New Jersey
Shared seats over Hunterdon County farmland cost $300 to $375 per person, and three of the four companies fly year-round. The Festival of Ballooning at Solberg Airport, long held in late July, was cancelled in 2024 and 2025.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Weight limit | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shared FlightsIncludes Champagne or non-alcoholic tailgate party after the flight, Optional help with inflation |
$300 per person |
About 3 hours total, about 45 minutes to an hour in the air |
Baskets generally carry 4-5 adults |
800 lb combined weight maximum per basket | 72 hours' notice to change or cancel; later cancellations are charged a 50% deposit. No charge if weather cancels. | Check dates | ||
Hot air balloon ride |
$300 per person |
About 3 hours total, about one hour in the air |
72 hours' notice to cancel; if the pilot cancels, rebook or walk away at no cost. Card charged only after you fly. | Check dates | ||||
Balloon flightIncludes Complimentary champagne and hors d'oeuvres after the flight |
$375 per person |
About one hour in the air |
48 hours' notice required for cancellations. | Check dates | ||||
Exclusive Two-Passenger FlightIncludes Champagne tailgate party after the flight |
$825 per group |
About 3 hours total, about 45 minutes to an hour in the air |
2 passengers |
72 hours' notice to change or cancel; later cancellations are charged a 50% deposit. No charge if weather cancels. | Check dates | |||
Exclusive private flight for twoIncludes Complimentary champagne and hors d'oeuvres after the flight |
$1,250 per group |
About one hour in the air |
2 passengers |
48 hours' notice required for cancellations. | Check dates | |||
Private two-passenger flightIncludes Complimentary champagne toast after the flight |
Not listed |
About 2 to 3 hours total, 30-60 minute flight |
2 riders; basket carries four average-size passengers plus the pilot |
Cancel or change at least 72 hours before show-up time; later cancellations forfeit payment. Refund if the company cancels, except gift certificates. | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
Much of Hunterdon County is hilly, with a third of its land in the Highlands, the rest in the Piedmont, and several hills near 1,000 feet; in 2020, 58% of residents lived in rural areas. Hunterdon Ballooning launches from Solberg Airport in Whitehouse Station and from two sites in Asbury, the Chalet and Harding's. Balloons In Flight Over NJ uses its NJ Balloon Port at 1045 Route 173 in Asbury, not Asbury Park. Tewksbury Balloon Adventures flies from a private balloonport at 29 Oldwick Road in Whitehouse Station, and A-Lot-A lifts off around Clinton.
Tewksbury describes patchwork farmland, apple orchards, pastures and old estates, with deer in the woods and cattle and horses audible below. Hunterdon Ballooning says its balloons climb a few thousand feet and that clear days show the New York City and Philadelphia skylines and the Delaware Water Gap. A-Lot-A flies 500 to 1,500 feet up and usually lands 4 to 8 miles from launch, and the wind sometimes carries it over the Delaware River into Pennsylvania.
Hunterdon Ballooning asks morning passengers to reach the launch site at least 20 minutes before official sunrise and evening passengers at least two hours before official sunset. It budgets about 3 hours in all for setup, inflation, a flight of 30 to 60 minutes, packing up and the drive back to the launch site for a champagne toast. Landings can be in fields, and passengers may have to walk out through brush.
A-Lot-A and Tewksbury both launch evening flights about two hours before sunset; A-Lot-A also flies at sunrise, quotes about an hour aloft and three hours in all, and has passengers call on the day for a weather check. Tewksbury serves champagne and hors d'oeuvres after its flights of about an hour. Balloons In Flight Over NJ ends with a champagne tailgate party and quotes about an hour in the air.
Balloons In Flight Over NJ and A-Lot-A fly year-round, and A-Lot-A keeps flying after snowfall. Hunterdon Ballooning flies evenings every day of the year and mornings on weekends, while Tewksbury flies evenings only, from May through October. A-Lot-A wants no precipitation and wind under 10 mph. The pilot makes the final call at Hunterdon Ballooning, In Flight and A-Lot-A, and the last two charge nothing when weather cancels a flight.
The New Jersey Festival of Ballooning, sponsored for years by QuickChek and later titled by the New Jersey Lottery, began in 1983 and moved to Solberg Airport in Readington two years later. It traditionally ran from the third Friday in July through Sunday, and in 2007 it was the largest summertime balloon festival in North America. It was cancelled in 2020, returned in 2021, marked its 40th year in 2023, then was cancelled in 2024 and again in 2025.
Organizers pointed to higher costs, concert bookings above all, plus logistics and unpredictable weather, and said they would take time to regroup. The festival's own site, balloonfestival.com, still showed its 2018 dates in October 2026, and no 2026 or 2027 festival had been announced.
Balloons In Flight Over NJ, flying since 1987, prices shared seats by party size: $350 each for one to three people and $300 each for four or more. Its baskets carry four or five adults, up to 800 pounds combined, and its exclusive flight for two costs $825, morning or evening. A card holds the booking, but the fare is paid after the flight in cash or by check only, and cancelling inside 72 hours costs a 50% deposit.
A-Lot-A lists $300 to $350 per person, takes a card to schedule and charges it only after you fly, and asks for 72 hours' notice to cancel. Tewksbury Balloon Adventures, run by Denny Fleck and flying since 1972, charges $375 per person or $1,250 for a private flight for two and asks for 48 hours' notice. It suggests booking about two weeks ahead, though short-notice seats are usually available.
Hunterdon Ballooning sells only private flights for parties of two, three or four, with prices shown only in its booking system. Its basket carries four average-size passengers plus the pilot, and bigger groups go up in extra balloons. Changes and cancellations need 72 hours, and it refunds when it cancels, except on gift certificates.
from $300 per person
Shared Flights and 1 more option
Flying since 1987, per its site
from $300 per person
Hot air balloon ride
Pilot Tom Robins says he has flown balloons for over 25 years
from $375 per person
Balloon flight and 1 more option
Full-time balloon flights since 1972, per its site
Price on request
Private two-passenger flight
All flights are exclusive to your party (2 to 4 people)
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.