A Halloween event with a Hot Air Balloon Ride!
There are so many great Halloween events on again this year in Saitama and the Kanto Plain. I think since 2022, the selection is even better than pre pandemic! Shiki City are once again taking it to the next level with cheap Hot Air Balloon rides at this fun filled Halloween event organized by Warakado. And this year they will have TWO hot air balloon rides so even more people can enjoy the ride. However, this year there is no mention of a drone. Believe it or not, in 2022, they gifted the first 100 people (of the Hot Air Balloon) a drone. Its no wonder thousands turned up for the event in 2022!
Halloween fes with Hot Air Balloon Ride
A Halloween festival with two hot air balloons. Top that. Although, this Halloween event in Saitama City with fireworks is equally cool! At the Shiki Halloween event you can rise above the Arakawa (Ara river) in a hot air balloon for just 1000 yen. Apart from the Hot Air Balloon rides, 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 1000 yen (it was only 800 in 2022) 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. Important, they will only be giving tickets to people who were lined up between 7 am and 9 am. Anyone who lines up before 7 am will be disqualified and they won’t let anyone join the line after 9 am.
*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.
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 can register online by October 14th. The QR code is the top left in the photo below, which you can get to from this page also;
Live performances
There will be a dance stage on the day and a magician, Toshi, will also perform live.
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. There was also a petting zoo in 2022, but it is currently not on the round up for 2023.
Drone experience
There will be an opportunity to try your hand at flying a drone at the festival.
Other
Apart from all that, there will also be food trucks, 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! In addition, there is a traditional festival area with things like target shooting, pop corn and candy floss (cotton candy).
2023 Information
Event: Halloween Fes 2023 ハロウィンフェス
Date: Sunday October 29th 2023
Time: 10 am to 4 pm
Cost: there is no admission fee. The hot air balloon ride, if you secure a ticket, is 1000 yen for adults, 500 yen for children. Individual events may incur charges.
Venue: Akigase Undo Park, 4-25-10 Kami Muneoka, Shiki, Saitama 〒353-0001. View on Google Maps.
Access
There is parking at the park, but they ask that you only use the parking lot in front of the athletic ground, but not on rice field side. It is parallel parking in a single file along the embankment. 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!