Albuquerque's Balloon Fiesta

Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque begins this week on Friday, and is a landmark event for all of New Mexico, with balloon launchings at select elementary schools throughout the city with the final Farewell Mass Ascension of Sunday, October 14th, 2007. This is a big event for New Mexico and is considered the world's largest balloon festival as well as one of the world's most photographed events.

The Balloon Fiesta began as a very small group of balloons in 1972, organized by Cutter Flying and was held in a mall parking lot with approximately 20,000 spectators. The very first fiesta was not actually the event it is today, but what is called a Roadrunner-Coyote Balloon Race. In this type of race one balloon is considered the Roadrunner and all the others balloons are considered Coyotes. The winner of the race is determined by the Coyote who landed closest to the Roadrunner balloon. This race is a tradition that has continued to be a part of every balloon fiesta since 1972.

Since that first 1972 gathering, the Balloon Fiesta has continued to grow each year with the largest number of participating balloons reaching over 1,000 in the year 2000. Balloons have now been limited to 750 balloons in an effort to maintain a quality event. More than 100,000 people watching ascensions and landings can be found at various locations all over Albuquerque during Balloon Fiesta week. It has truly become a New Mexican tradition.







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