SAGA TRIP! Day 2

SAGA International Balloon Festival
Every year, hundreds of colorful hot air balloons dot the Saga City skyline during the Saga International Balloon Festival. The festival is Saga Prefecture’s largest event, drawing between 800,000 and 1 million spectators each year. Held each year in early November since 1978, attendees can witness professional hot air balloon competitions, unique balloons shaped like animals and popular cartoon characters, and even have a chance to get up close and personal with balloons and learn how to pilot them.
Taking place alongside Saga City’s Kase River, the festival is one of the largest sky sports events in Asia, drawing over 100 balloon pilots from all over the world each year. The festival has even been home to the biennial FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship three times, most recently in 2016.
But, unfortunately this year 2024 Saga International Balloon Festival has been cancelled due to the effect of bad weather.