Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta started today and made me a bit nostalgic, so I thought I’d share our story and a few tips for visiting the world’s largest hot air balloon festival. We’ve had a long love affair with hot air balloons. Literally. When we lived in Las Vegas, hot air balloons launched almost daily just down the road from our apartment near Red Rock Canyon. So when we had to move our wedding up a few months, we decided to do something totally nontraditional and get married in a hot air balloon.

Unfortunately, it was so windy that day that we couldn’t even inflate the balloon for our wedding photos yet alone go for our post ceremony flight. That was 2002.

Pigs, pumpkins, and Darth Vader at Night Glow

Fast forward six years and we made a trip to the world famous Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta just a few months before moving to Italy. We spent two days at the festival. Our first night, we bundled up for the Night Glow and wandered the massive field with hot chocolate in hand as blasts from the burners lit up balloons of all shapes and sizes.

The next morning, we were up before the sun to see the Mass Ascension in which all participating balloons launch in two waves. What a beautiful sight to see the sun rising from behind the red mountains and hundreds of balloons in a colorful parade across the sky!

My personal favorite, Arky

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