A Halloween event with a Hot Air Balloon Ride!
There are so many great Halloween events on this year in Saitama and the Kanto Plain. I think the selection is even better than pre pandemic. This is the second Halloween event in Shiki City this Autumn. The first was a particularly family friendly event on October 1st. But now Shiki are taking it to the next level with a cheap Hot Air Balloon ride at this fun Halloween event organized by Warakado. Moreover, incredibly, they are gifting the first 100 people (of the Hot Air Balloon) a drone.
Halloween fes with Hot Air Balloon Ride
A Halloween festival with a Hot Air Balloon Ride along the Arakawa in Shiki City. Apart from the Hot Air Balloon ride, it is essentially a Halloween event, but also an “Usafes” (more below)! Got to love Japan!
Hot Air Balloon Ride
The hot air balloon ride is the piece-du-resistance of the festival. Incredibly, they are only charging 800 yen for adults to go up in the hot air balloon. For children, it is 500 yen. That is cheaper than the monthly Hot Air Balloon ride at Tokorozawa. The balloon won’t take off, just go up, get a view and some memorable photos and then come back down again. These type of opportunities are always very popular so it is advised to arrive early to queue up for your chance to go up in an hot air balloon ride this Halloween. Particularly as the first 100 in line will get a present of a drone! (Sounds too good to be true, right?)
*The Hot Air Balloon ride won’t be available in the event of rain. Please check the official website linked in information for further updates.
Drone experience
Even if you don’t secure a free drone, there will be an opportunity on the day to try your hand at flying one.
Halloween Contest
Children who come in costume will receive a free sweet (candy) from the organizers. They are also holding a costume contest for both humans and rabbits! If you would like to participate in the contest you need to register in advance. You can find the link and QR code under number 2 on this page here.
Live performances
There will be a dance stage on the day and a magician will also perform live. Magician Toshi also performed at the Halloween event in Pair Mall earlier in the month.
Usafes
They are also having an “Usafes” on the day. Usa is short for usagi which is the Japanese for rabbit. They will hold a simultaneous costume contest for humans and rabbits! There will be several rabbits in costume in attendance on the day. As well as the giant mascot rabbit Mokke-chan.
Pet Corner
The rabbits won’t be the only animals at the festival. There is also a pet corner with chicks, hamsters and other small animals.
Other
Apart from all that, there will also be kitchen cars, a stamp rally and the opportunity to try your hand at wood chopping! There is a present of sweets or vegetables if you complete the stamp rally!
Information
Event: Halloween Fes 2022
Venue: Akigase Undo Park, 4-25-10 Kami Muneoka, Shiki, Saitama 〒353-0001. View on Google Maps.
Date: Sunday October 30th
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Access
There is parking at the park, but they ask that you only use the parking lot in front of the athletic ground (that is mapped on Google above). They also advise that you can park along the embankment, parallel parking in single file. From experience, expect your car to get very dirty if you have to park along the embankment! Also, expect to queue to leave the festival parking and to get into to it too!
They don’t seem to have a shuttle bus, that I can find anyway. If you are coming by public transport it would be quite a walk from the nearest station, which I think is probably Tobu Tojo’s Mizuhodai station. However, there is a bus from Shiki Station that stops nearby – Shiki 05 bound for Shuku, alight at Kami Muneoka 4 chome
ok awesome – now you have to promise to get in one and share the photos!