Humble Beginnings
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta grew from very humble beginnings. In 1972, 13 balloons launched from Coronado Center Mall parking lot. The following year, 13 countries participated in “First World Hot Air Balloon Championship”. This was the world’s largest ballooning event of its kind and was held at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds. By 1978, Albuquerque hosted 273 entries and the numbers steadily increased. In 1988, there were 600 entries, 903 balloons in 1999 and more than 1,000 in 2000. Due to decreased landing site availability, the number of hot air balloons is now limited.
Today, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest balloon event in the world. Each year during the first two weeks in October, the skies over Albuquerque are filled with a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes and designs. This year 550 balloons (106 of which were special shapes) and 700 pilots put on quite a show.
Mass Ascension, Glow and Special Shapes Rodeo
The most anticipated event is always the spectacular Mass Ascensions where the balloons inflate and rise in coordinated waves. From the ground, the balloons appear as if they were hung in mid-air over the field. In the pre-dawn hours, there is Balloon Glow, where the only light on the field emanates from the flames of the burners inflating the balloons. As the balloons rise, they glow from within lighting up the sky line just before dawn. Night Magic Glow, is just like it sounds, the inflation and ascension of balloons after sunset with only the light from the burners on the field. More recently, the Special Shape Rodeo has been a showstopper. Balloons in the shape of Darth Vader, Smoky the Bear, Frankenstein, Yoda, unicorns, parrots and sloths bring smiles to the faces of guests young and old.
Fun Fact: The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is the world’s most photographed event in the world. More than 25 millions pictures are taken each year.
My “short program” holiday was arranged by Road Scholar. In between gazing into the heavenlies to admire the hot air balloons, we spent time in Old Town and had lectures on hot air ballooning and the indigenous peoples of New Mexico. The itinerary was great and well arranged. Our guides (John, Sue and Nolan) were fabulous – their energy, excitement and passion for their jobs was palpable.
Day 1:
We started our day with an overview of the history of Albuquerque by lecturer, Christopher Gibson. He took us through the area’s earliest Puebloan inhabitants to the arrival of the Spanish.
Post the lecture, we formed two groups of approximately 35 people and set out on a field trip bound for Old Town. Old Town has been the focal point of community life since Albuquerque was founded in 1702.
Brief History of Albuquerque
Prior to 1706, indigenous tribes traveled through and occupied the land on which Old Town Albuquerque now stands. These indigenous peoples included the the Anasazi, Diné, Pueblo, Apache, and Tiwa. It is unknown approximately how long the area has been inhabited by indigenous peoples. However, their long-standing presence is validated by petroglyphs found in the Sandia mountains dating back thousands of years. During this time, the region that is now known as Albuquerque was known as Paak’u.
The indigenous peoples residing in the Paak’u region engaged in subsistence farming and hunting, managing complex, intertwined systems of government and religion. The Pueblo peoples of modern Albuquerque originally stemmed from one tribe called the Tamayame or Santa Ana tribe.
Arrival of the Spaniards
Relations between the Spaniards and indigenous peoples of Albuquerque were complex and violent. In New Mexico, the first interaction that Puebloans had was at the pueblo of Vacapa. When Spanish explorer Frey Marcos de Niza sent his African slave Esteban to interact with the Zuni people it did not end well. Estaban was subsequently killed by the Zuni, establishing the tone for Spanish-Indigenous relations throughout New Mexico.
The Spanish first encountered the Pueblos in the area that would become Old Town in 1540. While searching for lost cities, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado’s expedition led him to the region. Coronado was able to peacefully trade small gifts and items with the indigenous peoples at first. However, as winter overtook the unprepared conquistadors, their attitudes shifted. They steadily became more and more violent, demanding food and supplies and progressively conquering a succession of smaller villages. The Tiwa people battled the Spanish until they returned to Mexico in the spring of 1541. However, the bad blood remained between the Spanish and indigenous peoples.
The Next Wave
Albuquerque was settled by a group of people traveling in the Spanish “Reconquista” led by Don Diego de Vargas in 1693. Several families from this group splintered off and requested permission to settle the Middle Valley to the south of the Sandia and Alameda pueblos. This settlement eventually grew into what is now Old Town Albuquerque. Albuquerque was formally established in 1702 and recognized as a municipality by Francisco Cuervo y Valdes, governor of Spanish New Mexico, in 1706. In 1784, over 3500 Spaniards and 600 indigenous people were recognized by the census as Old Town residents.
In 1821, possession of Albuquerque, along with the rest of New Mexico, passed to Mexico following the Mexican War of Independence. New Mexico traded hands again in 1846 when the United States gained control under General Stephen Kearny.
Today, approximately 10 blocks of historical adobe buildings surround Old Town’s central plaza. The city’s settlers built homes, shops, and government offices in this space. Today, many of them have been converted into restaurants, art galleries, and shops.
With our road trip complete, we returned to the hotel where we were joined by professional balloonist, Don Boyer. Don gave a presentation on hot-air ballooning and provided a behind-the-scenes look into the Fiesta.
Primed on what to expect the next morning, we had dinner and turned in early as we would be up before dawn to head to the Fiesta Park.
The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
Day 2:
Wiping the sleep from our eyes, we departed our hotel at 4:45 AM headed for the Fiesta Park. Even in the pre-dawn hours, the traffic was insane. We missed a fabulous drone show that occurred at 5:45 AM, as we were queued up on the highway leading into the venue. After consuming a huge breakfast at the Chaser’s Club, we were fueled up and ready for the Mass Ascension.
Fiesta Park
Now, understandably, to accommodate 550 balloons and an estimated 100,00 people each day, you need a LOT of space. The launch park is a massive 78 acres – the equivalent of 54 football fields. As we walked across the field, we got up close views of the pilots unloading their baskets and laying out their balloons. After watching for approximately an hour, we noted something curious, some pilots had only laid out their balloons but had not started inflating them.
To our dismay, we learned that a yellow flag (caution) had been posted due to “high winds”. High winds for the Balloon Fiesta meant the winds were above 10 miles per hour. Adding to the wind speed was a strange wind pattern that had flags flying in all different directions creating unsafe conditions. If the winds didn’t die down, the balloons would not ascend but would perform a static display tethered to the ground.
Yellow to Green
We also learned that the more time that passed, the less likely it would be that the balloons would sail. The organizers would have to make an “executive decision” on whether to “fly” or “not fly”. With time waning, we held fast to hopes the weather would cooperate and turn that yellow flag to green. After approximately an hour wait, the winds dissipated and the green flag was raised to a cheering crowd.
Balloon ascensions and flights are
weather-dependent and may be cancelled at any time by Balloon Fiesta officials.
Mass Ascension- Day 1
As the green flag was raised, there was a flurry of activity on the field. Vehicles began streaming in, burners were fired up and inflations started in preparation for the Mass Ascension.
The Mass Ascension is a beautiful scene when all the balloons launch in waves as directed by launch coordinators known as “zebras”. Zebras are recognizable by their striped black-and-white shirts. The excitement was palpable as I walked among the expanding balloons. The colors, the shapes and the immensity of these canvas wonders was absolutely fabulous.
As you can see from the photos above (it was hard to take a bad photo!) that this was an amazing display in the sky. By 9:30 AM almost all the balloons had descended and floated away and it was time to visit the Anderson-Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum to learn more about these masterpieces of aviation.
Pueblo Cultural Center
Up next was the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center to learn a bit more about the indigenous peoples of the region and be treated to a dance performance.
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center is a non-profit organization that opened in 1976. Owned and operated by the 19 Indian Pueblos of New Mexico, the center is dedicated to preserving Pueblo Indian culture, history, and art.
Nighttime is the right time
To close out our day, we would head back to the balloon field for more aerial displays. After dinner at the Gondola Club, it was time for Twinkle Twinkle Glow, the AfterGlow fireworks display and the drone show.
Glow is a special event at dusk when tethered balloons ignite their burners and inflate without launching. The glow that emanates from the balloons accentuates the rich colors of the canvas creating a beautiful display. While we were on the field enjoying Glow, a small army of drones hovered above creating a series of forms and shapes. The evening concluded with a massive barrage of fireworks.
Excited by all that we had seen and experienced, we jubilantly headed to our coach to be escorted back to our hotel. It would be another early morning departure for us as we returned to the Fiesta park.
Day 3:
We thought we had hit paydirt yesterday when the balloons finally ascended. Little did we know that today would be a “red banner” day. Learning from our errors the day before, we left our hotel at 4:30 AM instead of 4:45 AM. What a difference 15 minutes can make! Encountering no traffic, we sailed into the Chaser’s Club for breakfast and settled in to watch the drone display.
Mass Ascension – Day 2
After a particularly chilly start to the day, things definitely started to look up (pun intended). Once the sun rose, the weather was phenomenal. The winds cooperated, the sky was an insane blue and there was not a cloud in sight. The weather was so perfect, it seemed even the pilots were excited. I was amazed by the number of special shaped balloons that were able to ascend today. The inner kid in me decided, God spare life, that I needed to return in 2025 for the Special Shapes Rodeo. The Rodeo is held during the second week of the Fiesta and, you guessed it, the special shapes take center stage. This year there were 106 special shapes on the program. There was everything from Darth Vader to the Wells Fargo stagecoach and I was there for all of it.
Reluctantly, we departed from the field as the last balloons were being inflated. With two super early departures, fatigue was slowly setting in. After lunch at a local restaurant and a short jaunt through the Albuquerque Museum, a nap was in order.
Our program closed with a group dinner where we bid our guides and fellow travelers farewell. Until next time, Albuquerque!
Up Next: Random Musings on Travel
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