Come fly with World Championship Pilot, Ms. Myia Hackett, and enjoy a once in a lifetime experience of taking off from Balloon Fiesta park on one of the opening mornings of 2018 Balloon Fiesta! 

Certifcate~ For a single rider

DURING ALBUQUERQUE BALLOON FIESTAS OPENING WEEKEND

Saturday October 6th 2018 OR Sunday October 7th 2018..YOU PICK your date for a once in a life time experience. Take off with hundreds of other balloons on Balloon Fiesta feild, in the most photgraphed event in the world. If weather is bad, pilot will reschedule for the following weekend. 

WELCOME TO THE BALLOON FIESTA®

For nine days in October the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta creates an enchanted world of special shape balloon rodeos, twilight balloon glows, and vibrant balloon-filled skies. Brisk autumnal mornings in the Rio Grande Valley create an otherworldly backdrop for the breathtaking majesty of our most popular event, Mass Ascension of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The experience of watching hundreds of gentle airy giants take flight is at once humbling and inspiring. It’s the allure of these magical moments and more that have continued to bring ballooning fans worldwide together for over 46 years.

Our Geography Makes it Ballooning Central

Autumn is one of the most enjoyable times of year in New Mexico. This peaceful prelude to winter means that brisk mornings give way to warm afternoons with mild temperatures throughout the day and typically still winds. This ideal weather combined with its diverse altitudes and geography, makes Albuquerque an ideal location for ballooning at this time of year. The lower altitude of the river valley to the west, higher altitude of the mountain range to the east and the prevailing winds aloft create the legendary “Albuquerque Box,” in which gentle winds blow in a box pattern, sometimes leading balloons right back to where they started. This natural phenomenon makes Albuquerque home to some of the best ballooning in the world.

WHAT IS THE ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA?

Any local will tell you that October is the most beautiful time of year in New Mexico, made so in large part by the much anticipated sight of colorful balloons punctuating the skyline. During this season, the sky is bluer, the days are gentler, and the mornings crisper -- almost as though the landscape has taken a deep sigh -- and on the desert’s warm breath sails the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. For nearly half a century, this age-old form of flight, which has captured the human imagination for hundreds of years, is celebrated in a 9-day event that draws the devout, the curious and the novice balloonists to the world-famous Balloon Fiesta Park.
Balloon Fiesta Park’s launch field alone is comparable to the size of 54 football fields put together, but that 78-acre area is necessary to accommodate the 500+ balloons that launch during the event. The total expanse of the park is a whopping 365 acres, custom designed to facilitate the largest ballooning event on earth. Since its humble inception in a shopping mall parking lot in 1972, with a total of 13 balloons, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has grown into the most photographed event in the world.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6
6:00am  Dawn Patrol Show presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel and RV Resort        6:30am  Laser Light Show
6:30am  Krispy Kreme Morning Glow
6:30am  Opening Ceremonies

Mass Ascension, presented by Canon
AIBF Chainsaw Carving Invitational
AIBF Chainsaw Carving Invitational
Twilight Twinkle GlowTM presented by Albuquerque Journal Laser Light ShowAfterGlowTM Fireworks Show

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7
6:00am  Dawn Patrol Show presented by Route 66 Casino Hotel and RV Resort  6:30am  Laser Light Show
6:30am  Krispy Kreme Morning Glow
7:00am  Mass Ascension

AIBF Chainsaw Carving Invitational
Fiesta of Wheels Car Show (located on north launch field)
Balloon Fiesta Pin Trading (Group Tour Tent, north end of Main Street) AIBF Chainsaw Carving Invitational
Balloon Glow
Laser Light Show
AfterGlowTM Fireworks Show