The International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu is the largest hot air balloon festival in Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It is held each August in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec

Quebec

Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....

, about 20 minutes southeast of Montreal

Montreal

Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

 and about halfway between Montreal and Vermont

Vermont

Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...

.

The festival is situated at the Saint-Jean Airport and weather permitting (no storm activity detected within range, 50 km (31.1 mi), and winds above 12 km/h (7.5 mph)), there are two flight launches each day: a morning flight at 6:00 am and an evening flight between 6:00 and 7:00 pm. Other festival activities include amusement rides, musical and comedy shows and "Nuits magiques" (tethered night flights).

External links

• Official site (English)