Columbus Day Festival
& Hot Air Balloon Regatta
Columbus, Kansas
Columbus Day Festival
Hot Air Balloon Regatta
OCTOBER 9th - 11th, 2026
Welcome to Columbus
Join us for three extraordinary days as Columbus, Kansas transforms into a celebration of color, wonder, and community spirit. Watch magnificent hot air balloons dance across the prairie sky, enjoy live entertainment from talented local and regional artists, and savor the flavors of our beloved community.
This isn't just an event—it's a Columbus tradition that brings families together, creates lasting memories, and showcases the warmth of small-town Kansas hospitality.
Festival Schedule
Friday
October 9
5:00 PM
Festival Gates Open
6:00 PM
Live Music Stage
7:00 PM
Balloon Glow Spectacular
8:30 PM
Fireworks Finale
Saturday
October 10
6:30 AM
Mass Balloon Ascension
9:00 AM
Festival Opens
10:00 AM
Kids Zone & Activities
12:00 PM
Live Performances
7:00 PM
Carnival & Food Court
Sunday
October 11
6:30 AM
Sunrise Balloon Launch
9:00 AM
Family Activities Begin
11:00 AM
Community Brunch
1:00 PM
Kids Parade
3:00 PM
Closing Ceremonies
Friday
October 9th
🌾 Scarecrow Contest
A Little Hometown Fun for Everyone!
Help us bring a little fall charm and hometown spirit to downtown Columbus!
Businesses, organizations, families, and individuals are invited to create a scarecrow and join in this fun community tradition. Get creative, have some fun, and help make the square a festive place for everyone to enjoy.
📍 Scarecrow Locations
North side of the square and east on Maple Street
📝 Registration
Register your scarecrow with the Chamber Office.
🏆 Prizes
Prizes will be awarded for two places.
👥 Contest Open To
Businesses • Organizations • Individuals
⏰ Deadline
Scarecrows must be in place by 12:00 PM on Friday October 9th.
Come downtown, enjoy the fall decorations, and see the creativity of our Columbus community!
Quilt Show
1:00–4:00 pm
St. Rose Parish Hall
129 N. Kansas
Come enjoy a wonderful display of quilts and hometown craftsmanship.
Quilts will be accepted at the Columbus Public Library Tuesday, October 6 through Thursday, October 8.
Sponsored by Columbus Public Library.
Bean Feed
5:00 PM – ?
Maple Street at Commerce Bank
Enjoy an evening of good food, friendly faces, and hometown fellowship at the annual Bean Feed.
Come gather with friends and neighbors, relax, and enjoy this favorite Columbus Day Festival tradition.
Beverages will be available for purchase.
Rain or shine: In case of inclement weather, the Bean Feed will be held at the City Park Pavilion.
Sponsored by Commerce Bank
Little Mr. & Miss Columbus Crowning
A Hometown Tradition
5:30 PM • Courthouse Steps
Come downtown and celebrate a special Columbus tradition as we crown our Little Mr. & Miss Columbus!
Meet the children, enjoy the excitement, and watch as they receive their crowns on the historic courthouse steps. Bring the whole family and be part of this cherished hometown celebration.
Hosted by Labette Bank
Hot Air Balloon Glow
Location & Directions
📍 SW 20th Street — Columbus, KS
From W. Hwy 160, head toward W. Maple Street.
Turn onto W. Maple Street, then enter Riverside Drive.
Follow Riverside Drive to the event location on SW 20th Street.
Please enter from W. Maple Street onto Riverside Drive.
Location is weather permitting.
Please follow the designated entrance and watch for event signage.
🎈BALLOON EVENT PARKING INFORMATION! 🎈
🚗 Car Pass: $10.00
💰 Purchase in advance for ONLY $8.00!
💳 Payment Options:
• Cash — please have the correct cash
• Square
• Venmo
Car passes are nonrefundable and cover all balloon event parking.
✨ If you have never seen a glow, you certainly don't want to miss this! ✨
🎈 Come out, bring the family, and experience the magic of the balloon glow!
Saturday
October 10th
Hot Air Balloon Regatta
7:00 am – 7:30 am
Lift off between 7:00 and 7:30 am, weather permitting.
📍 Location: 71 SW 20th St, Columbus, KS 66725
Watch for signage. Enter off W. Maple Street onto Riverside Drive.
Enjoy the exciting Hare & Hound Race between the balloons!
Parking: $10.00 parking fee or a car pass is good for all balloon event parking.
Pancake Breakfast
7:00 AM – 9:30 AM
First United Methodist Church
320 W. Maple
Start your festival day with a delicious hometown breakfast at the Pancake Breakfast, hosted by the Columbus Area Churches.
Enjoy a warm meal with family and friends while supporting a great cause. All proceeds benefit the Summer Lunch Program, helping provide meals for local children.
Gather around the table, visit with neighbors, and enjoy a classic community tradition before a full day of Columbus Day Festival activities.
5K Run, Walk or Jog
7:30 AM
Open to all ages.
📍 Starting Point: Pine & Pennsylvania Streets
Entry Fee:
$25 – Pre-register
$30 – Register the day of the event
Pre-Registration: American Bank
📞 620-429-2020
Sponsored by American Bank
Start your festival morning with a fun community 5K!
🎉 Columbus Day Festival Parade
9:20 AM
A Hometown Tradition the Whole Family Can Enjoy!
Come downtown and celebrate the spirit of Columbus, Kansas, as friends, families, community groups, local organizations, and parade participants come together for a morning of hometown fun! 🇺🇸
Bring your lawn chairs, find a spot along the route, and enjoy the music, waving flags, colorful floats, and hometown pride that make this parade a special Columbus tradition.
📍 Parade Route
Starts: Vermont & Maple Streets
➡️ Travels down Maple Street
➡️ Ends at Tennessee Street
Gather your family, invite your neighbors, and come celebrate Columbus together!
Demonstrations & Wheat Threshing
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
100 S. Tennessee
Step back in time and experience a piece of our agricultural heritage!
See a wheat threshing and shelling demonstration, along with a special collection of more than 40 pedal tractors on display.
This is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy hands-on history and see the tools and traditions that helped shape our community.
Sponsored by the Columbus Museum
Car & Motorcycle Show
8:30 am - 2:00 pm
🚗🏁 COLUMBUS CHAMBER OF COLUMBUS CAR SHOW 🏁🚗
📅 Saturday, October 10, 2026
⏰ 8:30 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Downtown Square – Columbus, KS
🚘 CAR • TRUCK • MOTORCYCLE • EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN! 🏍️
Come out and show off your ride or enjoy a day full of amazing vehicles, great people, and community fun!
📋 REGISTRATION:
Registration will be located at the Southwest corner of Pennsylvania & Maple Street.
💰 PRE-REGISTRATION: $15
📬 Mail registration to:
320 E. Maple Street
Columbus, KS 66725
💰 DAY OF SHOW: $20
📞 For more information:
620-674-1988 Jason Spainhower
620-429-1492 Chamber of Columbus
⭐ Sponsored by: Jay Hatfield Chevrolet
⭐ Hosted by: Coffeyville Community College Columbus Technical Campus & Davis Real Estate
🔥 DON’T MISS OUT! Bring your ride, bring your friends, and join us downtown for a great day of cars, trucks, motorcycles, and everything in between!
Entertainment for All Ages
11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
In Front of the Fountain on Maple Street
Enjoy an afternoon of live entertainment for all ages, featuring performances by Natalie’s Dance Studio, CUHS Music Department, and street entertainers.
The Music On SE corner (Gazebo)
🔥🎸 GET READY TO TURN IT UP, COLUMBUS! 🎸🔥
The Columbus Day Festival is bringing the party, and FULL THROTTLE BAND is ready to ROCK THE SQUARE! 🤘🎶
From the unforgettable hits of the 50s to today's favorites, Full Throttle will have you singing along, tapping your toes, and dancing the night away! 💃🕺
These seasoned musicians have been rocking the four-state area for 12 YEARS, bringing high-energy entertainment and a whole lot of fun wherever they play!
🎤 FEATURING:
🎸 David Chubb — Bass/Vocals
🎸 Terry Conder — Lead & Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
🎻 Cary Scheurich — Lead & Rhythm Guitar/Fiddle/Vocals
🥁 Doug Banning — Drums
🎶 12 YEARS. DECADES OF HITS. ONE BIG PARTY! 🎶
📅 October 10th, 2026 Time 11:00am to 3pm
📍 Columbus Day Festival — Columbus, Kansas
Grab your friends, bring your dancing shoes, and get ready for a night of LIVE MUSIC, GOOD TIMES & FULL THROTTLE FUN! 🤘🔥
FULL THROTTLE BAND — CATCH US IF YOU CAN!
Bring your lawn chair and enjoy!!
Live Band, Torn
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Lug Nutz Bar & Grill, 710 N. High School
Antique Tractor & Equipment Show
E. Pine Street — Down from the Square
Take a step back in time and see antique tractors, hay balers, corn crackers, hay grinders, and rare antique farm machinery.
Enjoy demonstrations and a look at the equipment our forefathers used to build and establish our local farms.
Quilt Show
9:00 am – 4:00 pm
St. Rose Parish Hall
129 N. Kansas
Quilts will be available for sale from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, followed by public viewing throughout the day.
Sponsored by Columbus Public Library.
Petting Zoo
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Visit the Petting Zoo on the southwest corner of the square.
Sponsored by Columbus FFA.
Inflatable Activities
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Enjoy four fun inflatables on S. Pennsylvania St. Great fun for kids and families!
Arts & Craft Fair
9:00 AM – 3:30 PM
Kansas Street on the Square
Discover a wonderful selection of handcrafted treasures, clothing, wood items, unique gifts, and more at the Arts & Craft Fair.
Stroll the square, browse the vendor booths, and find something special to take home while enjoying the sights and sounds of the Columbus Day Festival.
Come shop, explore, and enjoy the best of hometown craftsmanship!
Hot Air Balloon Regatta (II)
5:30 pm
📍 Location: 71 SW 20th St, Columbus, KS 66725
Lift-off around 5:30 pm from W. Hwy 160 & SW 20th Street. Watch for signage and enter from W. Maple Street onto Riverside Drive.
Hare & Hound Race, weather permitting.
Parking: $10.00 or with a car pass.
💳 Payment Options:
• Cash — please have the correct cash
• Square
• Venmo
🚜 Tractor Pull
Get ready for horsepower, competition, and plenty of excitement!
Head to the south end of City Park Street for an action-packed Tractor Pull featuring Antique & Classic Tractors competing for the trophy!
🕑 Weigh-In: 2:00 PM
🚜 Pull Begins: 4:00 PM
🏆 Antique/Classic Classes with Trophy
🍔 Concession Stand Available
🪑 Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the show!
📞 For more information: 620-762-6323
Sponsored by the Columbus FFA Alumni Association
Food & Drinks
🍔 Come Hungry & Enjoy the Festivities! 🥤
There will be a variety of delicious food and refreshing soft drinks available for purchase throughout the festival!
📍 Food & Drinks: Pine Street, along the south side of the square
Grab a bite, cool off with a refreshing drink, and enjoy all the excitement happening downtown Columbus!
Columbus Chamber of Commerce Information Booth
Kansas Street & Maple Street
Look for the white canopy tent at the center of the street for festival information, souvenirs, and assistance throughout the Columbus Day Festival.
Sunday
October 11th
Hot Air Balloon Regatta
7:00–7:30 am
Lift-off is between 7:00 and 7:30 am at W. Hwy 160 & SW 20th St.
Watch for signs and enter from W. Maple Street onto Riverside Drive.
Parking: $10.00 or with a car pass.
Weather permitting.
🚜 Mini Rods & Garden Tractor Pull
Midwest Pullers
🕐 1:00 PM
Hometown Horsepower & Old-Fashioned Fun
Step back to a simpler time and enjoy an afternoon of engines, tractors, friendly competition, and good old-fashioned community fun!
The Midwest Pullers will bring their geared-up Mini Rods and Garden Tractors to the Saddle Club Arena on Park Street for an exciting afternoon at the pull!
📍 Saddle Club Arena – Park Street
🕐 Event Begins: 1:00 PM
🍔 Concession Shack Open
Bring the family, grab a good seat, enjoy some tasty concessions, and cheer on the pullers as they put their tractors to the test!
📞 For more information: 620-762-6323
Sponsored by the Columbus FFA Alumni Association.
Festival Highlights
Hot Air Balloons
10+ colorful balloons take flight in breathtaking mass ascensions and evening glows
Live Entertainment
Regional bands, local artists, farm demonstrations, and family-friendly friendly fun all weekend
Food & Vendors
Delicious local cuisine, craft vendors, and unique artisan goods from the region
Family Activities
Petting zoo, kids zone, face painting, and activities for all ages
Want to be a Vendor at the Festival?
Join multiple of local artisans, food sellers, and businesses each October.
Festival Gallery
Relive past festivals and get excited for this year's celebration
Follow us on Facebook for more photos and live updates
Plan Your Visit
Location
Balloon Regatta:
Corner of W 20th and HWY 160
71 SW 20th St, Columbus, KS 66725
Columbus Days Festival:
Downtown Columbus KS around the square
Admission
Balloon Regatta:
Parking
$10 per car at the gate
Weekend Parking Pass — $8 in advance
Available at:
Exchange Bank
Labette Bank
Commerce Bank
American Bank
Columbus Days Festival:
Downtown Columbus KS around the square is FREE ADMISSIONS
Contact
Columbus KS Chamber of Commerce
320 E Maple, Columbus, KS 66725
Email:
Phone:
620-429-1492
Plan Your Visit
Balloon Regatta: Located at the corner of Hwy 160 & 20th Street, Columbus, KS.
71 SW 20th St, Columbus, KS 66725
Columbus Days Festival: Held in the heart of downtown Columbus, KS.
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