Balloon Fiesta 2005

For several years we have wanted to be in Albuquerque New Mexico for the annual Hot Air Balloon Festival that is held every Fall. We made reservations for 2004 but cancelled because we decided to do the AKA National Convention instead, but we made it in 2005.

The Balloon Fiesta is the largest hot air balloon event in the US, if not in the world. This year over 600 balloon teams came from all over the world to attend.

The Fiesta lasts for nine days and we were there for all of them. On each day there is a mass ascension shortly after sunup. Spectators flock to the launch area before dawn and chow down on breakfast burritos and hot coffee while waiting for the launch.





There is not much going on during the day but after the sun goes down the Balloon Glows take place. The balloons don’t fly at night but have synchronized “glows” while tethered to the ground. It is spectacular.

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There is parking for RVs on the Fiesta grounds. We had our choice of several camping areas ranging from the VIP sites on a hill overlooking the launch area at $175 per night to the "Standard" sites two miles away at $25 per night, with free shuttles to and from the field. We opted for the cheap one and it worked out great. They parked us on the edge of a large open field that is used for short-hop landings and for competition events such as the bombing run, where the balloonists try to drop a sack on a ground target. We had a grand view because the normal winds brought the balloons right over us. The photo below was taken from the roof of our motorhome.



We had a great time and plan on doing it again in 2006.