It’s always a good time to head to Albuquerque, New Mexico for Balloon Fiesta!

As I write this, the official countdown on the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2015 website reads: 0 days, 23 hours, 12 minutes, and 12 seconds remaining before lift-off on October 3, 2015.  What an exciting time for balloonists, fiesta organizers, and lucky ticket holders who will be making their way to the launch field for this year’s 44th annual “most photographed” balloon event in the world.

A beautiful globe balloon hits the skies at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta 2014.

We hope you’ve enjoyed our series on Balloon Fiesta based upon our four sessions we attended in 2014.  And although our two afternoon sessions were cancelled due to impending dangerous weather leaving us with no view of a Balloon Glow, we reveled in the colorful, awesome morning sessions we did see — the Special Shape Rodeo and Mass Ascension on the last day.

If you’re headed to Balloon Fiesta 2015 or any future fiestas, here are some tips that we wish we had known.  Most of them appear in tourist brochures readily available in hotel lobbies and in pages on the official website and make for “good to know” information.

• Dress in layers.  Early pre-dawn sessions begin with the Dawn Patrol firing up and launching into the darkness.  So if you’ve been on the field for a while waiting to capture that must-see event, you could be cold.  Jacket needed.  But once the sun comes up, you’ll be shedding those outer coverings quickly.  Get ready to peel!
• Bring seating if you want to be stationary.  Quilts on the ground, folding chairs, makeshift stools.  Doesn’t matter.  A limited number of picnic tables and benches are laid out at the edge of the field, but first-comers nab those quickly. You may want to bring your own resting place.  (Personal note:  We didn’t want to carry anything but our cameras, so we chose to stand most of the time.  But note to self:  If you want a chair, bring your own.)
• Think about food and drink before you leave home.  Yes, ample consumables are available on Main Street, even for early-morning coffee drinkers like us.  But in the excitement of it all, you may be dead center of hundreds of balloons far away from the
  

  Don’t be angry. Be prepared before you go!

  food vendors.  Pack your snacks with your other bring-alongs like jacket, camera, etc., and you’ll be ready for the long haul.

•  Examine the route and parking lot maps before you leave home or hotel.  The website contains excellent maps in the Guest Guide, so plan your route ahead of time.  Then watch the local TV stations for updates, especially on days of heavy traffic (e.g., Mass Ascension, Special Shape Rodeo, last day of fiesta, etc.).  Also, check the map for where to park if you have special needs.  If you qualify, you can get mighty close to the launch field just by finding the right parking spot.
• Check out other things to do.  Although we attended four sessions as General Admission folks, we found lots more categories and events on the website that we’ll look into if we return.  You may want to volunteer to help a crew, ride in a chase car, buy VIP tickets that offer food service while you view, or enter a competition such as the one featuring photos of various events.
• Attend more than one session.  With so many featured sessions — like Balloon
  

  Dawn Patrol — Balloon Fiesta 2014

  Glow, Dawn Patrol, Mass Ascension, etc., you’ll want to see several while you’re in the area. Not only that, inclement weather may shut down a launch, and you’ll be hoping you could be there for another shot at a successful lift-off.

• Be camera-ready.  First, be sure your camera batteries are charged and ready.  Second, bring more than one lens — you’ll want some all-encompassing shots of the mass ascensions but some close-up details, too.  For photo tips, be sure to check out the ones offered by Ken Slute on the website.  His posts cover camera settings, cropping advice, composition, and more.
• And our best advice — go early!  We can’t say this enough.  On our first morning, we left the hotel at 4:15 AM with time to spare when we arrived at the field.  But on the second morning, feeling secure with our route and knowledge of where to park, etc., we waited until 4:30.  Big mistake.  The last day of Balloon Fiesta is packed, and we missed Dawn Patrol while sitting in long, long lines of traffic.  So, be forewarned.  Leave early.

It’s up, up, and away at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta 2014.

We hope these tips will help you maximize your enjoyment at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta, but even if you don’t heed them all, we’re sure you’ll be simply amazed with the event anyway.  So, with that said, our best advice is HAVE  FUN.  Move around.  See all you can.  And take that obligatory balloon-coming-out-of-your-head shot.  Silliness is not only allowed, it’s encouraged.  Because we dare you to find anyone at Balloon Fiesta who isn’t smiling!

This giant galleon never made it into the skies last year, but it made for some fun shots at Balloon Fiesta 2014!

Best wishes for a great experience at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!

Sincerely,

Bert and Rusha

For more information:

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2015: http://www.balloonfiesta.com

Facebook:  Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2015: https://www.facebook.com/balloonfiesta?fref=ts

Additional posts in the Oh, the Places We See series on Balloon Fiesta:

Best advice for Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta:  Go early.  Really early. 

Pulling strings to launch the big ones:  Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

Yes, cows fly:  Special Shape Rodeo at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

Smiley faces all around at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

10 things to do if balloons don’t rise:  Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

Ready to launch at Balloon Fiesta 2014

OK.  So you’ve read our other four posts showing the glorious skies over Albuquerque filled with colorful balloons, and you really, really want to see this phenomenal event for yourself.  But bear with us as we bring reality to you:  Not all sessions at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta have successful lift-offs.  We know it’s sad.  But it happens.

See that yellow flag in the distance? That’s what you watch to see if it turns to red, calling off the Balloon Fiesta session.

We attended two afternoon sessions only to leave both of them with no balloons in flight anywhere.  Here’s the deal.  Balloon Fiesta officials fly a flag on Main Street.  Green means all conditions are favorable for lift-off.  Yellow means something may be afoot, and you need to watch the weather carefully.  Red, however, indicates the whole event — well the balloon part, at least — is a No Go.  Weather happens, you see: high winds, rain, you name it — safety comes first in launching balloons, and we respect that.

Sometimes you just have to make that long trek back to the parking lot without seeing a single balloon rise. But don’t worry. There’s lots to do while you wait and see.

So, what do you do at Balloon Fiesta when balloons don’t fly?  Well, as it turns out — a lot! Here are some first-hand activities that we enjoyed balloons or no balloons.

1. Watch strong guys carve wood.   The AIBF Chainsaw Carvers Invitational sets up at the end of Main Street.  And if seeing hot, tired, on-their-feet-all-day creative carvers isn’t enough, you can also bid for one of their wood creations.  From bears to eagles to New Mexico balloons, it’s a sight worth seeing!

2.  Pose for pictures.  Let your kid be an astronaut or be a kid yourself and gather round these strategically placed boards throughout the park.  After all, you know you want to send Facebook pics to the folks back home!

3. Buy something.  Big tents hold the latest t-shirts as well as key chains, pens, and patches to sew on your blue jean jacket.  And most of the stuff you can put on right there in the makeshift dressing rooms and wear out to the field!

T-shirts in all sizes, all colors at Balloon Fiesta 2014

Since both afternoon/evening sessions we attended were called off, we never saw Balloon Glow — a lineup of balloons all lit up at once! A t-shirt might be the next best thing!

4.  Zipline above the crowd.  The ZipIt crew will strap you in and send you off into the clouds.  They won’t, however, hold your hand.  You’re on your own for that!

5.  Walk on water.  Looked like fun to us, but don’t ask us for a first-hand testimonial.  You climb in a big see-through ball and roll around in a water-filled pit.  Fun for some.  Or at least it sounded like it!

Just as the sign says: Walk on Water!

6.  Be entertained.  With a big stage and ground-thumping sound system, you can pretty much hear the line-up of musicians all over the area.  And see the live screencast from the field.

Seen from afar, the concert stage at Balloon Fiesta 2014

7.  Collect pins.  Now, I normally don’t take pics of people’s chests, but Bernadine was quite proud of all the commemorative pins she had collected over the years.  In fact, as of October 2014 she hadn’t missed a single Balloon Fiesta!

Bernadine’s been to all Balloon Fiestas — and has the pins to prove it!

8.  Eat hearty.  We love festivals, hometown celebrations, and anything local where you can find foods of the area.  We don’t know if The Hot Boat and a Lotaburger qualify as gourmet samplings or even a representative taste of New Mexico, but we wanted to try them anyway!

It’s hot all right: The Hot Boat at Balloon Fiesta 2014.

Wouldn’t you want to buy a Blake’s Lotaburger from this young lady?!

9.  Thank the folks in charge.  At every turn, there were police officers, paramedics, volunteers, etc., who made sure Balloon Fiesta was safe for the thousands of onsite visitors, hoping for a good time and nothing more.

So grateful to those who want to make Balloon Fiesta a safe place for kids!

Approachable, too — the police on horseback allowed visitors to meet and greet.

10.  Watch the weather.  As we said before, weather conditions change rapidly.  On one of the afternoons we were there, the flag changed from green to yellow to red in just a couple of hours.  And you never know, you may make be lucky enough to catch a rainbow.

Greatness Awaits says the sign under the rainbow. And you never know . . . balloons may go up or not. Balloon Fiesta’s fun anyway.

Best wishes for great lift-offs while you’re at Balloon Fiesta.  But if balloons don’t rise, just know this:  you’ve got lots of options!

For more information:

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

For information on getting a refund when weather cancels a session, go here.

If you’ve been to Balloon Fiesta, let us know what you liked best.  And if you want to read our other posts, check ’em out here:

Best advice for Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta:  Go early.  Really Early.

Pulling strings to launch the big ones:  Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

Yes, cows fly!  Special Shape Rodeo at Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Smiley faces all around at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

Catching a selfie at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta 2014

My mom used to say she could be content just sitting in a parked car at the downtown square, watching the people go by.  And so I guess I’ve come by this pastime honestly.  If you, too, enjoy watching people, especially happy ones, you need to get yourself to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta — any session, any day.  ‘Cause happy people are everywhere you look.

Watching patiently as balloons lift off at daybreak.

Camera enthusiasts are some of the most focused people around — adjusting lenses, positioning their bodies up or down, and then wrinkling their faces to capture just the right angle for the best shot. (Sometimes I watch to see what they’re watching and then position myself in the same place for that same great shot.  Is that cheating?)

We saw some mighty big cameras at Balloon Fiesta 2014. No wonder it’s called the “most photographed event in the world.”

Others just enjoy sitting on the sidelines — taking pics and sending ’em on via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Havin’ a ball tweeting pics of balloons (and people, too) to the folks back home.

Balloon crews are also watchable.  Like this threesome taking on the responsibility of letting the air out.  That’s right.  Not all balloons go up.  This team went through the motions of ballooning, right down to the moment of lift-off, and then took it all down.  It’s something they do, they said, to educate the crowd.  (And we learned a lot!)

Letting the air out at Balloon Fiesta

Even the official Balloon Fiesta Launch Directors — ZEBRAS, as they’re known — have fun at Fiesta.  Who knew you’d see grown men with tails acting official but hamming it up with the crowd all the while!

No one, however, commanded any more attention than this guy — Steve Stucker, C0-host and Weatherman for KOB Eyewitness News 4 Today.  Even at 4:30 AM, Stucker smiled, pinched babies’ cheeks, greeted the crowd standing around him, and then delivered the news onsite just as he does all nine days of Balloon Fiesta.  When we weren’t watching this always smiling man, we were staring at the buttons he’s collected over the years of attending balloon events.  An article on KOB 4’s site says, “Steve jokes that he is the Most Photographed Human at Balloon Fiesta.”

KOB New 4 Anchor and Weatherman — Steve Stucker, the Most Photographed Human at Balloon Fiesta

So, if you like people watching along with balloon watching, you need to book a trip to Albuquerque during Balloon Fiesta.  You’ll be smiling right along with ’em!

For more information:

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: balloonfiesta.com 

Balloon Fiesta Photo Contest: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/event-info/photo-contest

Here’s lookin’ atcha!

Cows do fly . . . and stagecoaches, bees, fireplugs.  Yoda, too!  Just get to Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta on Special Shape Rodeo day and stand among the critters.  Big critters, that is!

It’s Special Shape Rodeo time!

In this third installment of our series on Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta (using our pictures from 2014), we’re showing you the absolute joy of standing on a launch site the size of 54 football fields gazing upward at some of the most unique, humorous, outrageous balloons anywhere.  Special Shape Rodeo day may be billed as a great day to bring the kids — and Albuquerque schools are out for Fall Break on October 8 and 9 this year when the rodeo lifts off — but it’s a great day to be any age at Balloon Fiesta.

You can’t believe you’re walking under a giant frog . . .

A crowd gathers under the big green frog at Balloon Fiesta 2014.

or that Humpty Dumpty isn’t ready to fall right on your head.

Of course, he’s upside down. He’s Humpty Dumpty!!

We even saw Elvis.  And then we heard people saying, “Elvis has left the field” as he floated into the blue. (They really did say that.  I’m not making this stuff up!)

Elvis as he leaves the field.

Of course, the crowd was held captive by Yoda’s spell and those all-knowing eyes.

Ah, those eyes. Those Yoda eyes.

And the Dreamland cow “moo-ved” from being a mere blob of white nylon to a real puffed- up farm animal.

Moovin’ on up: the Creamland Cow!

What do you think of these three lined-up bees ready for take-off?

Three bees in a row!

Are they chest-bumping?

Let’s hit it and then buzz off.

It’s a fun day — and everyone has favorite shapes they look for year after year.  What’s your favorite among the ones we were lucky enough to capture?

If you’re coming for Special Shape Rodeo days — or any day lift-off, for that matter — be sure to leave home early.  (Check the 2015 event schedule — they’re on for 7:00 AM on October 8 and 9.) This is one for the kiddos, but you grown-ups don’t want to miss any sights, sounds, and fun shapes either!

Special Shape Rodeo — what fun!!!

It’s a riot of color and odd combinations when special shapes hit the skies.  And all just part of the fun of Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

You have to see this to believe it!

For more information:

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta event schedule: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/event-info/event-schedule

Special Shape Rodeo information: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/event-info/special-shape-rodeo

Oh, the Places We See series on Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta:

Best advice for Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta:  Go early.  Really early. 

Pulling strings to launch the big ones: Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

We’re up!

Far be it from us to pretend to be experts on what makes a successful balloon launch.  But as we said in our first post in this series, Best advice for Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta, with just a plain ol’ general admission ticket (prices here) you can stand on the launch field and watch crews fire up the big ones right before your very own eyes.

Crew power!!!

We never observed the process from start to finish.  Since it was our first experience at Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, we had a hard time focusing: “Look here.  No, here.  Wait, there goes another one.  OMG!  They’ve almost got that orange one up.”  And so, we flitted — running even — to watch another and then another and another.

A crowded launch field as spectators move in to watch balloons lift off at the Special Shapes Rodeo.

Basically, though, launches go a little like this.  You spread out the balloon on top of a tarp on top of the field. Then you (and your best friends, family, and whoever else you can conscript) tilt the basket on its side while holding the strings attached to the balloon.

Initially, you get the balloon straightened out and hold the strings attached to the balloon.

You send up flames to heat the air and inflate the balloon — holding on, tugging, straightening.

Then you (well, some folks at least) check for tears, infirmities, places of stress, etc.

Checking the interior — one more time!

Add air. Hold on tight.

And then you get ready for the big upturn as the hot air balloon rises, positioning the basket upright, while the crew hangs on.

When the riders climb in, they give a signal that it’s time to launch.

Waving to the crowd and crew at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta.

And the crowd yells.  You, however, just stand there in awe of the magic of lift-off in the early morning air!

The crowd cheers on the Wells Fargo balloon as it nears lift-off!

Because basically that’s what we love to see — the up, up, and away part — as balloons float through the New Mexico skies to who knows where.  And you can’t take pictures fast enough!

Into the sky — at Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta

For more information:

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta: balloonfiesta.com

Guest Guide 2015

Early morning lift-off will leave you breathless!

We’re kicking off our series on the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta with pictures from the 2014 event and the best advice we can give you:  Get up at the crack of dawn (No — BEFORE the crack) and head to Balloon Fiesta Park early.  There’s an old saying:  You can’t soar with the eagles in the morning if you hoot with the owls at night.  And even if you’re young (which we’re not), a 4:00 AM alarm at home or in a hotel “comes atcha” pretty hard.  But you gotta do what you gotta do since seeing a morning balloon launch is nothing short of spectacular.

So much to take in during the wee hours of daybreak!

Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta (The 2015 event is October 3 – 11.) has grown from humble beginnings in a parking lot to the current location known as Balloon Fiesta Park, a 365-acre site.  The park includes a 78-acre launch field equivalent in size to 54 football fields!  With over 80,000 people driving the streets and interstates of Albuquerque, parking in vast lots, crowding onto Main Street for early morning coffee, and then staking out a spot on the field, you can kinda see what we mean when we say, “Go Early!”

Parking lots are packed even as early as 5:00 AM at Balloon Fiesta. Go early!

To be fair, here’s a plug for the folks who run this event.  From the volunteers to the bigwigs — this is one smooth operation!  TV announcers keep you informed of weather conditions and routes to take.  Street maps on the website point the way to Park & Ride locations (which open at 4:30 AM) or park yourself lots.  Specially reserved handicapped parking areas make accessibility a reality. And vendors, entertainers, and service people are up and at ’em with you, leading us to wonder just what time the people who make the coffee get there.  (Be sure to download Guest Guide 2015 for calendar, map, events, etc.)

Assembling on the launch field, spectators set out blankets, chairs, etc. Some, however, prefer the mobility of standing and moving in and among the balloons.

So, if you get up with the chickens, what’s the reward?  According to info on the web, “Balloon Fiesta, with 500+ balloons, is the largest ballooning event on earth, the most photographed event on earth, and the largest annual international event held in the United States.” Nothing to sneeze at, right?

Scenes like this are your reward for rising early and standing on Albuquerque’s launch field before dawn.

Speaking as first-timers who entered with plain ol’ general admission tickets last year, we felt the magic of the event immediately.  First, you stand with thousands on a huge field watching as trucks roll in and balloon teams unroll tarps on damp ground, filling their marked-off squares on the field with equipment.

Balloon enthusiasts are up early unrolling their balloons on tarps laid out on their designated spaces on the launch field.

Then, you hear the sounds of flames roaring upward as everything gets tested prior to use. And, if you’re lucky, someone who’s been there more often than you will explain the layout process, the mechanics of holding steady while huge fans force heated air inside colored nylon, and how warm air inside the balloons helps them soar through the morning coolness to points unknown. (We met several veterans of the fiesta who willingly shared their experiences over their morning cup o’ joe.)

Even routine tests of the equipment become special events to novices like us.

Your eyes adjust to the wee morning light, and you see the colors of the first balloons as the Dawn Patrol comes alive and takes off at 6:00 AM in darkness.

Floating skyward in the darkness, two of the early risers light up the sky.

Everywhere, people snap pictures, point in one direction and then another, and shout as teams lift off.  Launches can take time, but once balloons are up, they’re gone.  So you have to take pics quickly.  And it’s hard to keep track of which balloons are in what stage of the launching process.  You follow the colors, the herd-like movement of spectators, and the hurrays of the crowd at the joy of being in the midst of “the most photographed event on earth.”

Balloons are lined up and filled with warm air in the early morning darkness.

One of the first to lift off last year — the Fiji balloon of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity.

And then you just stand in awe as balloons and their riders leave the field, floating out of sight as they appear smaller and smaller in the distance.

Balloons float up and away, silhouetted in the morning sky.

So, look at your map the night before.  Lay out layers of clothes to brace the chilly, early morning air only to be peeled off when day breaks.  Pack up your camera, bottled water and snacks, if you wish.  Roll up a blanket if you want to sit on the sidelines and watch the skies fill with color.  And, by all means, set your alarm.  You HAVE TO get up early!

The reward for rising early? Beautiful lighted balloons against gray morning skies.

For more information:

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta website

2015 Guest Guide with Schedule of Events, maps, admission, parking tips

2014 Photo Contest winners with great pictures of the Dawn Patrol

Boomer Travel:  You’re in luck, if you’re headed to Balloon Fiesta!

• Seniors over 62 enjoy reduced pre-event admission of $10 (Regular admission is $12.)
• Handicap parking on a hard surface is available close to the launch field for the same parking fee as regular lots.  The event posts the availability of a limited number of scooters and wheelchairs.

Be aware, however, that the park is enormous.  Distances from the parking lot, down main street, and from one end of the field to the other can be challenging.

Twitter:  Follow @balloonfiesta for photos, updates and info related to this year’s event!

Facebook:  Several sites for Balloon Fiesta 2015 are on Facebook.

Here’s looking at you, Balloon Fiesta 2015! We’re ready to launch!

With only a few days remaining before Balloon Fiesta 2015 officially begins on October 3rd, we’re launching a series of posts based upon our experiences at the 2014 event.

Spanning the days of October 3 to 11, Balloon Fiesta 2015 promises more color, more variety, more excitement . . . well, more of everything.  But even if you can’t make it to Albuquerque, New Mexico, we hope you’ll enjoy taking a look back with us and reading more of what makes this event one of our all-time special travel memories.

Filling the sky with colorful balloons over Albuquerque, New Mexico: Balloon Fiesta 2014

So, come along with us in the next few days as a prequel to one of New Mexico’s finest events.  There’s definitely a lot to see!

One of the best events in the USA: Albuquerque’s International Balloon Fiesta

For more information:

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta 2015: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/