07/28/2025
Beautiful artwork this year! Well done!
The Natchez Balloon Festival is thrilled to announce the winner of the artwork contest for 2025: Ben Hillyer!. This year is the 40th anniversary of the event and Ben’s artwork reflects that. He incorporated a balloon from every poster from the previous 39 years into his art. All the previous artists are: Ron Miller, H.C. Porter, Kirby Meng, Kay Browning, Wyatt Waters, Will Smith, Jr., Sim Hicks, Tim Givens, KateLee Laird, Jennie Guido, Kourtney Zimmerman, Alex Felter, Debora Novarini, Sabreya DeLancey, Jillian Birely, and Ben Hillyer.
The Natchez Balloon Festival Committee received over 90 entries for the artwork contest. It was a difficult decision and we are excited about Ben’s artwork being featured on the t-shirts and posters for this year’s festival. Festival tickets are now on sale online and at the Historic Natchez Foundation. Weekend passes are $45, Friday tickets are $20, Saturday tickets are $35, and Sunday tickets are $10. Children ten and under get in free. A detailed schedule for the weekend activities will be released soon. The festival will take place Friday, October 17th, Saturday, October 18th, and Sunday, October 19th at the Bicentennial Garden on the grounds of historic Rosalie Mansion. We thank our major sponsors for supporting the festival: Visit Natchez, United Mississippi Bank, Magnolia Bluffs Casino and Hotel, Budweiser/Southwest Distributors, Coca-Cola, and Scott Petroleum. A full list of sponsors and other information is available on the Natchez Balloon Festival website at www.natchezballoonfestival.com.