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Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta – Part 1

written by Amanda October 8, 2014

If you’ve never been to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, this is definitely one to put on the bucket list! Words and photos can only go so far in conveying just how awesome this event is. To truly experience the balloon magic you have to see it for yourself.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Let the Fiesta begin!

If you are planning to attend one of these years (and have an RV) I would highly recommend joining an RV group so you can camp near the field. The traffic getting in and out of the balloon park is rumored to be horrific at peak hours, and we witnessed some ridiculously long lines for the shuttle buses, making us very happy that our house was only a few minutes walk from all the action. There are numerous RV groups who attend the event, or you can go out on your own and pay $85/night to park where we were in the VIP RV section, or $30/night across the street near the landing field.

We joined the Airstream group and paid a total of $340 for four nights of camping in an ultra premium location (the Airstreams in the front row had a view of the field), plus two Fiesta passes good for 4 days. The break down was $70/night for camping and $64 worth of tickets. A few people have asked how we joined up with the Airstream group, so I thought I would give a quick run down. We knew some folks who attended last year and heard that to get in you needed to reserve early, so last winter Tim started watching the Balloon Fiesta thread on the Airforums, and when the time came we requested a sign up form. The Airstream gathering is put on by the Four Corners region of the WBCCI (The official Airstream club), but it’s open for non-members as well. We’re not members, but we do enjoy the Airstream community, and above and beyond seeing all the balloons were excited to attend a large gathering of our fellow aluminum lovers. They only have space for 200 trailers, so if you want to join be sure to get your form and deposit in early!

The official start of the Balloon Fiesta was on Saturday, but for us the fun started Friday morning when we met up with the Airstream group at Camping World. Instead of allowing all 200 Airstreams to arrive at the Balloon Park by themselves, creating a dis-organized cluster of trailers all trying to park at once, we were instructed to meet at Camping World between 7 and noon on Friday morning. From there they lined us up and we caravanned over to the balloon field in groups of 10. We coordinated with the two couples that we met last week in Santa Fe so we could be in the same caravan and park next to each other at the Fiesta. We also added another vacationing couple from Wisconsin, John & Terri, to our group.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

All lined up at Camping World

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Caravan to the Fiesta

We were told that it didn’t matter what time you got to Camping World because all the spots in the VIP RV parking section were equally good. I think that might be stretching it a bit, because even though it was just a large parking lot, some spots are most definitely better than others. We know because we got one of the worst. Even though we pulled into CW at 9:00 we were one of the last groups to be parked, and consequently ended up in the last spot in the very last row of Airstreams next to the parking lot for the Balloon Museum. Behind us was another parking lot that filled with cars everyday for the early morning and evening festivities. To a certain extent it was fun to be on the end because lots of people stopped to talk to us about Airstreams while we were sitting outside.

The annoying part was that all those people who parked in the lot behind us used our front yard as a walkway. This was most aggravating at 5 am when people started arriving to see the early morning balloons. To be fair, most people probably didn’t consider that there were real people sleeping inside those trailers only steps away from where they were talking VERY loudly, slamming their car doors, locking and re-locking their cars while making those high pitched beeping noises, and shuffling their feet on the pavement past our bedroom windows. We can’t complain too much though, because we did end up parking with our group of friends who all have solar panels, so at least our section was free of loud generator noise. And it is a parking lot, so I guess we shouldn’t have expected much in the way of a peaceful night’s sleep.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Our spot at the end of the row

There were no balloon events on Friday, so after settling in we spent the remainder of the afternoon checking out all the Airstreams and getting to know some of our fellow streamers. In our travels we tend to meet mostly full-time Airstreamers who gravitate toward the newer Airstreams, with the 27′ FB model being the most popular. While this is a great choice for full-timing with a roomy layout and a modern interior, they all pretty much look the same. So we enjoyed the opportunity to see some other models- especially the older, highly polished ones.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Love those older shiny trailers!

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

A whole lotta aluminum

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

A trailer with the Airstream motto, a new Interstate model next to a 70s trailer, a rare AS with a slide out, the Normal Rockwell edition

At four o’clock we wandered over to the central gathering place in the middle of the Airstreams to check in and receive our tickets. Check-in was followed by a catered New Mexican dinner with lots of announcements about what to expect over the next few days. We met some new people at dinner, including a younger couple from Florida, Sarah & Frank, who are on a two week vacation in their super cute, super tiny, 16′ Airstream Bambi.

After dinner the gathering broke up and we headed back to our section of the parking area with our new friends in tow. We also hooked up with film maker Eric Bricker who we spotted earlier when we pulled into the Balloon Park. We first met Eric last November when he came out to Lake Mead to film us and some other Airstreamers for the documentary he’s making all about Airstreams and Airstream culture. It was great to see him again, and I can’t wait to see the film when it comes out!

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Gathering for dinner and drinks

Everyone retired fairly early on Friday night in anticipation of an early start on Saturday. Sure enough, the day started bright and early. Well…not really bright since it was still dark when we were awoken by the previously mentioned hordes of elephants, I mean people, walking past our bedroom window. It was only 5 am, and we hadn’t intended to get up until 6 and then wander down to the field for the Dawn Patrol balloons that were set to fly at 6:30. Not sure why all those people arrived so early, but the noise of their feet and voices, combined the many helicopters hovering overhead (they go up early to test the wind speeds), meant we were up for good. So we dressed in warm layers and headed down to the field. Just as predicted the first balloons went up around 6:30, and since we had plenty of time to walk down there, we ended up in the perfect position to watch them inflate and rise.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

First Balloons of the day

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

And they’re off!

After the Dawn Patrol we wandered around the field, weaving our way through hordes of people and balloons in all stages of inflation. One of the coolest things about the fiesta is that us spectators are allowed to walk around the field amongst the balloons. It was totally thrilling to stand next to these giants as they inflated and rose into the sky. At 7 am the national anthem was sung and the Mass Ascension began. This event is exactly what it sounds like. A mass amount of balloons ascending into the sky in waves. The first wave to go up were the balloons for hire that people paid big bucks to ride in. I would love, love, love to ride in a hot air balloon one day, but I don’t think this is the place to do it. For one, the price is far more than what you would pay on a normal day, and for two, the scenery around Albuquerque is…well, let’s just say not too scenic. So we’ll save that adventure for another time. This week we were more than happy to simply watch from the ground.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Balloons getting ready

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Hold on!

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Here birdy, birdy…

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

People & Balloons

As the balloons rose into the morning sun, we slowly made our way through the crowd to met up with fellow RVers, Brenda & Hector. We first met them last winter and were very happy to learn they would be at the Fiesta. They are also staying onsite not too far from us with one of the Escapees RV groups. In addition to snagging a great parking spot right next to the landing field, they also volunteered to be part of the balloon crew who helps launch the balloons. Which is where we caught up with them. Hector, of course, was multi-tasking by taking what are sure to be spectacular photos while helping with the balloon launch.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Hector doing his thing, inside the balloon, up it goes

The mass ascension was well under way at this point with hundreds and hundreds of balloons floating up into the air. The crowd on the field was was dense, and with nearly every person pointing a camera or cell phone at the sky, your really had to watch out you didn’t get bumped or knocked over. It was also really, really easy to lose your friends in a crowd like this. At one point Tim wandered off, and I decided to simply stand in one place, hoping he would find me again.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Beautiful balloons

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

People & balloons everywhere!

Some of our favorite balloons were the special shapes and funny faces.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Balloons of all shapes & sizes

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

An angry bird, pirate and fire hydrant

Many of the special shapes never made it off the ground. We heard there’s a window of time they have to take off by, and obviously they didn’t all make it. We still enjoyed seeing them inflated on the field.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Some of the balloons that never made it off the ground

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Hey it’s us!

By 10 am the mass accession had come to an end, the crowds were thinning out, and we wandered home for some much needed relaxation in anticipation of the busy evening ahead. After a day of rest and napping we hosted a small gathering at our place before the evening activities began. All the same characters from the night before joined us with the addition of Kate’s mom & boyfriend who were visiting from the UK, and Brenda & Hector.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Good times with friends in the parking lot

The evening event was called the Twinkle, Twinkle Glow. What was supposed to happen was an impressive show of tethered balloons all lighting up at once giving us a twinkling show of lights. In reality, the wind had picked up and only a few balloons were able to inflate and light up. We walked around with Brenda & Hector for a bit oohing and awing at the few balloons that did manage to inflate.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Twinkle Twinkle Glow

After the glow we somehow managed to find the rest of our group in time for the fireworks. It was a pretty good show, but the flood lights on the field were kind of distracting and made it hard to take photos. I managed to get only one good one.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Fireworks

After the show we wandered home and tried to rally for a final gathering. It was obvious that everyone was exhausted from the early morning wake up, and no one lasted much past ten. Since we planned to get up and do it all over again the next day, an early bed time was probably a good idea.

I’ll have another post chronicling the next two days of the Fiesta up by the end of the week, after I finish going through another batch of nearly 1000 photos :)

 

19 comments
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Amanda

previous post
Back at the Santa Fe Skies RV Park
next post
Balloon Fiesta – Part 2

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19 comments

Laura Domela October 8, 2014 - 12:22 pm

So cool you guys!! Great shot of you two, too.

Reply
Amanda October 8, 2014 - 1:58 pm

Thanks Laura! It was such an amazing experience.

Reply
Leigh October 8, 2014 - 1:45 pm

That’s so awesome you got to see Eric, any word on when his film will be released?

Reply
Amanda October 8, 2014 - 1:58 pm

I forgot to ask him. But we’re going to meet up again when we’re in Austin next week, so I’ll be sure to bug him about it :)

Reply
Laurel October 8, 2014 - 2:33 pm

What a fun and colorful time! It’s probably been 10 years since we were there — your photos make me want to go back, even though it was insanely crowded and freezing cold in the mornings. My favorite is the Dawn Patrol — you captured it wonderfully in your photos.

Reply
Amanda October 9, 2014 - 9:38 am

The Dawn Patrol was my favorite as well. What a thrill to see them light up in the dark. I think we got lucky with the weather, because it was warmer than normal which meant chilly in the morning, but not for long.

Reply
Ingrid October 8, 2014 - 4:58 pm

Looks like a fabulous time. We may put it on our schedule next year. It’s always fun running into Brenda and Hector and although I look forward to his amazing shots, you did pretty good yourself capturing the event.

Reply
Amanda October 9, 2014 - 9:42 am

You should absolutely try to attend next year. It’s one of the coolest things I have ever done. It was wonderful to see Brenda & Hector again. Thanks for the compliment on the photos. We both took tons and I spent hours going through them to choose the best.

Reply
Karen from NM October 8, 2014 - 10:07 pm

Wonderful photos! Great description of an awesome event. When we were driving back from Scottsdale, we saw the fireworks as we passed through Albuquerque and thought of you. I totally agree that the Balloon Fiesta is a once in a life time, absolutely must see event. We’ve been three times and it never gets old or less enchanting. Look forward to your next batch of photos. Love the pics!

Reply
Amanda October 9, 2014 - 9:45 am

How cool that you saw the fireworks. The ones on Sunday night were much better than Saturday. As you said, this is a must attend event. I have a feeling we’ll be back again some other year.

Reply
heyduke50 October 9, 2014 - 5:36 am

simply awesome…

Reply
Amanda October 10, 2014 - 2:11 pm

It sure was!

Reply
LuAnn October 9, 2014 - 10:10 am

I have been to a few balloon festivals over the years but never this one. It is still on my bucket list and after seeing your gorgeous photos, I need to bump it up higher on the list I think. Many years ago in Scottsdale AZ I was a part of the launch crew for a balloon and at the last second one of the guys reached out his hand and pulled me into the basket. It was so cool! Looking forward to seeing your next post.

Reply
Amanda October 10, 2014 - 2:12 pm

Yup, you need to move it to the top of the list! I think if we went again we would volunteer to crew so we can have a chance to go up in one. What fun!

Reply
Gary & Blanche Thomas October 9, 2014 - 1:38 pm

Great photos & Sorry we missed you as we have followed your blog. We were on the opposite end of your row. Not only loud people but worker bees running back & forth on 4 wheelers. This is our 3rd year and we always have a blast. Hope you did too.

Reply
Amanda October 10, 2014 - 2:14 pm

So sorry we didn’t have a chance to meet. It was hard to talk to everyone in such a large group. I can imagine it was loud at the other end of the row as well. How fun that you’ve been 3 times! We hope to go back again someday.

Reply
Mona Liza October 18, 2014 - 12:23 pm

This has been on the bucket list! And thank you for your tip about joining a group if we so decide to go there in a couple of years.
Too bad you got the worst spot of what they say are all good spots :)
I can imagine the time you browse through all your great colorful pictures.

Reply
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About The Watsons

About The Watsons

This is the story of Tim & Amanda. Since 2012, we have traveled the U.S. while living and working from our renovated 25-foot Airstream. Follow us on our crazy journey in search of beautiful scenery, fun adventures, interesting people, tasty foods, and more…

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