight be cancelled due to weather, there is also a 3pm launch planned. The popular Moon Glow/Field of Fire is from 6:15 – 7:15pm on Saturday evening. You don’t want to miss this, so please plan to come at least a half hour early to catch one of the free shuttle buses to the school.

The latest updates on flight conditions will be available at HudsonHotAirAffair.com and on Facebook. Please remember, as with all hot air balloon rallies, the flights are weather dependent. The balloons are not able to fly in windy or inclement conditions.

While everyone wants the balloons to fly, the weather doesn’t always cooperate, so with the help of several community partners, we offer a variety of activities and events during the weekend. Enjoy the Friday evening Torchlight Parade at 7pm with a fireworks display after the parade. Saturday activities include the Mason’s Pancake Breakfast, the Marketplace and Craft Fair, the Lions Club’s Bean Bag Tournament, the Fat Bike Race, Octagon House Museum tours, the Rotary’s St. Croix River Dunk, the Smoosh Board Competition, a Prize Drop Fundraiser for St. Croix Valley Food Bank, the Booster’s Bingo and more.

The fun continues with a Sunday Funday! After the morning balloon launch, there is a Sunday breakfast at Big Guys BBQ Roadhouse, and a free kids’ ice fishing event on Perch Lake, with equipment, mentors and gifts for all the kids.

The mugs are back! Thanks to the generous support of Kwik Trip, the Hot Air Affair souvenir mugs will be available at the marketplace in the school. Come in out of the cold to warm up with a hot (or cold) beverage in a new mug.

Hudson Hot Air Affair is truly a community effort. It is organized by an all-volunteers committee with community organization partners, and supported by local business sponsors, with WESTconsin Credit Union as the corporate sponsor.

Find details about the shuttle buses, the events, the balloons, the sponsors and more at HudsonHotAirAffair.com or visit us on Facebook or Instagram for the latest announcements and details.