DID YOU KNOW? For nine days every year in October, over 800,000 people descend on Albuquerque, New Mexico for the world’s largest hot air balloon celebration. It started in 1972 with 13 balloons, and was largest in the year 2000 with over 1,000 balloons launched. Due to shrinking land availability since then, registration has been limited to around 600 balloons with 700 pilots. Over 50 countries are now represented each year in both pilots and tourists. This fiesta has grown to include live music, night-glows, special balloon shape events, skydive shows, drone shows, fireworks, chainsaw carving competitions, and a long row of vendors. The fiesta is livestreamed on numerous platforms and viewed by thousands who can’t attend in person. 2022 was the 50th anniversary of this incredible experience.
We were so excited to finally make it to this event, as it was the only pre-planned part of
our trip, and there were several times we thought we might have to abort…but we made it!
God was totally in every detail of how we made it there, but I’m going to leave that story for
Mom to tell in a guest post!
We pulled into Albuquerque on Friday afternoon in time for the final weekend of the
fiesta. Parking in the driveway of some awesome folks who let us drydock at their house, we
hiked 2 miles to the fiesta location for the evening session. The first event we watched was the
afternoon skydive show by Team Fastrax, the world’s largest professional parachute
demonstration team.
A team of six jumpers exited the plane at high-altitude, looking like little more than
white specks. One unfurled a 500 square foot American flag, and another displayed a 250
square foot Balloon Fiesta flag. Within a short time, two of the jumpers somehow connected
and fell towards the ground at an extremely rapid speed while shooting off red, white, and blue smoke before suddenly breaking apart and drifting into the landing zone. The remaining two jumpers towed patriotic streamers behind them and hung out in the sky longer than the others, showing off their skills through spirals, loops, and more. This was the first time any of us had watched a skydiving performance and we were definitely impressed.
The next event, which was also the main event of the evening, was what is termed a
Glow-deo, which features the lighting of hundreds of special-shaped hot air balloons after
sunset. While they do not lift off, it was an incredible introduction to the fiesta! We have been
to Indianola, Iowa Balloon Festival a couple of times, but were in total awe of the number of
balloons here (and that would prove to be a small fraction of the number that would lift off the
next morning…but I’m getting ahead of myself). There were movie characters like Tom & Jerry, Tweety Bird, Darth Vader, and Yoda. There were animals such as cows, bears, dogs, and dinosaurs. There were massive balloons and smaller balloons. And did I mention the number of people!?! Folks, I have never seen so many people in one place in my life! There was no such thing as personal space in this crowd. We were very glad that we wore our matching bright yellow shirts, because it made keeping track of one another so much easier in that massive crowd.
After the Glow-deo, Team Fastrax did a night jump with another six jumpers exiting the
plane. Two of the jumpers connected within seconds and let off a stream of fire as they dove
toward the ground before breaking apart to land. The four single jumpers remained high in the
sky and began shooting off fireworks from the legs of their diving suit! This was a huge surprise to us! As if jumping out of a plane at night wasn’t enough, these guys put on an incredible pyrotechnic performance!
Fascinated by this dangerous feat, I did some research and here’s what I found. Team
Fastrax is the only skydive company to engage in real pyrotechnic demonstrations while in
flight. The idea supposedly arose when they were considering what they could do to set
themselves apart from other skydiving performances…allegedly, someone suggested “we could set ourselves on fire!” and the idea was born. Other skydive groups use theatrical pyrotechnics, which means there is no risk involved. In order to even be considered for this special elite group, Team Fastrax jumpers must have completed at least 2,000 successful jumps. For this particular type of pyrotechnics show, the divers strap 25lbs of fireworks to each leg, and at a specific altitude they will press a button on their suit’s chest that sends an electrical pulse to set off the fireworks. Obviously, jumping out of a plane with live explosives is a dangerous stunt and divers must be careful that their parachute doesn’t go up in flames. The temperature in their immediate surroundings can go up 6 degrees instantaneously, and, in addition, the fireworks can easily disorient the diver…particularly during night-jumps. And you thought my family was crazy for packing 8 people, 2 dogs, and 5 instruments into a 32-foot RV…these guys take crazy to whole new level!
After this stunning performance, there was an 11-minute drone show that featured 500
drones moving in perfect synchronization with each other to create 3D content including hot air balloons, running bison, Marvin Martian and more. The programing for this short show takes about 60-80 hours. Placing the drones in their precise GPS location before the show is difficult, but once they are laid out, all it takes is the click of a button and the show begins. It was really neat to watch this impressive technological wonder (although, not as impressive as the pyrotechnic skydivers) and the audio that accompanied it added to the experience.
The last event of the night was a fireworks display, but since it was already late and we
still had a 2-mile hike back to the RV, we decided to skip the fireworks and catch them on
Saturday night. We saw some of them as we walked, but getting back to the RV for some sleep was the main priority since we’d be having an early morning the next day in order to watch the Dawn Patrol lift off.
On Saturday morning, our parents woke up at 3:30am to drive the RV to the fiesta
parking lot. They’d been told on Friday that the only way to get a parking spot was to arrive
before 4:00am, so that is what they set out to do. The rest of us stayed in bed, although I
personally awoke as soon as they started the engine. I suspect some of the other older kids did
as well. The littles slept soundly until they were awakened at 5:00am. They weren’t happy
about the early morning, but we wanted to be among the first to arrive so that we didn’t get
stuck amidst the morning rush at the gate! We caught the shuttle and arrived at the gate to find
an enormous crowd already gathered! The one good thing about being in the middle of the
large crowd was that it was a little easier to stay warm :)
The Dawn Patrol lifted off earlier than scheduled, so we missed the actual launch, but it
was really cool to walk through the gate and look up at the balloons glowing in the morning
darkness.
Shortly after we arrived, a row of Krispy Kreme sponsored balloons inflated and
would set off bursts of flame to keep the balloon inflated but not lifted off. As time passed,
many other balloonists arrived and laid out their balloons and baskets but didn’t inflate. It was
as if they were waiting for something. Shortly after 7:00am, a single balloon lifted off and
unfurled an American flag. The Star-Spangled Banner came on over the loudspeakers and all
turned to face the lone balloon with the flag. This, in itself, was beautiful, with thousands of
tourists and balloonists honoring the flag. But the ultimate cherry-on-top was when the
National Anthem ended and fighter jets flew overhead in formation while hundreds of balloon
pilots performed what’s called a candlestick glow.
This stirring experience was quickly followed by the mass inflation and ascension of
hundreds more balloons. We thought the Glow-deo was incredible, but this mass ascension
blew that event out of the water. As soon as one balloon lifted off, another inflated in its place
and the process repeated. They were inflating right next to one another, playing a constant
game of bumper balloons while their crew tried keep them from floating away before the pilot
was ready. I don’t remember how long this went on, but it was an awe-inspiring sight to look
skyward and see hundreds of balloons hovering above us.
As the balloons eventually floated off into the distance or began landing near the field,
there was another skydive performance. Then preparations for another exciting event began…
a Ring of Fire solar eclipse! This is the first time in the International Balloon Fiesta’s history that
their event has lined up with the location and timing of an eclipse, so, of course, mid-morning
was dedicated to watching the space action. The 44th Army band performed jazzy space-themed music, and a couple big-name weather folks talked about the importance of this event. NASA handed out 80,000 free solar eclipse glasses and we watched as the moon and sun intersected to form what’s known as the Ring of Fire. (And yes, I had Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash stuck in my head most of the day, LOL). There was supposed to be a special select-balloon lift off during the eclipse, but increasing wind prevented this so instead pilots opted to do another candlestick glow at the culmination of the eclipse.
After the eclipse, crowds cleared out for awhile and we finally wandered the vendor
aisle for a couple hours checking out the wares and talking to people. It was fun to see the
variety of items being sold, as well as comparing prices of similar items from tent to tent (this
also made bartering an option, which is something we haven’t experienced before.) After a
quick trip back to the RV, we returned and ran into some security issues for the first time. It
might surprise some of you to learn that I always carry a knife with me, and for the last two
sessions, I had taken it through security without issue. This time, they confiscated it…apparently they were having a special concert on one end of the field and so security was extra secure. I wasn’t happy, since it was a brand-new knife that my siblings gave me for my birthday and it feels wrong to not have a knife attached to me, but the manager hung it on his backpack and promised I could pick it up when I left in the evening. (We walked by later that afternoon and saw his backpack hanging at the security desk…I wasn’t the only one to have a knife confiscated. That guy had quite a collection going.)
Anyway, we headed to the afternoon event: a chainsaw carving competition…which turned out to be a bit of a letdown. There were only two guys actually working on anything, and since it was close to the end of the fiesta, there wasn’t any competition, and they were just putting final touches on earlier projects. After watching for a few minutes, we found a shady spot to relax for an hour or so until the evening’s skydive drop and balloon night-glow.
It was very special to walk among the hundreds of balloons as they lit their flames. Pilots
often hand out little trading cards with pictures and facts about the balloon, so the littles (and a
few bigs) had a blast collecting them. They finished out the weekend with over 60+ cards each!
Fun side note: In one corner of the field was a balloon called “The Risen Christ by the
Sea” with a ‘Jesus’ face on it. By the time we made it to that balloon, they were out of trading
cards, but we took a picture with the pilot who loved our bright yellow “Let’s Talk about Jesus”
shirts. The joke was that we should have been his crew…Ironically, lots of people kept asking us for Jesus balloon cards, even when we were all the way across the field from that balloon. It
would have been the perfect opportunity to hand out little tracks, had we come prepared.
Anyway, after the night glow was another pyrotechnic skydive. We were actually able to
find spots near their landing location and it was really neat to watch them land their
parachutes. Five of the six wore light-up body suits, and one diver actually made a very precise landing within a small circle of lights. It was pretty impressive!
We watched one final drone show on Saturday night and then stuck around for the
fireworks this time. It was really neat to watch the fireworks explode while listening to music
over the loudspeakers. One awesome aspect of this firework display that we haven’t ever
encountered before was the massive fireball that all the firework tubes shot off at once, lighting
up the field and sky in a momentary orange glow! I tried to get a picture, but missed the actual moment of launch and instead caught the eerie orange explosion… We debated posting these pictures on Facebook with the caption “Armageddon?” But we didn’t want to make y’all think you missed the Rapture :)
The goal after the firework display was to immediately make it out to the RV so we
could get to bed right away, before another early morning…but on the way back, we heard
some good ol’ fashioned country music coming from the main stage. Of course, Mom and Dad
had to check it out, and when they found a large grassy area open, it seemed like the perfect
opportunity to relive some of their old dancing days. So, while we young folks watched and
kept track of the two little boys, the parents had a blast dancing to a few songs. Eventually
though, the day’s exhaustion caught up and beds began calling everyone’s name. Plus, I was
itching to reclaim my awesome knife :)
Sunday morning, the final session of the fiesta, proved to be a bit of a bust (and a very
cold one too) when the mass ascension had to be canceled due to high winds. Plans were to
have a morning-glow instead…but most pilots couldn’t even get their balloons inflated. So
instead, most just did candlestick glows, where large crowds gathered to enjoy the momentary
blasts of heat.
Eventually, we decided our exciting time at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
had come to an end. We bid adieu to some friends we made over the weekend (who were from Minnesota and actually had a mutual friend with our parents) and pulled out of the Fiesta
grounds. The Fiesta was a blast for the whole family and we made many memories. Who
knows? Maybe someday we’ll make it back for another year of hot air-balloon fun! I know my
whole family would love that, but we’ll see what God has in store.
Thanks for sticking with me to the end of this extremely long post. I know it’s been
awhile since I last wrote and so much has happened, but don’t worry…the next few posts won’t be nearly this long.
Until next time, God bless!
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