albuquerque hot air balloon fiesta

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albuquerque, new mexico

is riding in a hot air balloon on your bucket list? if so, you need to plan to get to albuquerque new mexico this october (or any october) for the hot air balloon fiesta. this is truly a once in a lifetime experience to see what seems like thousands of hot air balloons rise into the sky just after sunrise on a chilly october morning. 

this is something i have been lucky enough to experience multiple times in my life. my parents have friends that own and fly hot air balloons and have been gracious enough to let us crew and fly with them. you can also sign up to crew for a hot air balloon for the fiesta. check out their website for more information. h

here is what a typical day looks like

early morning

one downside of this adventure is you have to wake up early. i’m talking way before sunrise early. i’m talking 4am early. once you have accepted this fact, you can get excited about being a crew for a hot air balloon!

once you arrive, park, and walk down to the field the day really begins. each hot air balloon pilot has a designated spot where you will meet your pilot. just before sunrise is the first display of hot air balloons called the dawn patrol. these are a handful of hot air balloons that stand up and take off at dawn to start the day of flight. 

morning

this is when all the action starts. the balloons get laid out and when the zebras come around it is your time to stand the balloon up and get ready for take off. the zebras are like referees for the day to make sure everyone is following the schedule and everything is going safely. 

the balloon gets laid out on the ground and attached to the basket also laid on its side. a large fan is used to fill the balloon with air and the torch in the basket heats the air to cause it to float and stand the basket and balloon up. it’s now time for take off! if you’re lucky you might even get to ride in the balloon! if you’re not riding, then you’re part of the chase crew. this is the vehicle that follows the balloon to be able to pack it all back up once it lands. 

albuquerque is a special balloon festival because they allow all spectators on the field while the balloons are preparing and taking off. lots of balloons have trading cards that kids (or grown ups) can collect. there are tons of vendors and food stands along one side of the park to keep everyone entertained if you aren’t part of a balloon crew too. 

i have helped back up balloons from random fields, yards, right back where we took off from, near, and far. you get to roll all the air out of the balloon and then pack it all up and head back to the field.

lunch

now is where the fun begins. at this point it is still pretty early in the morning, like 9 or 10 am, and it’s time to get the party started. back on the field now that the flight is done it’s time to eat and drink! there is normally a little ceremony for first time fliers if you’re lucky enough!

afternoon

once the party dies down the afternoon is yours to enjoy. albuquerque is a great town to explore and has lots of attractions and shopping in old town. santa fe is also just a short drive down the road for more shopping and southwest scenery. 

evening

there are lots of great restaurants in albuquerque to end your evening off right. we typically call it a pretty early night after our early morning. we also typically help for multiple days, so getting enough sleep is important!

on certain nights there are special events as part of the hot air balloon fiesta. one option is race balloons. these are super cool because they are shaped totally different from the other hot air balloons and they travel long distances. also some evenings is a glow. this is where lots of balloons stand up and glow, or light their torch, so people can walk around and enjoy looking at the beauty without the balloons actually taking off. 

potential problems

hot air balloons can be a bit fickle. they are extremely sensitive to weather and what most would consider a light breeze can keep everyone grounded and prevent flying. the same can be said for rain. fortunately the weather in new mexico is usually pretty good. 

this is an amazing experience and you still have time to plan a trip there this year! or you can always add it to your bucket list for the future.

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have you ridden in a hot air balloon? what did you think of my daily agenda for this hot air balloon fiesta? leave me a comment!