Nestled in the middle of 600 acres of green grass and open land, lies Tubac Golf Resort & Spa, which will host its third annual Hot Air Balloon Glow and Festival this weekend.

Ten grounded and glowing hot air balloons will be the main attraction of the festival, which begins on Saturday at 4 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m.. The event will also feature tethered hot air balloon rides, live music, food trucks from Tucson and face painting.

Tethered hot air balloon rides will cost $25 per person or $15 for children. The balloons can hold small groups of people and will fly up nearly 50 feet in the air to overlook the Tubac property.

“It’s such a wonderful feeling; you feel like a bird, really,” said Linda Cormier, resort general manager. “It’s really quite beautiful. It’s going to be one of those ‘ahh’ moments.”

As for the glowing hot air balloons surrounding the lake, Todd said there will be an Arizona flag-inspired balloon, and that last year, there was a balloon in the shape of a bumblebee. The balloons are referred to as “gentle giants,” Todd said. Tubac will also hold a photography contest to encourage people to snap photos of the balloons.

For $1, attendees can light a candle to float across the resort’s lake as well. Proceeds raised from the candle purchases will be given to food banks in Amado and Nogales, according to Patti Todd, director of marketing at public relations at the resort.

“It’s just a really fun family event,” Todd said. “It’s fun to have people from all over come to an event like this.”

The festival remains unique to the area of Tubac and has attracted people from all parts of Arizona.

Debi Brossland, sales and catering coordinator at the resort, said that the turnout for Tubac events is always bigger than anticipated, and that she hopes that will be the case for this year’s Hot Air Balloon Glow and Festival.

“A lot of people have to go a far distance to see something like this,” Brossland said. “I think it will get a lot of ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ from everyone.”

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