University of South Alabama Theodore
Bellingrath Gardens’ 10th Annual Balloon Glow Brings Halloween Fun to Theodore
Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore celebrates its 10th annual Balloon Glow, a Halloween trick-or-treat event featuring a glowing hot-air balloon.
Families in south Mobile County have a costume-friendly evening on the calendar this weekend, as Bellingrath Gardens and Home in Theodore prepares to host its 10th annual Balloon Glow, a Halloween-themed trick-or-treat event built around a glowing hot-air balloon on the Great Lawn.
The event runs from 4:30 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, with a hot-air balloon lit up on the Great Lawn as the evening’s centerpiece attraction. Food trucks representing several local favorites will be on site, giving visitors options beyond the usual bag of candy while they take in the display.
More than 35 area businesses and community organizations are expected to hand out candy and other treats along the garden’s pathways, where trick-or-treaters will be guided by fall- and Halloween-themed inflatable decorations set up throughout the grounds. Organizers say the mix of local business participation and seasonal decor has become a hallmark of the event over its decade-long run.
Live music will also be part of the evening, with a local band performing on Live Oak Plaza near Bellingrath Home for guests to enjoy while walking the gardens. University of South Alabama students and cheerleaders are volunteering at the event, and the school’s mascots are expected to be on hand for photos and greetings with younger attendees.
Admission pricing shifts for the event, with a reduced rate of 6 dollars for adults and 3 dollars for children ages 5 to 12 starting at 4 p.m. Children age 4 and under get in free, as do members of the Friends of Bellingrath support organization, making the event accessible for families looking for a low-cost outing during the Halloween season.
About Bellingrath
Bellingrath Gardens and Home sits on the Fowl River in Theodore and was created by Walter Bellingrath, one of the early Coca-Cola bottlers in the Southeast, and his wife, Bessie. The gardens first opened to the public on April 7, 1932, and the couple’s home, completed in 1935, opened as a museum in 1956.
