Balloon Festival and Other Attractions
Make Plano a Travel Destination

by Jo Ann Holt

While Albuquerque, NM claims to have the world’s largest balloon festival, Plano, TX certainly has the largest balloon festival in the Lone Star State.  This year’s festival was held Friday-Sunday September 18-20, 2009 at Oak Point Park.  The annual festival featured 100 hot-air balloons with 5 balloon launches starting on Friday and running through Sunday evening.  This year, several of the launches were postponed due to heavy rain fall that had saturated the fields so that landings were difficult.

However, there were plenty of other activities to keep the hordes of festival goers happy.

A Balloon Glow Friday and Saturday nights brought a chorus of oooohs and aaaahs from onlookers as the basket’s burners were ignited to display the beautifully decorated and colored balloons against the dark sky. 

The 2009 Plano Balloon Festival, sponsored by EDS Credit Union, drew 75,000 people, including many family groups, to the event.  Balloon rides were also available for a fee of $250, but there were many other free or less expensive activities as well.  A variety of children’s activities included inflatable rides, art activities and a rock climbing wall, that kept the younger set occupied. 

Mark Thompson, director of Plano Convention & Visitors Bureau, says, “This event allows families from all over to experience the unique ambiance of Plano.” 

There were also 43 non-profit organizations displaying their wares or brochures, including a very popular SPCA exhibit that featured a number of adorable dogs available for adoption.  And of course all kinds of food and beverages were available for purchase at the Balloon Festival.  After eating our way through the concessionaire booths (featuring everything from Skillet Burritos to delicious ice cream) I could have easily been mistaken for a balloon ready for launch.

It’s hard not to “over indulge” in Plano.  We discovered there are more than 700 restaurants, including my personal favorite: “Love and War in Texas,” which specializes in home cooking Texas style and even serves home-grown beverages such as the original Dr Pepper, Lone Star beer and a variety of Texas wines.   The menu is divided into regions such as the Border, West Texas plains, Hill Country, Gulf Coast, East Texas Piney Woods and Crossroads, and specialties range from Buffalo Chili to burgers, chicken fried steak, Texas Ranger nachos, fried dill pickles, BBQ, and other wonders worth a special trip.  There is also a store that sells special salsas and other goodies to take home, or send to those unfortunate enough to have moved away from Texas.

The restaurant/club also features Texas music at night on the patio in good weather, and indoors when it’s raining or cold.  On Sunday morning they have Cowboy Church service at 9 a.m., and a Bluegrass Jam on Monday nights. 

Other favorite restaurants we discovered during our trip to Plano included the Main Street Baker, Mi Cocina and Nicola’s in Legacy Town Centre (where we also discovered Cru’s Wine Bar), and wonderful homemade pizza at Urban Crust in historic downtown Plano.

We enjoyed a delightful stay at the Marriott Dallas/Plano at Legacy Town Centre, and also toured new hotels such as the ultra-contemporary aloft Hotel and NYLO Hotel.  Shopping is abundant in Plano, from the Shops of Legacy (also home to the Angelika Film Center) to unique stores located in historic downtown Plano.

Other don’t miss attractions while in Plano include a visit to nearby South Fork Ranch (home of the Ewing tribe for the TV show “Dallas”) and a tour of the Interurban Railway Museum in historic downtown Plano.  For nature lovers, the 200-acre Arbor Hills Nature Preserve invites walking, jogging and other outdoor activities on its trails.  Heritage Farmstead and Fairview Farms Marketplace offer glimpses into the lives of Plano’s settlers, and the ArtCentre of Plano offers exhibits and performances in a restored historical building.

Plano, Texas motto is “close to everything, far from ordinary” www.planocvb.net. 

Plano Balloon Festival, www.planoballoonfest.org;

Legacy Town Center/The Shops at Legacy, visit www.legacyinplano.com;  

Love & War in Texas, www.loveandwarintexas.com;

South Fork Ranch www.southfork.com;  

Interurban Railway Museum and Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, www.plano.gov.

ArtCentre of Plano, www.artcentreofplano.com.