International Balloon Fiesta - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Greetings!

We left glorious Colorado and started working our way south to New Mexico.  We always see cool things along the way, and we have seen a multitude of trains carrying everything from oil to paper towels across the country.  I captured this shot of a very long train going over a bridge we were about to drive under.  

We spent one night in Gallup, New Mexico to do some final grocery shopping and spend a night at a campground with full hookups (electric, water and sewer) as at our next stop, we would be dry camping for 4 days (in other words - using all the resources on the rig - batteries, solar power, water tanks, etc.).

One of aspects of our trip that we planned well in advance was our 4 nights in Albuquerque at the International Balloon Fiesta.  And it did not disappoint - this is a bucket list item and we are hopeful to go back in 2026.  The RV spots opened up for reservations on January 15th and I was at my computer at the designated time and within 45 minutes, we had a reservation in the VIP North Lot.  Having never been there before, it looked good on the map, but WOW it was an incredible location.  We were parked about 100 steps from the entrance and on the launch field in a matter of minutes.  Thousands attend this fiesta and it's an early morning, so to be right there gave us a few more hours of sleep in the comfort of our home on wheels.

Part of the early morning drone show (more on that below)

Our location (blue dot at the top) so close to the field!

The first Balloon Fiesta was in 1972 and this is a well-oiled machine.  The reservation and check-in process worked beautifully and essentially they line up all of the RVs in a very large parking lot.  We loved our location and neighbors.  The first morning, the winds were blowing north, which meant that all the balloons were flying over our Airstream - Paul was able to capture this in an amazing timelapse video; and also added multiple photos of the rig in the mornings throughout:

On Tuesday morning, several balloons landed very close to us!

On the last evening we were there, we had some rain and then some sunshine and you know what that means - RAINBOW!

Here is typical morning itinerary:

5:00 AM - Wake up, coffee

5:30 AM - Head over to the launch Field

5:45 AM - Drone Show - amazing - Paul took a video and each individual light is a drone - really amazing technology.

6:00 AM - Dawn Patrol - this is 7 balloons that take off and dictate whether or not all balloons will fly.  The hundreds of balloon pilots on the ground look at these balloons carefully to judge winds and weather.  Fortunately for us, all 4 mornings we were there, the balloons flew and it was a spectacular show each morning.  Due to the winds and weather, it was so different each morning.

Monday morning Dawn Patrol - full moon setting in the background.

7:00 AM - Opening Ceremonies - This part of the morning was my favorite.  One Balloon rose with the American flag and a local with a beautiful voice sang the national anthem from the main stage.  One very cool aspect of this was the multiple children who held the flag so it wouldn't touch the ground before it ascended.  You could see the organizers talking to parents around the balloon and before you know it, there were at least 15 kids surrounding and carrying the flag - it was so cool.  We were next to one of the dads and he was so proud - what a memory maker for these wonderful kids and families.  For all of us really.  Paul captured this on video and I've added a few photos of the kids! 

The propane filling the balloon creates a cool glow

After the opening ceremonies, the balloons go up - hundreds of them.  The really cool thing is that anyone can walk around the field - there are no restrictions and the overall vibe and feeling was so supportive, awe inspiring and friendly.  It became clear quite quickly that hot air ballooning is an important aspect of the Albuquerque community 365 days a year that culminates at the Fiesta.  The reason that Albuquerque is so popular with hot air ballooning is a phenomenon called the "Albuquerque Box".  Winds tend to blow from the south at lower elevations and from the north at higher elevations, meaning a balloon can fly in a box shape and land near where it took off from.  There were lots of people hugging and saying hello and such comradery and mutual respect surrounded us.  It was truly amazing.  Paul captured a few of the bigger balloons ascending on video and we also added A LOT of photos.  Too many.  We can't help ourselves.  The Balloon Fiesta is the most photographed event in the world and you can understand why.

This is a Rainbow Riders Balloon - they have at least 2 dozen balloons in the Fiesta and they offer rides to spectators - not cheap - $650 pp - so we were perfectly content to view this amazing event with our feet on the ground at no additional cost!

The Rainbow Riders balloons!

This balloon has been in the fiesta pretty much since the beginning and this is its last year - such a fun balloon and the crew were wonderful to talk with.

The last morning was cloudy - but still so beautiful.

You wonder with the busy-ness of the action on the field and balloons ascending one after the other - how is it orchestrated so amazingly?  Well, there are about 60 "zebras" on the field who work with all the pilots to let them know when to start blowing up their balloons and when to take off.  They are all amazing people and have been doing the fiesta for years and wear outfits that look like NFL referees with a flair of fun personality!    

The mornings were really the best part; on Saturday and Sunday, there were two evening sessions and the balloons inflate, but they don't ascend.  Paul captured a cool time-lapse video of this on Sunday evening.  This was taken from a berm that was right next to where we entered that had a great overlook of the field.

Following the evening glow are another fantastic drone show and fireworks - which were right above our camper!

Almost full moon rising Sunday evening

As there were no evening sessions on Monday and Tuesday, we explored Santa Fe on Monday afternoon and did the Skyway Aerial Tram (in Albuquerque) on Tuesday afternoon.  Of course, on each morning, we did go back to the rig, have breakfast and take a nice nap before heading out.

Here are some pics of the tram ride:

Weather was coming in - so cool - time to head back down the mountain!

Overall, the Balloon Fiesta was incredible and we feel so blessed to have enjoyed it thoroughly.  We learned so much about the Albuquerque community and ballooning, appreciated some amazing weather, and met some great people along the way. 

After Albuquerque, we start heading east - more on that in the next post!

Thanks again for following along and for your love and support - Jen & Paul