Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 2023: Day Three
Saturday at the Fiesta should feature two mass ascents
We're back at Ashton Court today for Day Three of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
Hopefully, we'll be seeing some sunshine and calm skies today, with mass ascents planned at 6am and 6pm featuring up to 100 balloons each time, with all sorts of family friendly entertainment in between.
Today, at 4'oclock, a parachute display team will entertain the crowds, followed by a balloon inflation race.
The site & getting to it
As well as the main arena from which the balloons will take off, there is also a bandstand featuring live music, a children's area featuring the Brizzle Kicks stage, dozens of food and drinks stalls and fairground rides.
Entry to the site is free but if you want to drive, car parking comes at a cost.
All tickets must be bought in advance via this link and cost up to £30 for cars and £15 for motorbikes.
Walking and cycling to Ashton Court is encouraged, but a shuttle bus service is also back this year, having been cancelled in 2022 because of a national shortage of drivers.
Services will run "at frequent intervals" according to organisers, from Bristol Temple Meads and Queen Square to get people to the site and from Ashton Court for people leaving.
Once again all tickets should be bought in advance, which you can do so here.
Children under 16 can travel for free when accompanied by an adult.
Traffic
The roads surrounding Ashton Court are known to get busy during the Fiesta, especially in the early morning and evening around the times of the mass ascents.
As such, National Highways are urging drivers to allow extra time for journeys.
The M5 at junction 19 could be particularly busy during the event as southbound traffic will use the junction to access the A369 and the event site.
The M5 at junction 21 will also see increased traffic as northbound traffic uses the A370 to travel to the Fiesta and traffic will also use the M32 to travel through Bristol to the event.
Kathryn Wiltshire, National Highways’ network planning officer for the South West, said: “We’re reminding road users to plan ahead during the Balloon Fiesta – roads leading to the event are likely to be very busy.
“Our aim is to keep the National Highways network running while keeping fiesta goers and other road users safe and informed.
"We advise people to check our traffic and travel information channels, set off early and allow plenty of time.”
Several road closures will be in place around the site from 7pm each evening to allow for the safe departure of pedestrians including Kennel Lodge Road, the southern end of Parklands Road and the A370 between Winterstoke Road and Colliters Road.
Meanwhile parking on many of the surrounding roads will be restricted to residents only, including in Long Ashton.
The weather
For hot air balloons to take to the skies, the right weather conditions are absolutely crucial.
Ideally we need to see dry conditions with only a little bit of wind, as too strong a breeze makes it difficult to control the balloon in the air, while too little wind means the balloons simply wouldn't go anywhere after take off.
We should see sunny skies this morning, with the odd shower heading into the day. It may feel cooler and a little breezy - the wind should stay between 9mph and 14mph at the time of each mass ascent.
Hot air balloons will fly where ever the wind blows and today a south westerly breeze is forecast, which would push them up and over the centre of the city, roughly in the direction of Emersons Green.
Schedule
You can see a full schedule for the action in the main arena, below:
6am-7am - Mass ascent featuring up to 100 balloons
7am-9:30am - Special shaped balloons inflated
7am-9am - Model balloons in the arena
12:30pm-1:30pm - Model plane flights
1:30pm-4pm - Special shaped balloons inflated
3pm-4pm - A chance to meet the ballooning teams
4pm-5pm - Army parachute display team performance
4:30pm-5:30pm - Bristol Bears rugby squad skills performance
4:45pm-5:30pm - Hot air balloon inflation race
6pm-7pm - Mass ascent featuring up to 100 balloons