The 2026 Great Reno Balloon Race concluded Sunday morning, and if one thing defined the event it would be the wind.
Hot air balloons can safely navigate winds up to eight miles an hour, per event officials. Sunday morning's winds sat around 15 miles per hour at their slowest.
But even without balloons in the sky, the show went ahead. A grounded version of the glow show gave folks at Rancho San Rafael an up-close look at the flames behind the race. And who could forget the dueling balloons?
The Balloon Race is a Reno tradition as old as time, and one that brings families together from across the west.
Hailey Valdez is from Oceanside, California. When asked what brought her to Reno, she said, "to see my cousin. She said, ‘how do you feel about getting up at 3 a.m. on your vacation and see a balloon race?’”
"This is one of my favorite events in Reno,” said Sophia Goodwin, Valdez’s cousin. “So, I had to bring her here to share this, like, special tradition that we have."
The balloons may have stayed on the ground for two out of the four days, but it remained an engaging community event, and a chance for Karen Weiss to remember her son and how he helped others.
“Next time you see just another sunrise, you have to remember that somebody else could have seen it for the first time,” Weiss said.
Weiss lost her son hunter on New Year's Day in 2018. Growing up, the Balloon Race brought the whole family down the hill.
“We used to live literally right up the street, at the top of the hill here,” she said, “and we would come down here every year because he absolutely loved the balloons, him and his brother."
Hunter may no longer walk the earth, but his legacy lives on. He was an organ donor, and after his passing he donated his corneas. As a result, two people have received the gift of sight.
Now, Hunter's mother continues his legacy at the event that defined his childhood.
“I’m really trying to hold back tears because I could just sit here and cry because it's very, very emotional and hard, but I wouldn't. I wouldn't have it any other way. I wouldn't have it any other way."
Weiss is now an advocate for the Nevada Donor Network. She went up on stage and spoke about the organization Sunday morning during the Balloon Race festivities.
Nearly 700 Nevadans are on the waitlist for life-saving organs. Weiss is encouraging folks to register as a donor to change the lives of many in one fell swoop.
“You don't know what it's going to do or how it's going to affect not just another person but another family, and a whole community,” she said.
Even though no balloons graced the skies on Sunday, attendees found a variety of reasons to enjoy the early morning hours.
"I'm kind of sad about the no balloon part, but I'm enjoying the fire show,” said Ronnin Merritt of Reno.
"It really is the thing that brings the community together,” Piper Federmann said, “and it's just something that makes us feel at home."
"It's nice to see how everything, like, even though there's a lot going on with the world and stuff, everyone could still come together to have a good time,” said Jay Owens.
“I do dance, and if any of my dance class is doing this, then you're cool,” says Story Malady.
Despite a lackluster conclusion forced by weather, the Great Reno Balloon Race brought an entertaining and community-building weekend for its 45th annual event.
