If, like me, you have known about the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta for a long time but have never had a chance to go, you may have seen pictures that make it look like an amazing event. Even with that expectation, actually being there will blow you away. This is an amazing experience not only for the number and variety of balloons taking part but also for the way in which you get to participate in the whole event.
For those who aren’t familiar with the event let me take a step back for a second. The first balloon fiesta in Albuquerque took place in 1972 at a shopping centre. 13 balloons took part. Over the years the numbers increased and the location moved several times with the move to the present location taking place for the 1996 event. It is a big event in the local calendar and generates a lot of income for the local economy. Everywhere you go you see signs welcoming visitors to the fiesta.
Balloon Fiesta Park is a large site with a ballooning museum at one end, and the ample space provides the opportunity for a lot of visitors to participate without it feeling too crowded. Even so, there has been discussion amongst some at the event as to whether the ever increasing popularity might require another move at some point! In 2000 over 1,000 balloons participated. This year there were 500 participating balloons. Even so it was pretty busy so I can’t imagine what the 2000 fiesta must have been like.
The mix of attendees provides for a lot of variety. Of the 500 balloons, 91 were special shape balloons. These can be promotional balloons for companies or the more unusual shapes like Darth Vader, a carousel or a giant cactus. They have sections of the programme devoted to them but they also participate in the mass ascensions and are always a popular feature with the visitors. Participants come from across the United States as well as from 16 other countries. It truly is an international event with many languages to be heard during the launches. The events run for 9 days with the weekends being focused on the spectacular mass launches with some competitions during the midweek sessions.
Even though Albuquerque has excellent weather for ballooning it doesn’t always “play ball”. This year in the opening weekend a few items were cancelled due to weather concerns. The first mass ascension on the Saturday was threatened by higher winds a little above the surface and the Dawn Patrol launch was scrubbed. However, the weather did calm down and the main launch went ahead. A Balloon Glow was scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday of the opening weekend but high winds meant that had to be cancelled. A fireworks display after the glow could go ahead and was pulled forward to keep the crowds happy.
Albuquerque has an interesting weather phenomenon called the Albuquerque Box. This can occur in the morning and result in a low level wind from north to south and a slightly higher level wind from south to north. This allows the balloons to fly around the launch site multiple times and land close to where they took off. On other days when the winds are more uniform, the launch crews are going to have to chase their balloons further afield. Often it is possible for the balloons to fly along the Rio Grande River and plenty will splash down in the river before climbing away again!
A key feature of the fiesta is the ability of the visiting public to participate in the event. The large launching field is accessible to everyone. There are no barriers. If you want to wander up to a crew while they are preparing their balloon you are free to do so. Indeed it is encouraged. Crews have collector cards and temporary tattoos for the kids to collect which helps avoid boredom among the younger attendees. If you want to be part of a crew, there is a booth where you can sign up and plenty of people will get their first experience of ballooning by taking part this way. Others come back year after year to do just this.
If you want to watch the activity, the first thing you have to deal with is the early start. The sun comes up just before 7am but the crews will be out long in advance of this. The organizers recommend that you aim to arrive by 5am and there will be a steady stream of traffic by this time so an early start is advisable. Of course, everything has calmed down again by 10am so you can always retreat to your hotel room for a nap before thinking about the rest of your day including the evening ballooning activities. There are plenty of vendors on site as well if you want to stretch the legs and look at something different for a while.
The Dawn Patrol participants are the first balloons to prepare. They have a mini glow and then launch in the pre-dawn darkness to check out the conditions. This was the only glow activity I got to see but it was worth it all the same. As the sun starts to come up, the light on these balloons gradually increases and, with the “box” in effect, they get to make multiple passes across the field, often calling out to the people below. Meanwhile the rest of the crews are getting ready for the mass ascension.
Crowds will gather around the balloons as they start to become inflated. As the balloons launch you will hear cheers from around the field as each launch occurs. Since you are amongst so many balloons at once, the cheering can help to remind you to keep your head swivelling for any balloons sneaking up behind you! While all of the balloons will attract some attention, it is not surprising to find that the special shape balloons tend to get more people around them. Some of these balloons can be a bit trickier to fly so, when the conditions were more difficult, not all would launch. Some would inflate but stay tethered. On the first morning, the Darth Vader balloon did not launch. From above it was fun to see the swarm of people gather around it with a perfectly clear area directly under the balloon itself.
I was very fortunate to be able to take a ride with André Boucher and his crew in his balloon Festival de Montgolfières de Gatineau. André and his crew had driven down from Canada for the event and this was not their first time. They have made the journey in several previous years. They were being assisted by some volunteers during the event and everyone was quickly getting the hang of what was required to prepare, launch and recover the balloon. The field is carefully marked out in a grid with each balloon being assigned to a spot. This spot is not large and with multiple balloons inflating around you it can get quite crowded. The balloons are assigned to two waves for launch in order to try and smooth out the whole process but this can always be subject to change as the conditions intervene. Originally, André was to be in the first wave on the day of my flight but with the gusty conditions a little above the surface, he wasn’t sure we would fly. Instead we inflated the balloon to tether it. However, as the time moved on and the conditions got better, he decided to launch in the second wave.
This change of plan required us to get permission to launch. All of the launch activity is coordinated by a team of marshals that are known as the zebras. The name comes from the uniforms they wear which are like those of the officiating team in American Football with black and white stripes. However, plenty of the zebras have got far more creative with their outfits and you see some great styles around the field.
The launch itself was very smooth and the winds were very gentle so maintaining position over the launch field was relatively straightforward. With the “box” in effect, almost all of the balloons were in a similar position so the effect of so many balloons in the air at once was enhanced. It was a truly amazing experience to look around and see so many balloons beside, above and below you. It was necessary to keep a good lookout as balloons continued to launch and recover.
Since control of direction is entirely based on changing height to reach the winds that are going the way you want to go, the first thing you notice when amongst all of this is the vertical movement of balloons in close proximity to you. It was not unusual to be next to a balloon at one point and a short while later realize that they are now at the opposite end of the site. All of this takes place in a generally tranquil environment punctuated occasionally by the blast from the burners. Calling greetings to those passing nearby was no trouble at all.
The conditions weren’t taking many people towards the river so the splashdown wasn’t a possibility. However, one balloon did decide to try it in a drainage canal next to the site. Once down I guess they decided it wasn’t such a good idea as they managed to lift off again to the bank of the canal where their team had to come and recover them. As the time drifted by, a number of balloons could be seen landing around the general area. Most touched down without trouble although one managed to find some power lines, fortunately without any injuries.
I was lucky that André was able to navigate us to the smoothest of landings about 50 yards from where we had launched. Our crew was certainly pleased that they didn’t have to chase around the county after us. I had been briefed to be ready for impact and to protect my camera gear but when it came down to it, the landing was delicate to say the least. With so many balloons back on the ground, drifting into another crew is easy to do. As we came down we had to call to the people below to grab us as we drifted in and, as such is the spirit of the event, plenty of hands were ready to do just that.
Then it was time to pack everything away and it wasn’t long before the trucks and trailers had filed from the field and all was quiet. After so much activity, it was hard to believe everyone had vanished. The sun was well and truly up at this point and the temperature was starting to rise. The power of the sun in New Mexico is one of the reasons that mornings are more reliable for ballooning than evenings. Storms can be a regular feature of late afternoon in this area, hence the problems for the glow.
Despite the occasional weather related changes, the fiesta is a fantastic event. The number of balloons, the variety of shapes and colours, the spectacle of so many balloons together in one place combined with the total accessibility for the spectators makes this one of those events that you may definitely want to add to the list of things to do. Having been once, I can certainly say this will not be my only visit!
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