Ever since I saw them float over my childhood home, I’ve loved hot air balloons. There is something about them that brings out childlike wonder in me. When I realized that the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, the world’s largest balloon festival and “the world’s most photographed event,” coincided with the weekend just before my second wedding anniversary, I started planning a long weekend trip to New Mexico. My husband had never been to New Mexico, and though my family technically drove across the state in 1996, we were on our way home by this point in our road trip so we didn’t do much stopping. I was excited to see what this Southwestern state had to offer and to be in town for one of its biggest events!
The Night Glow
Our first foray into the Balloon Fiesta was for a Saturday evening session which features an Evening Glow event. Before the balloons arrived, we walked around the grounds a while and we’re struck by how similar the energy was to a state fair in the South. But as soon as the trucks started arriving with balloons, we were off to the field to watch the fascinating inflation process. I’d never been that close to a hot air balloon being setup and was intrigued with how they rolled out the balloon on the ground, set out the basket, and then used fans to blow cold air to inflate the balloon. There was much cheering to be had when the first balloon we watched being inflated finally stood up straight with the basket on the ground! Next, the burner was used to keep the air in the balloon hot! It was so exciting to see the flames blasting and be so close to the action! More and more balloons were setup, and it’s quite the feast for the eyes. Everywhere you turn on the field there’s something to see! It’s overwhelming in the best sense of the word.
The sun started to dip below the horizon to treat us with a natural show for sunset and that’s when the glow began! Once dusk arrived, the balloons were lit up at varying intervals. It’s such a beautiful sight that it’s hard to describe, but my photos help do it justice. Oh man, is this a perfect event for all of you photographers (amateur or professional) out there! Once darkness arrived, the glow was much more intense, and it was really quite magical. After the glow was over, there was a laser show and fireworks.
The Mass Ascension
The next morning I rolled out of bed, threw on some clothes, and drove over to the Balloon Park once again. I couldn’t wait to see the farewell mass ascension, where hundreds of balloons take flight, at sunrise. Again, I had an easy experience with parking and buying my ticket, and I arrived at the field just as the dawn patrol of 6 or so balloons were taking off to test the wind conditions. After two balloons hoisted American flags while ascending for the national anthem, more and more balloons went up, up and away! As beautiful as the night glow was the evening before, the ascension was even more spectacular to me because hot air balloons are meant to be in flight!
It’s also fun to see different types and shapes of balloons including a Spiderman pig, Wells Fargo stagecoach, Smokey the Bear, penguins, and a whale. One of my favorites was a map themed balloon which I feel should be our A Friend Afar balloon! As I exited the park, I found one of those signs that points to different places in the world.
If you’re wondering about ticket prices and other logistics, it’s super affordable at $8 a person per session. We opted to use the $10 event parking and, despite hearing traffic horror stories, found it relatively painless to do so. It probably helped that we arrived early-ish and didn’t wait until the last minute. Another option is to use an Uber, taxi or the event shuttle system for $12 per person in advance or $20 per person upon arrival. Also note that the car rental and hotel reservations get quite booked up as this is the tourist event of the year in Albuquerque!
Are you thinking about visiting Albuquerque for the 2016 or 2017 Balloon Fiesta? Tell us in the comments below!
Stephanie grew up road-tripping across the U.S., but her first flight was to Australia, and she’s been hooked ever since. She lived abroad in Thailand, where she met Meagan, and in Ghana with Peace Corps and has been to over 30 countries on 6 continents. She travels for the adventure, the stories, and nature.
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