Looking for hot-air balloon festivals

Hot air ballooning is on my "Bucket List" and I would like to take my ride in conjunction with a balloon festival somewhere in the Upper Midwest. Can you tell me where a festival will be held this summer . . . before October? Thank you for your help. - Julia, Hammond, Ind.

There are a couple of hot-air balloon festivals coming up: the Monroe Balloon Rally in the southern-Wisconsin cheese capital, June 18-19, and the Great Galena Balloon Race at Eagle Ridge Resort in northwest Illinois, June 18-20.

The Galena festival offers rides to the public. Not all festivals offer rides; you'll have to check.

It would be easy to catch both festivals — they're only about an hour apart.

In the western Chicago suburbs, Lisle holds its Eyes to the Skies festival July 2-4. The American Bus Association picked it as one of the Top 100 Events in North America in 2009. In 2010, it picked the Great Galena Balloon Race.

Some festivals include an air show, such as the July 1-4 Field of Flight Air Show and Balloon Festival in Battle Creek, Mich.

In the north-central Wisconsin town of Wausa, the Balloon Rally & Glow is July 8-11.

In the central Iowa town of Indianola, there are rides for the public during the big National Balloon Classic, July 30-Aug. 7.

Northwest of Milwaukee, there's the Hartford Hot Air Balloon Rally Aug. 14. Near Green Bay, in Seymour, there's a Balloon Rally Aug. 8-9 during Hamburger Festival.

In the southern Illinois town of Centralia, there's Balloon Fest Aug. 20-22. In Lincoln, Ill., Art and Balloon Festival is Aug. 27-29.

For more festivals, check HotAirBalloon.com.