When thinking of aesthetically pleasing, picturesque scenes, hot air balloons floating through the sky is one of my first thoughts. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes this aesthetic to a whole new level, creating a 9-day festival where hundreds of hot air balloons are released into the sky, filling the air with incredible colors and unique designs.
This spectacle, held in October in the beautiful Albuquerque, New Mexico, attracts thousands of children and adults alike. There were a whopping 866,404 guests in attendance during last year’s event, demonstrating how popular this event really is.
During the nine days, there are about 588 hot air balloons sent up into the sky, with 671 pilots from around the world. This all started in 1972, when 13 balloons were gathered in the parking lot of the Coronado Center Mall in Albuquerque. Over time, this event morphed from a small anniversary celebration to a large festival environment with multiple events. In addition to the spectacular Mass Ascensions, the Balloon Fiesta has added several new events to the festivities: the annual Balloon Glow, the Night Magic Glow™, and the Special Shape Rodeo™. It is estimated that about 25 million photographs are taken of the Balloon Fiesta each year, repeatedly earning it the title “the world’s most photographed event”.
Although this is the largest hot air balloon festival, there are plenty of smaller versions of this festival around the world and in other states in the United States besides New Mexico, so there are plenty of options that may not be as spectacular, but could still satisfy the aesthetic of a hot air balloon filled sky.
If you chose to attend this festival, the tickets to get in general admission are very inexpensive, only about $10 per person if you buy them in advance. But of course, like any other festival of this sort, there are special packages for higher prices that give you better views, private bathrooms, and even hot air balloon rides as well.
All in all, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is an event that will take your breath away and leave you with Instagram post content for months. So, who’s taking a trip to New Mexico next October with me?
I actually have a friend who lives in Arizona who went to see this this year! I was astounded by all the bright colors which were truly picturesque against the bright blue desert sky. I would love to go see this some time, and hopefully even go up in a balloon!
I wonder how the logistics of hot air balloon travel work during the festival. There’s so many of them in the air that there must be some way of keeping track of all of them as well as preventing collisions. I hope there will not be any casualties during the festival so that it can continue to be a wonderful celebration.
Wow! This is so cool! I love all the unique designs on the balloons.
Those photos are so incredibly beautiful! I would love to go, and would especially love to ride one. I bet it is absolutely magical floating up into the air and being surrounded by so many colors, but the thought of collision is a bit scary.
I’ve seen pictures from this event all around the internet, and now I finally know what this is called! I’d love to go and see all of these hot air balloons drifting in the sky some day.