MONROE — The 2025 Monroe Balloon and Blues Festival will be taking place Friday and Saturday, June 13-14 at the Green County Fairgrounds. It will be open from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday with a variety of activities perfect for all ages.
Admission is $3 per person, as is parking, but children 10 years and under get in free. Keep in mind that everything is weather permitting. If there is bad weather, some things might be delayed or cancelled.
Many activities that visitors loved last year are back again this year, along with some new ones. The carnival, which was a huge hit in 2024, will be returning for both Friday and Saturday, along with pony rides both days and face painting on Saturday. A few other fun family-friendly activities taking place are a petting zoo on Friday and a live demonstration by the Monroe Rural Fire Department on Saturday at the grandstands. There will be a craft show taking place on both days until late in the evening. All day on Saturday there will be a tractor show, and there will be a car show in the afternoon as well. Just like last year, in the morning on Saturday, there will be an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast starting for $10 at 7 a.m.
“I’ve always wanted to get more types of people involved when it comes to the Green County Fairgrounds,” said Adam Deininger, who helps out with the rally. “Not the fair itself, but what the Fairgrounds represents. I’ve always wanted to get the 4-H people involved in some way or another, whether it’s volunteering, or in this case, the Next Generation 4-H Club, I believe, will be in the 4-H building and handling the pancake breakfast on Saturday.”
Of course, as is highly anticipated, there will also be balloon flights taking place at 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on both days. There will also be balloon glows starting at 8:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
A new addition this year to the event is the inclusion of tethered balloon rides that will take place at 7 p.m. on Friday and 6 a.m. on Saturday. Tethered rides will cost $20 per person, or $15 for children 12 years and under.
“The biggest thing that’s going to be new this year, and has been the biggest thing that everybody’s been asking for since we came back three years ago, is balloon rides,” Deininger said.
The way it works is that the balloon will be secured to the ground by ropes or cables to keep it from flying freely. Riders will go up in the balloon about 20 to 80 feet and get a bird’s eye view before coming back down instead of going on a full flight. This is a test run for the rally, and the person carrying it out can only do it for a certain amount of time, Deininger said. The pilot has about a two-hour limit or until gas runs out, so tethered balloon rides will be first-come, first-served. There is a chance of winning a free balloon ride on the Monroe Balloon and Blues Festival Facebook page.
“For the first day on our Facebook page, from those who type in ‘balloon’ on the post and share it, we will take a look at how many total people have done that, we’ll pick a random number, and that person will get a free balloon ride,” Deininger explained.
Along with all the activities, there will be roughly 18 food vendors and musical entertainment in the band tent.
“While the focus remains on Blues, this year’s lineup also includes a few bands from other genres to ensure a diverse, crowd-pleasing musical experience throughout the weekend,” said organizer Abbigail Andrews.
On Friday, IRA and The Family Business will take up the stage in the afternoon and evening, and on Saturday, Grass Attack, Paul Filipowicz Band, Left Wing Bourbon, and Blues Disciples will be playing throughout the day.
More than just family fun
The Monroe Balloon and Blues Festival is about more than just family-friendly fun, it is also a fundraiser for the ARC of Green County, which serves and promotes the rights of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and supporting their inclusion in the community.
“Last year we were able to donate to area schools and the pocket park,” organizer Savanna Andrews said. “We give back to the community.”
Everyone who works to set up the event wants the public to know that festival wouldn’t be possible without the support of the community, sponsors, and volunteers. For more information about activities or specific times, visit the Monroe Balloon and Blues Festival Facebook page or their website: monroeballoonandblues.com.
