Up, Up, and Away: Dive into the Enchanting World of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta!
EXXONMOBIL ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA
October 3 - 11
For nine days in October, the Albuquerque skies are colorfully painted as more than 500 balloons lift off from Balloon Fiesta Park. Plan now to attend the ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® and be part of the world’s largest hot-air balloon festival. Walk among the moving picture show of hot-air balloons lifting gently through the crisp, fall air. If you're more of a night owl, experience the magic of a balloon glow as they light up the night sky. No matter what event you choose to attend, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta will make you feel like you're in a dream. Experience a unique kind of “traffic jam” in the skies during the Route 66 Centennial at the biggest ballooning event in the world.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is an event internationally recognized as the sport’s premier event and is produced by a private, non-profit corporation.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has brought a sense of fun and adventure to Albuquerque and the world. It has grown from a quaint launch of 13 balloons in 1972 to the massive nine-day celebration it has become today. During Balloon Fiesta, guests can expect to see more than 500 balloons participating in early morning Mass Ascensions, enchanting Special Shape balloons filling the skies, and, in the evening, 200 balloons light up the evening sky with Balloon Glows and spectacular fireworks. Gas balloons launch at dusk to the strains of the team country’s national anthem, floating slowly up and away, competing in a distance competition. All of the balloons launch from Balloon Fiesta Park, a 78-acre grassed field – the size of 56 football fields – that serves as the launch field for all flying events.
In 1907, a Chicagoan, Joseph A. Blondin, came to Albuquerque and attempted to inflate a 25,000 cubic foot balloon envelope of rubberized silk. His “mixed-gas” three-hour flight was fraught with problems, as was another attempted ascension by Blondin in 1909.
A mild amount of interest persisted for many years, but it wasn’t until 1960 that a steady interest in ballooning began. Hot air balloon manufacturing firms began “popping up” in the U.S., most of them in the West and Southwest. During the next decade, various balloon flight records for altitude, distance, and duration aloft were set by several pilots, among them Ed Yost and Don Piccard.
In 1971, Albuquerque’s Sid Cutter celebrated the 42nd anniversary of his family’s flying service company and his mother’s birthday, with a Raven balloon inflated as a centerpiece in the Cutter Flying Service hangar. This family social event has become a part of ballooning history because of its impact on the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, which was first organized as a 13-balloon rally the following year.
In February 1973, the first World Hot Air Balloon Championship was held in Albuquerque and again in 1975 before it was shifted to other sites in Europe and the U.S. In 1978, well-known Albuquerque balloon adventurers Ben Abruzzo and Maxie Anderson, along with Larry Newman, piloted the first balloon ever to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Their helium-filled balloon, the Double Eagle II, landed on August 17th in Miserey near Paris, 137 hours and 6 minutes after leaving Presque Isle, Maine.
In January of 2015, gas balloon pilots Troy Bradley and Leonid Tiukhtyaev, the “Two Eagles” team, completed their 7,000-mile journey across the Pacific from Japan to Mexico, surpassing the previous distance record (5,209 miles) for gas balloons.
Today, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has expanded to an event of over 500 balloons, with more than 700,000 guest visits over the course of nine days.
WEBSITE - www.balloonfiesta.com
Get the latest event schedule, information on hotels, balloon rides, maps, and tickets at www.balloonfiesta.com. Photo galleries, news releases, and updates are also available.
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