Forever and a day ago, we attended this event with family but honestly can't remember how that went. Last weekend, we attended this festival for the first time as parents and were pleasantly surprised. We have two toddlers who seemed to have a blast! There were so many inflatables so my older child (3) was ecstatic. We had gone to another event in Scottsdale recently that only had a few inflatables, which caused very long lines - which is not ideal with impatient kiddos. This was so much better! Lots of food trucks/vendors to choose from for every palate. We got there shortly after the event started so we got to see a lot of the hot air balloons being set up. You can walk to each one to collect candy. With my little ones being so young, I just had to go up to a few to trick-or-treat for the experience. Some would have no lines and others would have 20+ people waiting. Not sure what I was missing. Maybe it was the lighting? It was dark around some of the hot air balloon baskets that were centered in the field as well. Wish there was some sort of lighting to help others see that they could go up to those. They had fun just watching and dancing around them. The countdown to all of the hot air balloons lighting up was very enjoyable for us all. Some families had blankets laid out or fold-up chairs to relax while their kids had fun around. Noted for next year! read more

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Came here with me and my girlfriend and the kids. They loved it! They loved seeing the hot air balloons inflate, and they loved all the inflatable attractions there! One even asked to come back. Sorry bud, but gotta wait till the next holiday lol read more

SOME People with strollers annoy me! Sorry. Ok, that's out the way. This festival could be more fun if #1 the vendors didn't run out of candy and #2 the lines weren't so long at the vendors/ballons that had candy. #3 there were more events/games than bouncy houses! It is Halloween... Fall... a Festival.... how about games of some sort of skill (potato sack racing, obstacle courses, etc!!!), things you would expect at a Fall Harvest Festival. We got there at about 5:10, so we did not experience all of the parking issues that others did. But I can imagine that it was awful considering we waited in line and there were about 15 cars in the area at the time when we were parking. The KICKER? 1 Adult and 2 kids... $50 spent without any food, w/o any real drinks! Radio disney was a bright spot. Wow, the energy of the staff was awesome. I didn't know that the radio Disney had a local staion on the AM band. I listen to satellite radio, but that is good info to know. Tethered hot air balloon rides were nice. I'm over this event. Sorry, I tried to like it, but just could not get past the fact that it is advertised as a place to trick or treat BUT the treats were in short supply. I wouldn't go back to this again. read more

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You are not safe at this event. We are very friendly people (not Karens) but I won't allow anyone to treat my wife poorly. Because one of the vendors was apparently from my home state (due to the Cajun dishes he was selling), we tried to strike up a friendly conversation. I don't mind if someone doesn't want to talk to me, but the two vendors were downright rude to me, and especially to my wife. I later told him how rude he was, and began to walk away. He charged at me with fists clenched and eyes wide open. It was clear he wanted a fight. I'm disabled and it was obvious this guy is violent. He had to be restrained by his employees and people in the crowd. I was calm, and tried to walk away from this crazy man. Without offering any reason, officer Soto of the Salt River Police appeared and asked me and my wife to leave, despite the fact that it was the vendor who was being hostile, aggressive, and was acting as if he was having a steroid rage issue. I simply couldn't understand why Soto was kicking us out, and coddling this obviously violent 6' 4" bruiser of a man. It was THE VENDOR who was being restrained and creating a scene with his anger, while it was an elderly disabled passive man and his wife who were being forced to leave. Then I found out why. It turns out the vendor was an ex-police officer. That explains it. I've requested the footage from Soto's body cam, but it's not being released. I also requested the name of the vendor, but the head of security for Salt River Field would rather shield his police brethren than the attendees at the event. I'd actually met the head of security for SRF the day before the event, and we had great rapport. He seemed like a man with common sense and character. But within less than 10 seconds I lost all respect for him, and he showed he lacked moral fiber to do the right thing. That head of security implied that because the vendor was an ex-police officer, he wouldn't lie. We all know that is as far from the truth as it can be. I support the police vehemently because of what they have to deal with day in and day out. But nobody's going to tell me cops don't lie. read more

It is absolutely amazing to be able to see the hot air balloons up close and in action. My 2 year old was absolutely amazed to see the balloons on the ground which he sees every day in the sky! It would have been great had there been a few more healthier food options. Maybe some food trucks. read more

Pretty much echoing the same gripes as the other reviewers. Parking was horrid. Getting in was alright as we got there before the festival opened. Getting out was another thing all together. I drive a tall SUV, so after sitting in a line for 10 minues, I decided to off-road it to get out. The balloons were all handing out cheap candy. And the ones that werent, or werent out of candy, had lines that were very long. All in all, there wasnt a lot for kids to do - Radio Disney booth aside. The only positives were - 1) a friend of ours had her vendor booth set up there. So we got to see her. 2) I purchased a Groupon for 2-4-1 admission. Thank goodness. I dont think that I would have been happy paying full price. This year, I was going to buy another groupon/living social deal. BUT they originally only had the deals for Friday. Then they opened up the option for Saturday for Groupon only, with ticket sales being limited. By the time i went to buy the saturday groupon, it was already sold out. Guess we'll be going to Howl-O-Ween at the Phx Zoo this year instead. I have a feeling our money will be money well spent at the zoo. read more

Vary cool and fun. I want to come back here again. A lot to do and see. Everyone was nice and friendly. My kid had a good time. Only thing, would be cool if different candy was handed out and not the same candy at every station. read more

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I was so excited to take my kids to this event but left supper disappointed. The price didn't seem to bad for everything that the advertised but when I got there they were letting people go in without checking tickets ( they didn't scan it or asked anything) which made me wonder why I paid about $80 for 3 people. We arrived in the area at 5pm and we parked by 5:30pm because of how long the line was to get to it. The lines for the inflatable were insane, ~15min wait min for kids to go on once. Husband and I had to split on different lines so that my kids could at least get on two inflatables within 30min waits. Then it was confusing on who was given out the candy for kids until we found out it was at the balloons which also Had wait lines and most of the candy given our was tootsies (not even good type of candy). Then to order food or desert lines were so long (waited 30min) each time. We didn't even get to do the spookier trail because there was not enough time since at 9:30pm exact they stop people from getting on anything to close down. So in summary if you go expect to wait long times to do any of the activities and crappy candy all for an expensive price which they may or may not check your tickets to see if you actually paid. It was not worth it and will not be returning again. read more

This is a fun festival. Lots of balloons (probably about 20), tons of food and drink vendors, bouncy castles for the kids, and a live cover band. I've been 2 years in a row and will probably be going again next year. It looks like there are a few poor reviews, however they were from earlier years (2013 and 2014). I went in 2015 and 2016 and have no complaints. read more

Upon review of previous comments the only valid complaint is the wait to get in. This can be easily remedied by arriving early and leaving early. I arrived at 5 PM and was parked within 10 minutes. Left at 7:30 PM and was out of the lot and on the main strip within 10 minutes. Great event for photography purposes. I did not really have high expectations for this event after reading the reviews; most complaints were 'rookie mistakes' however. Would recommend. See below if you need advice on how to festival. Enjoy. A). Yes, the parking lot is dirt and gravel. This is an outdoor event, the host is trying to accommodate a large sum of people if you want to park in a paved structure or are bothered by dirt, grass, rocks, plant life and insects I advise you go to a mall or movie instead. Although frowned upon there are several nearby shopping centers, it would be less than a 10 minute walk.... B). Beggars can't be choosers, if you have the audacity to complain about the quality and amount of FREE candy you or your child received the Walmart is a 5 minute drive up the road, you can get variety of high(er) quality candy at a competitive rate. C). The food was expensive, of course it is, this is a fair, everything is expensive, eat beforehand and bring your own drinks if necessary, I suggest water, as anything else may get confiscated. read more

Salt River Fields Balloon Spooktacular - Festivals Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

We had a rough night. One disclaimer, I'm not a girl who is much into roughing it. But wow, there is not a single comfort or luxury at this place. It took us 45 minutes to park. We sat in a line in the street to get to the venue and then another for disabled parking for my dad who was with us and has mobility challenges. By the time we got to the disabled lot, we were informed that the lot was full and had to drive to the back of the complex (a dusty dirt lot full of rocks) to park, about 150 yards from the entrance. By the time we arrived our kids were already melting down. Basically this event is a bunch of hot air balloons in a giant dirt lot. The food we wound up getting was expensive ($8 BBQ sandwich and $6 fries, spent $23 for a side of Mac n Cheese and 4 bottles of water), and below average (even for a festival style event). There is also nowhere to sit, not a single table or chair in the entire place (especially rough on the disabled folks) so people just camp out on the (dirt) ground all over the place. The kids are able to trick or treat at the hot air balloons, but the lines to get candy were very long and they give one piece of candy per child. Not that I was looking to make a candy killing, but after an hour of "trick or treating" the kids didn't have much to show for it. The port a potties could've used some attention and they were pitch black inside (no lighting in the area and grateful the kids didn't have to go). We finally persuaded the kids to get milkshakes and leave. We were there with cousins and spent $40 for 7 milkshakes. Yeah, do that math. I feel so bad complaining so much. It's a personal policy for me to mostly just reward great experiences with positive reviews rather than complain. But yeah, we'll just wait for Halloween next year.... read more

I agree with all of the reviews on here. This "festival" is not worth attending and we will be skipping it next year. The parking is atrocious. We ended up having to illegally exit the parking lot just to be able to get out of the parking lot within three hours, seriously! Additionally, the whole festival is a lawsuit waiting to happen as these balloons are not secured and a good wind will send one of them coming down to the ground or crushing a kid. There's way more people in this place than it can hold safely and on top of that there is very little to no organization to the event. Overall just a terrible experience. read more

4 pieces of generic candy...that's what my son brought home! Horrible. If I could give negative stars, this would be the event to rate! We spent the night waiting in lines: to get off the freeway, to try and get to the parking lot (which my husband gave up on and parked close to McDonald's), line to get in (after the horrific walk and they ended up just waving us in and didn't even verify our tickets), lines to each balloon/vendor to trick-or-treat, and lines for concessions (after we stood in line to pay, we had to stand in another line to actually get our drinks; which the vendor was hand making one drink at a time. The lemonade was absolutely delicious, but to make 1 drink at a time!?!). This is the prime example of why I don't like to go to public events around Phoenix. When there are events, the mass public attends, there is no limit for capacity, and then it is utter chaos. No one has fun. Both the kids and parents are miserable. read more

I want my money back! This event is a joke. You pay admission for ... what exactly? To see 8 tethered balloons, never lifting off the ground. The website promised over 20 balloons - so much for truth in advertising. Just like others have said: the Chinese candy given out is just nasty. I have NEVER seen my daughter discard candy, but every piece she was handed (after waiting in lines, of course) was tasted and thrown. Everything here was a near-constant pay-as-you-go experience: Bottle of water: $3 + 10 mins wait in line. Hot dog: $7 + 10 mins wait in line, followed by $10 mins waiting to get the food. Jump houses: Between $1 and $4, all located in a dimly lit parking lot to the east. Car wash to get all the parking lot dust off your car: $3+ This was a complete waste of time and money. Poorly executed, misleading advertising. What a rip-off by the Salt River tribe. read more

This event needs a total makeover if they are ever going to do it again. Horrible parking, badly organized, and not what was expected from a Halloween event. Where were the games? 5-6 things for kids under 5 to do. Basically this was an event to see tethered balloons with some food. Not even worth the 1/2 price tickets. I feel bad for anyone who paid full price. read more

(** reading a few of these reviews talking about no seating (there wasn't a lot but certainly some) or vendors running of candy (which we didn't experience) or long lines (not really) surprised me. We stayed from about 5 to 7:30 and had no problems whatsoever.) We got there as it opened, had no trouble parking and had an all around enjoyable time. The balloons were pretty cool, the food was as you'd expect, kids got to trick-or-treat among the vendors and balloons, and there were plenty of bouncies for the kids (my personal favorite were the large hamster ball thingies.) My only complaint, really, was the costs. Admission was $30 (family of 4), $20 for tickets for the bouncies (which went FAST) and our last $10 got us a BBQ sandwich and water. Sixty bucks was a lot and we easily could've spent more. My suggestion would be for a $10 bracelet for unlimited turns on the slides and bounce houses. Either way, I'm sure we will go back next year! read more

I bought the tickets to this event in advance and my kids were excited to go to this event. Problem was we never made it past the line of cars we were sitting in. This was the most poorly planned and executed parking situation I have ever seen and I'm from California! We sat in line for 45 minutes and got up to the parking lot but because I'm handicapped they waved me down the road for handicapped parking. When we got in that line it just looped around to the original line we were sitting in. My kids who at this point had been in a car for over an hour started crying and my husband had had enough and whipped a u-turn to go home. Thanks Spooktacular for taking my money and crushing my children's hopes of seeing and doing some fun Halloween activities! I guess we could have sat in the line for another 45 minutes making your gridlock hell a total of an hour and a half but we chose to get a root canal instead. You guys suck! read more

Wow, what an awful, awful experience. I thought it was going to be nicer than it was but man, probably one of the worst public events I've ever been to. Wish we didn't have to pay for it. Let's see, there was candy at every balloon, but most handed out one piece of cheap 99-cent store candy (think: Dubble Bubble, the tiny tootsie rolls, etc.). That would've been fine if this was a free event, but it was 10 bucks (plus fees) a person to get in! I don't know if the Balloon folks buy their own candy or not (they shouldn't), but someone should have provided them with better candy with the prices paid. It was ridiculously crowded and just so poorly executed. Parking was a nightmare to get out... I think it took us about 45 minutes, with 30 of those minutes just sitting in one of the parking rows in line waiting to even enter the main exit lane. Never again. read more

I agree with the reviews I read, poor poor event, I would complain to someone, but who? $40 to get in to look at balloons being pulled down by 730pm. I didnt know it would be over at 730, yep, the candy was long gone, the ballooners were out, the lame haunted house, another $5 each was well, lame. one person jumped out at us. The food vendors were backed up, 10 minute wait for FRENCH FRIES. No fun at all, except my teenagers liked the live boy band at the end. Well they were boys and mine are girls and they played rock and roll. Who wouldn't like them! That was the only redeeming factor in an otherwise drab night. Who was that band? One Two open? something like that. read more

I won free tickets to Saturday's event and still was disappointed. It took me nearly an hour to get into the parking. Once inside it was dark, only lighting from booths and balloons. There was no signage or handout as to where things were. Only a few balloons had candy left and none of the booths did. We quickly decided to leave but had gotten turned around as to where the exit was. It took at least 10 minutes of walking along the chain link fence before we found an exit. Heaven forbid if there was an emergency and we needed to leave. The only good thing I can say was we enjoyed the fireworks but not from the event, we left went to Starbucks and then watched from a nearby parking lot! Never again. read more

We had a lot of fun! My 1 1/2 year old loved when the balloons were lit up. We found parking really easily and the crowd/lines was nothing too bad, even with our stroller. We bypassed the ticket line because we had tickets on my phone through Groupon. No wait to get in. The entertainment was kid friendly too. We didn't want to spend a lot of money, so we didn't try much food other than the roasted corn, which was good, and I had no wait in that line either. They had some cute vendors, like one that was selling hot air balloon ornaments. This was our first time going, and we will probably go again next year if they put it on the way they did this year. read more

Salt River Fields Balloon Spooktacular - Balloons lit up at the Salt River Fields Balloon 'Spooktacular.' This is about half of them. There were a lot of beautiful balloons. - Festivals Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

This event was kinda a waste of money if you don't have kids. Thought there would be more balloons too.

Good time. We got there right when gates opened. Good thing since we got our kids on bounce houses before the lines started and wore them out. We didn't buy food due to the cost and lines.i was smart and brought a lunch box full of snacks for us all. Good time. Way too packed and VERY pricey. read more

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We went early and were glad. Parking was no problem but missed out on fireworks. You could be very close to the balloons which made for a unique experience for the kids and adults. Live music was not very good. Food was hit or miss. The 'carnival' food booth was pretty good. And we loved the mini donuts. LOTS of inflatables. Almost too many and they were really close to each other. There was staff assisting kids which was very nice. Won't need to return next year but was a fun first time experience. read more

Loved this a few years ago but the number of inflatables for kids to play on was down this past year with longer lines. Parking is one step above a dirt field. Overall pretty much a bummer man read more

I regret paying for this. The event is suppose to last from 5pm-10pm but everything shuts down at around 8pm except for the stage and food. I didn't even get to see the balloons because everyone decide to shut them down at 8pm. Funnel cakes and lemonade are over priced just like every other fair. The funnel cakes did taste good though so I don't regret at $8 but I did regret the $10 admission fee because there was no reason for an admission fee at 8pm when everything I wanted to see is closed by 8pm. read more

NEVER AGAIN. I took my 7 year old daughter to this event. It cost $35 for our family to get through the gate. We arrive at 8 p.m. because the event was advertised to go until 10 p.m., but they were already closing things down. You basically pay to get into an event with music and food vendors. We were so upset to see that it cost $2-$4 to have your child go down a bouncy slide ONE time. This event was a complete waste of money. It was sad to see my daughter so disappointed. Don't waste your time, unless you enjoy being disappointed and spending money on nothing. (p.s. I want my money back!) read more

It was horrible to park. There were way to many people. The lines to everything were long. Bring cash most vendors don't take credit cards. $10 per person to get in and we left after 20 minutes due to too many people. read more

I was pretty impressed at this event. I had read several negative reviews about this event and we were kinda worried it would be a thumbs down... I gotta say for the price its nice to get out of the house walk around and just enjoy some family time. There were plenty of food vendors, and they weren't just your normal crappy fair food... I loved the Taco Booth, I wanted to order some to go and eat them on the way home but there was a line *sigh*... The band was very cool, they had kids playing and singing. I just thought how cool it was to have that kinda entertainment. They were actually pretty damn good too. Haunted trail walk was pretty sad but the kids tried so ill give them that one. The balloons themselves were awesome. Im like a little kid and love seeing them blow fire in them and light them up! It was def worth it and if my daughter still is into Balloons at the cool age of 15 maybe we will come back next year. read more

This really was a horrible event. It sounds great when looking at the event info online, but when you get there, you basically pay to walk around. The balloons that you can actually go up in were not even up because it was too breezy. Nothing really to do, even for small kids. Yes there are bouncy houses and what not, but you have to pay extra for kids to go on these. I feel like parents could take their children to a local trunk or treat and have more fun. A lot of churches give out free food, free candy, have games and bouncy houses for. . .again for free. The parking wouldn't have been so bad, but they don't have anyone directing traffic throughout the lot, so everyone is trying to push out at the same time so they can get to the exit. They are making a lot of money for a horribly put together event. read more

I don't know what people truly expect when they go to a fair like event, but for my family it was a nice experience. The ballons where pretty and if one had a long "line" for candy, you could easily go to two more with very short waits for candy. Some people also complain about it being cheap candy but get real what do you expect king size bars? Also the food was actually slightly cheaper than most fair prices. The rides were designed for small children and not that great, but then again this event is not advertised as an amusement park so there you go. I also did not see or pay any fee for parking. All in all, this is a nice family friendly event and would consider coming again next year. read more

This event was a major disappointment. We were looking for a fun family event and instead it was badly organized chaos. The parking was horrible and took us about 45 minutes to get parked. The food vendors were few and all lines were long. We gave up on the funnel cake after 15 minutes. It was nothing like it's advertisement - there was barely any candy for the kids, or any activities for little ones. Save your money and go to a local community event at a church or something because you and your kids dressed in their costumes will experience nothing but frustration at this one. read more

This was a fun event for the little ones! I took my almost 2 year old and she had a blast watching the balloons light up and "trick or treating" from each of the hot air balloons. They had a cute little haunted trail which is like a PG version of those Fear Farm trails. Still, everything was great. We ate before the event because food was expensive of course. There were also a ton of inflatable jumping areas. Parking and lines weren't so bad as stated previously in other reviews, the most we waited for was the 5 minute wait for the Haunted Trail. My advice would be to print the tickets out prior to the event so you don't have to wait in the long line just to get your ticket to enter. We also dressed up in costumes as a specific theme and you can enter their costume contests and win prizes. Overall, it was a great family time spent before Halloween. read more

Well along with the others, I don't have much good to say. Parking if course is crappy, but could be much worse. Not sure what we got for the admission. All the four was pretty overpriced along with drinks. All activities cost extra. We got there at 5:45 and every vendor our kids went up to were out of candy already. 4000 lbs, it says on the website??? Gone in an hour???? Hmm. Also very crowded and the damn people that think they need to bring a stroller the size of a SUV, can kiss my ass. I can't count how many times I was run into. Made an amusement park on a holiday weekend look pleasant. Won't be back. read more

Great environment and fun, costumes all around, kids having fun. Food on the basic and expensive side

We love this event we try to bring more family members to this event hopefully next years ee can bring more family members and enjoy the great time with nice music great people and amazing views read more

Salt River Fields Balloon Spooktacular - Festivals Near Me - Scottsdale, Arizona

This might be the worst event I have ever been to, hands down. The parking was ridiculous (took almost 45 min to get in and we still had to walk through the desert), the candy and trick or treating was pathetic, and it was way too crowded. It literally reminded me of the State Fair without rides, the highlight being the fry bead. It was so poorly organized they didn't even have near enough tables for people to eat at so everyone was just sitting in the grass where people were trying to walk, making visiting the booths and hot air balloons nearly impossible. There was literally nothing for my 2 1/2 year old daughter to do, and if I let her walk around, she would have been lost in the sea of people. Oh, and what a joy waiting 10 min in line to get one piece of crappy candy, I was so annoyed I could have screamed. The hot air balloons were nice to look at for about 10 min and it would have been easier to see them from outside the stadium in my car. Overall, this event sucked, period. If they do this event next year I hope people do their research before wasting their time going to this. So frustrating. read more

Okay, there was seating this year . Tables and chairs down at one end of the main area. We went when it opened at 5 on Friday as the grandkids were in town. The line to get into parking was about a 10 minute wait for no apparent reason other than the parking attendants didn't know what they were doing. We had to walk about 200 yards to get to the main gate. However since we arrived early there were no lines to get in or to purchase tickets. OVERPRICED!!! $10 for each adult with no type of discount and $5 for our 4 yr old. Total of $35 to get in! For what? To watch some balloons getting blown up? We went to the face painting booth right away. Third in line and it took 15 minutes to get in. Paid another $10 for a face paint. The lady was good but seriously needed help as there were at least another 15 kids in line. Good luck with that. We found a couple of vendors giving candy out like tootsie rolls which was okay but no balloons giving out candy despite the people at the ticket booth telling my grandchild to be sure and get his candy at 5:45 when they were scheduled to start. So we went to the bouncy house area another 200 yard walk across gravel, etc. Each house required more tickets each costing $1 per ticket. Most required two tickets so I figured it was $2 for about 20 seconds worth of slide. A complete rip off! To keep our grandchild happy we bought $6 worth which occupied him for about 10 minutes including the decision time and time to move between the houses. We decided not to eat as most of the food Was in the $10 range like chicken fingers & fries. Drinks were another $3-4. We left at 6:45 and noticed one balloon giving out candy by that time but there must have been 200 kids in line. So for about 1 1/2 hours of wandering around we spent $51 and got about 5 pieces of candy. So I'm not sure what the draw is except maybe later if they had entertainment for the older kids and adults as they had a huge stage set up. Bottom line, if you're looking for a place to have you're younger kids trick or treat and enjoy themselves look elsewhere. We sure as heck won't ever go back. read more

Ugh...just got home from this event and it was a dud. The lines to get in were terrible. The main gate put you in the first field which had a few balloons and a couple to pay to ride in. By the time we figured out the "main" area was an entire field away we got there too late to be in the costume contest. My kids were seriously disappointed. We decided to go trick or treating at the balloons but again the lines were long. They needed several people to hand out candy instead of one or two at each balloon. And don't get me started on the candy. It was the cheapest, nastiest candy. So not worth the money or the hassle even if the balloons were fun to see. read more

This was fantastic. The kids ran around and got candy from the balloon people. There were some lines but nothing crazy. The food vendors had great food like bacon Mac and cheese and cheesecake on a stick. The food was a little pricey but that's pretty normal for this type of event. read more