October 8, 2017
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

One of the reasons we left Colorado so late in the fall is so we could be in the Albuquerque area during the Balloon Fiesta (10/7 - 10/15). This was a bucket list item for us and today was the day. Yesterday we researched the event and purchased tickets online for today. We learned that it was recommended to not park at the Fiesta grounds but rather go to a park-n-ride location and take the bus in (great advice). The Fiesta is broken up into sessions (morning and evening) and you have to purchase tickets for each session (our total cost for the bus and morning session was $26.... can't beat that). The morning session starts around 5-5:30am and the evening session starts around 5 pm. There are a few different events at each session but all have the basic Balloon Glow and Mass Ascension. The Glow is where they fire the propane burners and make the balloons glow (obviously this happens in the dark or dusk). The Mass Ascension is where all the balloons launch. Food booths, gifts, arts, and souvenirs are numerous much like you find at a State Fair.

I can't tell you how difficult it was to pick just a few pictures out of the many we took. This was an amazing event that exceeded our expectations. If you have the opportunity to attend this event you will not be disappointed (tired because you had to get up at 3am, but not disappointed).