South Florida Hot Air Balloon Festival at Markham Park: Sunrise's Most Romantic Date Night

Some date nights you plan around dinner. This one you plan around the sky. The South Florida Hot Air Balloon Festival takes over Markham Park in Sunrise for two nights only — Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 2026 — and it is easily the most unique date idea near Fort Lauderdale this weekend: giant balloons rising at dusk, tethered rides for two, and a full balloon glow and laser show after dark.

If you're scanning for romantic things to do in Fort Lauderdale this weekend that aren't another restaurant reservation, this is the one to lock in. Gates open at 5 PM both nights, tickets are limited, and the whole evening is built to be shared from a blanket on the grass.

What the night looks like at Markham Park

Arrive while there's still light. Balloon inflation starts around 6:30 PM, and watching a balloon go from a pile of fabric on the grass to a glowing tower taller than the trees is half the show. Tethered balloon rides run through the evening at $35 per person, sold on site only — scan the QR code at the entrance to join the ride queue, and check the status flags at the ride tent (green means rides are a go).

Between the rides, the festival fills the field: a DJ, festival food, and craft and retail vendors, with plenty of room to spread out. Bring chairs and a blanket — the best seat in Sunrise this weekend is on the grass, together, looking up.

Then, at about 9 PM, the main event: the Hot Air Balloon Glow & Laser Show. Every balloon on the field lights up at once, burners firing in music-synchronized burns while lasers cut the sky — roughly 45 minutes of the most photographable night in Broward this fall. The night runs well past the glow, so there's no rush out.

Tickets, times, and the honest pricing note

The festival runs Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 2026, gates at 5 PM, at Markham Park, 16001 W State Road 84, Sunrise, FL 33326. General admission is about $20 for adults and $10 for kids on the current listings, with tiered options above that — the event sells through BalloonShows.com and FreshTix, and tiers move, so confirm your exact price on the official ticket page before you go.

The one price that's fixed: tethered rides are $35 per person, cash or card, bought on site only — they can't be reserved ahead. Rides are weather permitting (they need winds under 8 MPH and no rain), which is the honest trade of a balloon festival: the glow show is the guarantee, the ride is the bonus. Balloon Shows USA posts live updates on show days if weather starts moving times.

How to do this date right

Pick your night like a local. Friday draws the after-work crowd; Saturday is the bigger night. Either way, gates at 5 PM means arriving by 5:30 gets you parked, settled, and fed before inflation starts — the unhurried version of the evening.

Get in the ride queue early. Tethered rides are first-come and weather-dependent. Join the QR queue when you arrive, then wander the food and vendors while you wait — if the wind picks up later, you'll already have flown.

Dress for a field at night. It's grass, November, and after dark — flat shoes and a light layer beat date-night heels here, every time. The blanket is not optional equipment; the glow show is a lie-back-and-look-up event.

Stay for the whole glow. Couples leave early and miss the synchronized burns at the end. The show runs about 45 minutes and the field stays open past it — linger, let the parking lot thin out, and end the night slowly.

Getting there

Markham Park, 16001 W State Road 84, Sunrise, FL 33326 — one of Broward's biggest parks, straight out SR-84 in Sunrise, an easy drive from Fort Lauderdale, Plantation, and Davie. For couples hunting outdoor date ideas in Fort Lauderdale that end somewhere genuinely different, this is the weekend's answer. More Broward and tri-county picks are on our events calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the South Florida Hot Air Balloon Festival? A: Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 2026, at Markham Park in Sunrise, FL. Gates open at 5 PM both nights; the balloon glow & laser show starts around 9 PM.

Q: How much are tickets? A: General admission is about $20 for adults and $10 for kids on current listings, with tiered options above that — check BalloonShows.com or FreshTix for the live tiers. Tethered balloon rides are $35 per person, sold on site only.

Q: Can you ride in a balloon at the festival? A: Yes — tethered rides are $35 per person, cash or card, bought on site. Join the QR queue at the entrance. Rides are weather permitting and need winds under 8 MPH with no rain.

Q: What is a balloon glow? A: All the balloons stay tethered on the field and fire their burners at once, lighting the envelopes up from inside — here it's paired with music-synchronized burns and a laser show, about 45 minutes starting around 9 PM.

Q: Is the balloon festival a good date night? A: It's one of the most romantic things to do in Fort Lauderdale's orbit this weekend — a blanket on the grass, a balloon ride at dusk, and a sky full of glowing balloons after dark. It only happens these two nights.

Q: What should we bring? A: Chairs and a blanket for the glow show, flat shoes for the grass, and a light layer for after dark.

Two nights only — then it's gone

Festivals like this don't repeat next weekend: the balloons are in Sunrise for November 13–14 and then the field goes dark. Grab tickets on the official ticket page, and if you're still building the rest of the weekend, our events calendar has the full run of things to do in Fort Lauderdale for couples and across Broward.