Before there was a New Clark City fiesta, there was Clark. The Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga was the country’s original “weekend of everything that flies” — dawn balloon flights over the airfield, special-shaped balloons, aerobatics, skydiving and aviation exhibits spread across four days.
The photographs and daily sets in this post are from the February 2010 fiesta at Clark. The routine never changed: arrive before sunrise, watch the balloons inflate in the half-light, and shoot fast — by mid-morning the flying was usually done for the day.
Ballooning in Pampanga continues today — see our guide to the 2026 Lubao Hot Air Balloon & Music Gathering.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4