A strategy that has worked well for us for morning viewing is to pack a camp breakfast (we've done eggs & bacon etc.. with a Coleman stove), chairs, etc.. Arrive early, watch the balloons take off, and then tailgate your breakfast instead of waiting in the line of departing traffic. By the time you've cooked, eaten, and cleaned up, the traffic has pretty much dissipated.

After years of driving to the balloon festival, I decided to get a bus schedule. You can park your car free at East Field in Glens Falls where the bus will pick you up and drop you at the balloon festival. In 2005, it was .50 cents each way. The buses come and go so often, you can spend as much time at the festival as you like. When you're ready to leave, just wait for the next bus. You will need to get a 2006 schedule from the Greater Glens Falls Transit System.