Albuquerque's International Balloon Fiesta: A Brief History

Mass Ascension, by a4gpa.flickr

Did you know that Albuquerque, New Mexico is home to the biggest hot air balloon festival in the world? This annual nine-day event in early October brings thousands of people from all over the world to see over 500 colorful balloons of all shapes and sizes take to the skies over the city and the surrounding desert, while local resident can observe the spectacle from the comforts of their own backyards. The festival has become a major income source for the city, and has been inextricably linked into local New Mexican culture, with balloon imagery being found everywhere from fine art to state licence plates. Besides the possibility of a leisurely flight overlooking the Land of Enchantment and Albuquerque's beautiful Sandia Mountains, or a breathtaking sunset float, the International Balloon Fiesta also has much to offer for those who wish to remain earthbound. From nighttime glow sessions to the celebrated mass ascensions, where hundreds of balloons fill the sky, the aerial activities imbue the city with a palpable sense of magic and frivolity that is shared by anyone that can look up. But how did hot air ballooning and New Mexico become such an iconic pair?

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In 1972, 770 KOB Radio was celebrating its 50th year on the air, and station manager Dick McKee was tasked with planning the festivities. Hoping to draw large crowds to promote the business, he looked up New Mexico's first hot air balloon owner, Sid Cutter, to see if the balloon could be used celebration. In the course of their conversation, Cutter informed McKee that the largest number of balloons on record had been a gathering in England of 19. Deciding to attempt to break the record, and with the help of Oscar Kratz, the men contacted balloonists all over the country, receiving commitments from 21 pilots. Though weather problems hindered some from attendance, 13 balloons showed up for the event, which was held at the Coronado Mall and drew in 20,000 onlookers. The three organizers also instituted the Roadrunner-Coyote balloon race, which is still a favorite today. In this event, one balloon is the roadrunner, while the chase balloons are the coyotes. The coyote who can land closest to the roadrunner is declared the winner.

Forsaken Fotos.flickr

Due to the event's overwhelming success, the city decided to host a World Hot Air Balloon Championship the following year, eventually making the decision to create an annual event. From this time on the Balloon Fiesta has continued to grow, finding a home at the Balloon Fiesta Park built on the northeast edge of Albuquerque, and expanding into the largest balloon convention on Earth. By 2000, there were over 1000 registered balloons participating in the festival, causing concern to city officials due to new development and loss of previous landing zones. For this reason, the maximum number of participating balloons has been set at 600. Launches and light shows are often watched by over 100,000 festival go-ers on the Park grounds, with large crowds gathering at landing sites scattered throughout the city as well. In 2005, the Balloon Park opened the doors to a beautiful museum dedicated to the history and science of hot air ballooning, that offers a fascinating and hands on look at balloons, their inventors and pioneers as well as the pilots and crews who have made the sport what it is today.

Albuquerque Box, by drumlineramos.Wikipedia

A major part of the success of the Balloon Fiesta are the predictable wind patterns known as the Albuquerque Box, as well as the city's cool October morning temperatures. The box is so called because at higher elevations the winds tend to blow from the north, while at lesser heights heights it blows from the south. This allows pilots to fly in a box pattern to put the balloon back down in the same spot from which it was launched, a quality especially important for competitions that involve hitting targets on the ground. Another major factor in the festival's success is the powerful visual aesthetics that balloons, especially in such large numbers, can evoke. The Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed events in the world, and for this reason has been sponsored by leading film companies for years, including Kodak and Canon.

The 2018 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place from October 6th-14. Check out the website for more info and tickets: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/