Balloons over Waikato is an annual hot air ballooning festival held in Hamilton, New Zealand. It is held over five days during autumn and attracts both local and overseas balloonists. The Festival is held primarily at Innes Common, at Hamilton Lake, which gets an estimated 100,000 visitors during the festival. Hot air balloon being inflated by its propane burners prior to a dawn launch Hot air balloons are the oldest successful human flight technology, dating back to the Montgolfier brothers invention in Annonay, France in 1783. ... Hamilton (Kirikiriroa in MÄori) is the centre of New Zealands fourth largest urban area, and is the countrys seventh largest city. ...
Events in the festival include sunrise and sunset launches, a balloon basket parade, lighting of balloons in the "Night Glow" and a morning "Dip in the Lake" competition where balloonists must attempt to secure a key placed on the lakebed.