Now that fall weather is starting to settle in around the country, many of us are seeing hot air balloons floating around in the sky, particularly in the early morning. They are a beautiful sight to those of us on the ground, and if you’ve ever had the privilege of taking a hot air balloon flight, you know that the views from high in the sky are absolutely amazing! If you live in the Southwest, or if you are planning a trip there this fall, one not-to-be-missed event is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, where you will be able to see hundreds of hot air balloons in the skies above the region. If you’d like to go, here are the details:
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Getting There: This year, the Fiesta will be held on October 5 through 13. The event takes place at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque. It’s best to park and ride a bus into the event, because, with over 100,000 visitors attending the festival each year, parking spaces at the actual park are limited. There are various parking lots around the city, from the Intel and Lowe’s parking lots on the west side, to the Coronado Mall, Cliff’s Amusement Park, and Hoffmantown Church on the east side. There is no park-and-ride service on the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (October 7, 8 and 9) because crowds are typically the lowest on these days. The parking fee at the actual event is $10.
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Tickets: When you buy a ticket, it’s for a session. One session is either the morning or the afternoon of one day. The morning session begins at 4:30 am, and the afternoon session begins at 3:30 pm; almost everything is closed midday, and there are no launches at that time. Tickets for one session are $8 per adult, with children under 12 being free. You can also buy a five-pack of tickets for $35. If you want to park and ride, your general admission is included; the fees for this service are $20 for adults and $10 for children, or $12 and $6 respectively if you purchase them in advance.
- What to Bring: New Mexico is known for having bright, strong sun, and its high altitude can make it easy to get a sunburn, so don’t forget your sunscreen and sunglasses! The early morning will be quite chilly, but it will warm up fairly quickly, so you will want to dress in easy-to-remove layers. You can bring food and beverages into the park, but not alcoholic beverages. Carry water, particularly if you are not used to the aridness of the region. You can bring a lawn chair if you don’t mind carrying it; other seating is limited. Don’t forget your camera! You will be able to get spectacular photos, particularly at dawn and dusk.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a wonderful way to spend the crisp days of early October if you find yourself in New Mexico this fall. Between the gorgeous weather and the breathtaking balloon launches, it’s definitely one of the pleasures of the season in this area of the country!
