Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2014 (Recap)
We’re one month away from one of my favorite time of the year: balloon fiesta time! I shared a few photos with you from last year’s Albuquerque Aloft (a really cool event they have where balloons lift off from local elementary schools), but as I was scrolling through my Facebook albums and realized I never showed you the other days of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Talk about pregnancy brain! Since we’re one month away from this year’s fiesta, I figured I wouldn’t let my old pictures just collect dust, so I’m sharing them with you today.
This year, the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta takes place from October 3ā11, and I seriously can’t wait to see all the beautiful balloons dot the gorgeous dessert sky. The hardest part about going to the balloon fiesta is sitting in traffic. The balloons all lift off from the 360-acre Balloon Fiesta Park, but getting there is half the battle. If you even want a chance of getting there before they take off, you have to get going long before the sun wakes up, and there’s a good chance you’ll sit in traffic for quite awhile since practically everyone in the city is attempting to go to the same place at the same time.
Once you finally arrive, the atmosphere is electrifying. There’s just so much excitement (literally) in the air, that even though it’s usually pretty frigid, and you may park a mile away, you don’t even care.
Watching hundreds of balloons inflate, lift off, and float right in front of you is simply astonishing.
The balloons look like sprinkles floating in the sky, and they travel wherever the wind takes them. We went down to the park a few days, and we also found a super-secret, totally awesome spot to view the balloons from (and I’m crossing my fingers it’s still there this year). Here are a couple videos I took and posted to Instagram from outside the park:
Balloon watching! This girl loves balloons! #julesgrace #balloonfiesta A video posted by jessica lynn (@jesstagirl) on
Around 600 balloons from around the world come to this event, and while the traditional balloons are always pretty to see, my favorites are the special shapes. During the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, there’s a special “Special Shapes Rodeo” where only the special-shaped balloon launch. Seeing all of the fun balloons seriously makes me like a giddy school girl.
Oh yeah, and last year a couple Star Wars characters made their first Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta appearance! I even manage to get an up-close-and-personal view:
My absolute favorite balloons are the bees. These bees are just adorable. They usually float and hold hands, and sometimes the pilots will even bring them together for a kiss. The best part is that they had a little baby bumblebee a few years ago, and she flies with them, too!
You guys, I know these pictures aren’t the bestāthey’re not edited, they’re not with my good camera, and I was more focused on watching them instead of taking pictures, but I wanted to give you a glimpse at one of my favorite things in the world.
Next month when I’m there, you better bet your bottom dollar that I’m taking my big girl camera in hopes of getting some great shots.
Until next time (like a month from now)…
This is so cool!!
We went when I was in 4th grade and then my parents went back without us the next year. I sorta remember it, but not too much. I’d love to go back! My husband is not into stuff like this at all though.
This is definitely on my bucket list!! My husband proposed to me in a hot air balloon over Albuquerque, but we were living in Colorado Springs at the time and were never able to make it down for the fiesta! So cool!
Wow! I have always wanted to attend one of these. There are a few held here in Texas but I’ve just never been. Too cool!
So cool! I really want to go this year. Hopefully TMO doesn’t decide that’s when they want to deliver our things.
My mother-in-law lives in New Mexico so I’ve heard about the fiesta but I’ve never seen pictures. This is so cool! Thanks for sharing.
That looks incredible! When we lived in Lubbock, TX we went to Albuquerque a couple times for long weekend trips, but we were never able to make it during the balloon festival. š
GORGEOUS! This is so pretty! We go to the balloon glow every year, but this is really neat to do during the day. Love!
Oh, too funny; in all my years of living in Albuquerque and going to the Balloon Fiesta, I’ve actually never made it to the balloon glow! I’m making it a point to go to one this year!
I’m sure it must have been a great experience. I can’t wait to do this some time! Great photos. š
Love!!! we have a Balloon Festival every year near my hometown in New Jersey, and man have I missed going these past few years! They had the bee balloons and the Star Wars ones… oh so many balloons. In the summer and fall when it is quiet and the wind is right you can hear the WOOSH of the gas and flame from my back yard. So so so cool.