Hot Air Balloons Will Be Soaring At Colorado’s 40th Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo
Steamboat Springs' Hot Air Balloon Rodeo and Art in the Park offer a colorful and unforgettable summer experience with hot air balloons, live entertainment, and local art.
If you live along the Front Range or in Colorado's mountains, you know that seeing hot air balloons is a sure sign that it is summertime. Have you ever seen dozens in the air at once? It is a true sight to see and can soon be enjoyed via Steamboat Springs' Hot Air Balloon Rodeo and Art in the Park. Once you learn more about this hot air balloon festival in Colorado you'll be packing your bags to visit.
Taking place July 26-28, 2024, the 43rd Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo offers a "spectacle like no other with a sky full of color," thanks to more than 20 beautiful balloons.
It's an unforgettable sight you'll remember for years to come.
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Beginning each morning at 6 a.m., the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo primarily occurs at Ski Town Park, which boasts jaw-dropping views of the balloons as they launch in the sky and gently glide through the air.
It's an incredibly photo-worthy affair and you'll be astounded at how beautiful the sky looks filled with balloons.
Please note: We formerly stated this year's Hot Air Balloon Rodeo would include a nighttime Balloon Glow. We were incorrect about this and apologize for the error.
While there is no nighttime Balloon Glow, the morning launches will continue as usual. And that's plenty mystifying.
In addition to the balloons themselves, guests of the Hot Air Balloon Rodeo and Balloon Glow will be treated to live entertainment, plus food trucks, vendors, and other fun surprises.
It's a family affair with three days of fun and activities that will keep everyone smiling.
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In the past, this festival has coincided with the Art in the Park festival for a jam-packed weekend.
This year, the two are separate so there's even more to look forward to during the year in Colorado.
As its name implies, Art in the Park will showcase area artists (150+ to be exact), plus an interactive children's art area, music, and delicious food.
But before you head to that, you'll want to enjoy the balloon festival to the absolute fullest. It's such a unique and spectacular event.
To learn more about the Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo and Annual Art in the Park, please visit the official website of the Steamboat Springs Chamber of Commerce.
Admission to both events is free and it makes for an unforgettable summer.
Have you been to this hot air balloon festival in Colorado? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below! We love to hear your firsthand account of these unique experiences.
Colorado’s Bishop Castle Was Built By One Man Over 60 Years and It Will Blow Your Mind
After living in Colorado for over a decade, I finally made it to Bishop Castle - a well-known, multi-story, several thousand square foot, free-admission landmark built by one man over more than half a century. It was even more amazing than I imagined!
I moved to Colorado in 2013. Soon after, I heard about an interesting attraction called Bishop Castle. It was in Rye, an off-the-beaten path, small town about three hours south of Denver. A very good friend of mine from New York saw something about it in a Colorado guidebook, and it seemed interesting to us. He made me promise to “save it” and wait until he visited to check it out. I agreed.
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Although that friend visited me in Colorado many times over the past decade, we never made it down to Rye; we were always busy doing other things when he came to town. So, last month, in September 2024, I decided I’d put off my Bishop Castle adventure long enough and made a detour to stop by it with another friend on my way back to Denver from Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve.
I’m so glad that I did! I do hope to bring my New York friend to see it on his next Colorado visit, because now I realize this free, gigantic, impressive, and unusual attraction is absolutely worth the drive and effort to reach it. It far exceeded my expectations, and I can’t wait to go back again.
So, what is Bishop Castle, anyway? Why is there a castle in rural Colorado? The answers to these questions all lead back to a man named Jim Bishop. Bishop Castle, a three-story structure with vast windows, winding staircases, and two towers - one of which reaches 160 feet in height - was built entirely by him over a period of sixty years.
That’s right. Brick by brick, Jim Bishop built an entire castle - by himself and on his own. And today, you can visit it for free and explore it be overwhelmed by wonder.
When Jim Bishop was 15 years old, he bought the land upon which Bishop Castle sits for $450, and he soon started building a small cottage using found materials from the surrounding land. As he began to stack rocks to create the walls, locals jokingly asked if he was building a castle.
This was all the inspiration that Jim Bishop needed. From that point forward, he continued to build until he was no longer able to build anymore. Over the following 60 years, the castle that stands on the property came into being - and it’s an incredibly impressive sight to see.
Bishop Castle is made almost entirely of stone that Jim Bishop took from the adjacent national forest land. There’s also a vast amount of wrought iron which was used to create supports, railings, stairways, and walkways. The windows are of course made of glass, and the flooring is wood. Jim Bishop created the entire castle without blueprints or any real plan; he simply put it together, piece by piece, and added new and interesting features as they appeared in his mind.
Today, Bishop Castle is open to the public and it’s free to visit. Donations are welcome, and there’s a gift shop onsite selling Bishop Castle merchandise, too. Jim Bishop is still alive, but his days of building are long past. Some days, he’s present on site and is available for questions and conversation about his masterpiece.
I made it to top and immediately, my concerns about safety were tossed aside in favor of wonder. I couldn’t believe the size and beauty of the large, central room I entered first. It was like walking into a church. Three huge, many-paned windows and a glass ceiling allowed natural light to enter while offering views of the surrounding forest and mountains. The interior space was empty but was surely large enough for a group of over 100 people to comfortably gather for a party or event. Open archways on both sides of the room led to stairs.
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Now that I was inside, I felt a lot more confident about my safety. It was clear that this castle was very solid and that it was not going to crumble or disintegrate in any way any time soon. In fact, even if unmaintained, I truly believe that Bishop Castle would stand on its own for centuries to come. Jim Bishop constructed his castle to last for the long term.
My companion and I next decided to climb one of the towers. I chose one at random and started my ascent. Unknowingly, I chose the shorter of the two towers - but it was still quite tall. The stairs seemed to continue forever upward until I finally reached the top.
I’m not afraid of heights under normal circumstances, but when I saw how high up we were, and felt the strong breeze at the top, I definitely got a little nervous. I held on tight and looked at the beautiful views all around. We snapped a few pictures and soon went back down to the main chamber.
I was quite tired after this part of the adventure, but my companion decided to climb the stairs to the second, taller tower - and next time I go, I certainly will, too. He said that this one was even more terrifying, despite the structure clearly being very solid - but he’s glad he went to the top. Meanwhile, I went down the stairs to the area below the main chamber and checked that out. Stone archways offered a true castle feel, and stained-glass windows were a very nice touch as well.
After we reconvened, we stayed a bit longer and took lots of photos. It was great that we had the place to ourselves. It was like we were in a giant playhouse built for adults, and we felt like we were king and queen of this castle. Together, we marveled at this incredible work of art and continued to point out various details to one another. We were absolutely amazed by this castle and were filled with wonder. It’s truly incredible in every way regardless, but when you stop and take a moment to remember and recognize that it was built by a single human being - a man with zero architectural or construction training and without help from anyone else - it becomes nearly unbelievable.
Bishop Castle far exceeded my expectations for it and I am so glad that I finally made it to Rye to see it for myself. I will surely return to it time and time again in the years to come, and I am excited to spread the word to you, dear reader, and to anyone else who will listen. Hooray for Jim Bishop and hooray for Bishop Castle. There is likely nothing else like this castle in the entire world, and we are so lucky to have it right here in Colorado.
With its colorful history and abandoned ghost towns, mines, and railroad tunnels, it should be no surprise that Colorado is chock-full of weird and downright creepy places. However, how does one decide which is the eeriest of all with so many of these abandoned places in Colorado? Business Insider thinks they have it figured out, and we have to agree. Whether you're into Colorado urbex or history, this abandoned location is a must-visit:
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It's official: the Atlas E. Missile Site in Greeley is one of the eeriest places in the country, as per Business Insider's released The eeriest abandoned place in every state.
Constructed in 1961, the Atlas E. Missile Site was part of the first multi-stage Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles, which were used during the Cold War and later abandoned for more advanced missiles.
As per the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, there are five former Atlas E intercontinental ballistic missile sites around the state, four of which are in Weld County and can still be seen at the Missile Silo Park.
Located between Greeley, Windsor, and Loveland, the Missile Silo Park gives visitors an inside glimpse at these once state-of-the-art, now dark and eerie Cold War-era structures, plus jaw-dropping views of the surrounding landscape.
In addition to Colorado's Atlas E. Missile Site, Insider also notes Bodie, California, the Nuclear Aircraft Laboratory in Dawson Forest, Georgia, and Tanner's Hospital in Ely, Minnesota (pictured).
To learn more about the Missile Site Park including information on potential tours, please visit Weld County's website.
Do you enjoy visiting abandoned places in Colorado? Have you been to the Atlas E. Missile Site yet? Let us know.