One hot air balloon ended up slightly off course and landed on a street in the Gortmore area of the town.
Owner Jeff Lawton admitted it was not exactly a scheduled stop, but he said there was never any sense of danger.
"The winds were light and we could see there was a big grassy area so we thought: 'Right, that'll work!'
"There were no power lines so we knew it was safe enough."
Mr Lawton, who lives in Gilford, was in County Londonderry for the Sperrins Balloon Festival which runs once a year.
He said a number of bemused residents came out of their houses to see what was happening.
"I'm sure it was an unusual sight to wake up to, but they seemed happy enough."
Patrick Bradley, an architect whose house was featured in the BBC programme Grand Designs, was equally welcoming when a balloon landed on his property.
"They landed on a field near my house. We were having a barbeque so I invited them in for a drink and in return, they offered to take me up for a trip the following day.
"I'm actually not great with heights - to be honest, I accepted the offer after a few drinks - so I had to psyche myself up for it!
"But they're very experienced pilots so I was in good hands and really enjoyed it - the view was amazing."
Jeff Lawton said the conditions for this year's festival were much better than those of previous years.
"The festival has been running for years now, but sometimes it turns into a bit of a drinking holiday because of the weather. This year, we were very lucky - it was fantastic."
Residents on a street in Maghera, County Londonderry, awoke to an unlikely sight during the Sperrins Balloon Festival.