The Leeton SunRice Festival Balloon Glow event drew 10,000 onlookers over the Easter long weekend. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
An estimated 10,000 people flocked to Leeton for the biennial SunRice Festival over the Easter long weekend with the highlight being 22 hot-air balloons, and the spectacular Microtech DPS Balloon Glow on Sunday night.
For Canberra hot-air balloonists Justin Galbraith and his wife Barbara, the trip to Leeton for the event is a long-time family tradition.
“We’ve been coming across just for this since about 1980,” Mr Galbraith said.
“We’ve been doing this back when it first started. Former Australian Ballooning Federation Life Member Ian Tooth from Coleambally invited all the balloonists to come to Leeton for the SunRice Festival, and we’ve been doing it ever since, other than the COVID year.
“Our daughter Sarah’s a student pilot and bought her own balloon just recently; my nephew and niece, and my parents are here.”
Hot-air balloon family Ash Buykx, Barbara and Justin Galbraith, Mia Galbraith and Narelle Sutton. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
He said the family loved returning to Leeton.
“There’s big open paddocks, the people are really lovely to deal with because we are, obviously, encroaching on people’s lands, so they’re all very lovely and they allow us to use their land and they enjoy supporting us,” he said.
The event saw 22 hot-air balloons take advantage of still conditions and mostly clear skies, however the weather has the final say, and when conditions aren’t favourable for a balloon flight, safety concerns keep them grounded. This year the balloons were only able to lift off three out of six times, but when they did, it was spectacular.
Sunday night’s Balloon Glow saw 12 balloons lined up on Leeton’s Number One Oval, with a mix of balloons inflating and balloon burners jetting fire to the music.
Locals, Riverina visitors, families and friends brought chairs and picnic blankets and enjoyed the spectacle and were happy to pay a gold coin entry collected by volunteers at the gate with buckets to help cover costs.
Set to music, 12 hot-air balloons inflated in a row after sundown and provided a visual feast for around 10,000 onlookers, while multiple food vendors kept tummies full on a beautiful and mild autumn evening that marked the first night after daylight saving.
“If you have never seen a balloon or been close to a balloon, it’s even more awesome at night because they glow, so they look like 30-metre-tall light globes that are twinkling through the music,” Ms Galbraith said.
Leeton SunRice Festival director Chris Thompson made sure the 2026 event was an outstanding success. Photo: Marguerite McKinnon.
Leeton SunRice Festival director Chris Thompson has been an event committee member for 21 years. This year was her first as director.
“It’s got its ups and downs as everything does but it’s been so lovely that the majority has been running smoothly,” Ms Thompson said.
“Because we hold it every two years keeps the uniqueness, and it keeps the excitement, so the kids are two years older the following year and they just keep coming back because they love it,” she said.
“SunRice have just celebrated 75 years of operating in Leeton so they’ve been here a very long time and they employ lots of people and support the community, as do other local businesses who give thousands of dollars to make this run, so it’s a wonderful community event.”
Find out more about the festival via their website.
