Here in New Mexico, Balloon Fiesta is an event that almost everyone knows about, especially Albuquerque! Even for those who may be unaware of the event itself (like certain toddlers), the increasing number of hot air balloons in the sky is very exciting! I say increasing number because it isn’t unusual to see at least one balloon in the morning skyline (my 3-year-old’s current favorite is a classically shaped balloon with the pattern of the American flag). In honor of this Albuquerque staple, let’s take a look at more recent history than usual and learn about the background of the Balloon Fiesta!
The first ever Balloon Fiesta occurred during 1972 in a local mall parking lot with 13 hot air balloons from around the States (pilots from Arizona, California, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas) to honor the 50th anniversary of a local news station. That particular year, it was held in April and managed to attract thousands of spectators eager to watch the balloon race that was planned.
During this first Balloon Fiesta, there was only one event: a race called “Hare and Hounds” (adjusted to “Roadrunner and Coyotes” to keep with the Southwest themes prominent). When (or if) the balloonist finds the target, beanbags were dropped in attempt to hit it. The “Hound/Coyote” team that dropped their beanbag closest to the target (the “Roadrunner”) is the winner. Now, the events have expanded to several events including time trials, land run (landing in 3 predetermined areas), elbowing (the greatest change in direction during a flight), and many others.
The next year, the event attracted balloonists from 13 different countries for the “First World Hot Air Balloon Championship,” and by 1978 the Balloon Fiesta boasted 273 entries (by then the event had also moved to October as well)! The number just kept climbing until 2000, when the entries had reached 1000 balloons! Nowadays, due to landing site availability, there’s a limit to how many can participate, but it’s still an impressive number coming from around the world (over 500 in 2024).
Over the years, other events have joined the balloon race, like Dawn Patrol (joined 1996) which features balloons taking off before the sunrise, Balloon Glow (joined 1987) where balloons turn on their burners at night but do not take off, staying on the ground like luminarias or large light bulbs, Special Shapes Rodeo (joined 1989) featuring many different shaped balloons (my son’s favorite of these is a cement-mixer truck shaped balloon called “Sir Mix-A-Lot”), in addition to other things like competition titles.
The question is, what makes Albuquerque such a great spot of hot air balloons? Now, I’m not a meteorologist, so I may not explain it quite right, but the gist of the answer is the “Albuquerque Box.” In addition to cool mornings in the desert autumn, the “box” is a set of wind patterns where winds higher up travel northwards, but the lower gusts go towards the south. These different wind patterns happen at predictable and consistent elevations and allow the balloons to travel along these level wind patterns consistently and predictably. This allows the balloonists to navigate easily so that they can reliably land at or near where they take off. This navigation comes in handy for most if not all the competitions held during the event.
Now, the Balloon Fiesta has been enduring as an Albuquerque event for over 50 years, from a single event held in a mall parking lot to celebrate a local news station, to an international event with its own field and event center. Even outside of the spectacle, hot air balloons have become engrained in the city’s culture, and during the fall especially, you can find balloons almost anywhere: farmers markets, 5k races, Halloween trunk-or-treats, and school yards or demonstrations. So, no matter if you are watching Mass Ascension on the first day, seeing hundreds of balloons rising together to float through the sky, or watching the balloons light up the evening sky during Balloon Glow, Balloon Fiesta is a magical time that can reignite that toddler-like joy in all of us. And in the words of my toddler:
Balloons!
Mountain Girl
Mountain Girl Goes 
Leave a comment