Save The Date

Join us October 5-13, 2024 for the 52nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta powered by ExxonMobil in Albuquerque, New Mexico. More information available at www.balloonfiesta.com.

Balloon Fiesta Insider

The 2024 Chase Crew Applications are now open! This year's Chase Crew is sponsored by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce.

The Chase Crew helps to assemble and inflate the hot air balloons at the event. At the direction of the pilot, they secure crown lines or hold open the mouth of the balloon while the pilot inflates it. After launching, the Chase Crew hops in a truck or car and chases the balloon as it flies, so they are close to the site where the balloon finally lands. The chase crew is in close communication with the pilots to provide landing information, informing them about wind and terrain conditions.

Chase crew members are instrumental in the sport of ballooning. If you are interested in joining a crew for the 2024 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta visit https://balloonfiesta.com/Crew-Registration for more information and registration form.

Merchandise Update

The Official Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta poster for 2024 is now available for purchase!

This year’s design was selected from more than 70 entries and features a fantasy Balloon Glow where balloons light up the sky along with the stars. This year’s artist is Jake Gushard. Jake has spent most of his young life in Albuquerque, graduating from La Cueva High School and just this spring from Purdue University with a degree in CyberSecurity. Jake got his start creating art as a young kid just messing around in school by drawing and eventually continued to digital art, creating a number of logos and other designs for himself. Jake is excited to have been chosen as this year’s poster artist, but for his dad, it was extra special, as he encouraged him to submit a design, and Jake was notified of his selection on his dad’s birthday.

The serigraph poster is available in hand-signed and non-signed versions. All posters are numbered, rolled, and packed in tubes. There are also smaller acrylic prints available signed. Unsigned metal prints will be available next month. Jake continued the tradition of placing a hidden roadrunner in the poster. You can check out more images and watch a video with more information about the artist and the poster at BalloonFiestaStuff.com.

To be the first to know about new items, sales, and other Balloon Fiesta Stuff, make sure you are subscribed to What’s Up Wednesday. https://balloonfiestastuff.com/pages/wuw-subscribe

Faces of Fiesta

Name: Mary Chando

Title: Bookkeeper

Years with Balloon Fiesta: I’ve been the bookkeeper at Balloon Fiesta since March of 2023. My favorite thing about working at Fiesta are the people, from staff to navigators to the bright faces during the event. I first attended Fiesta in 1995 as a new crew member and have been attending ever since. My most memorable Fiesta was in 2018 when my son and husband launched side by side on the first day.

Overview/Bio: My husband and I visited Albuquerque in 1991 and were introduced to ballooning, from that first inflation we were hooked. My husband got transferred to Albuquerque in 1995 and ballooning has been a family activity ever since. My husband and son are both pilots, my daughter and I enjoy the chase, and my granddaughter enjoys flying and chasing. Ballooning is a family affair for sure.



Rapid fire with Mary:

Time your Day Starts during Balloon Fiesta: My Fiesta days start early about 2:30 am arriving at the Balloon Fiesta offices. Most of my days during the event are spent in the office helping staff with whatever they need and keeping up with paperwork, it’s never a dull moment. Throughout each morning, I try to find moments to step outside of the office to look up at the sky as the balloons fly over.

Favorite Spot on the Field to Watch the Balloons: Nothing compares to seeing the balloons inflating all around you, the excitement of balloons taking off right in front of your eyes, and nearly 600 hot air balloons floating right above you at Balloon Fiesta Park. My favorite spot on the field is anywhere on the west side of the field. This area is a little less congested during the launch and you have a full view of the field.

Current Favorite Special Shape Balloon: Tall Steve is my favorite special shape. A few years ago, a friend of mine pointed him out and he’s become a fun balloon to search for and point out to each other. We can’t help but smile when someone yells out “There’s Tall Steve.”

Inside the Basket

Adventure seekers travel from across the world to attend Balloon Fiesta. In this month’s Inside the Basket, we hear from pilot Andrew Strang and his team at Sky Adventures, who travel from Michigan to fly through the New Mexico October skies.

Read Andrew’s story in this month’s Inside the Basket, and check out his journey to the 2023 Balloon Fiesta here.

July in Ballooning

This month, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta had the opportunity to work with the Catholic Heart Workcamp during their camp here in New Mexico. In total, they welcomed 116 people from Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Texas, Washington, and Florida. Out of those 116 people, Catholic Heart Workcamp sent 30 youth students to work at the Balloon Fiesta facility for three days. During their time at Balloon Fiesta, they had the opportunity to learn about the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta while helping prepare the field for this year’s event. We thank them for all their hard work!

July Photo-of-the-Month

We have received some beautiful pictures of the 51^st event, submitted through the Cindy Petrehn Memorial Photo Contest! Below is the Dawn Patrol/Balloon Glow Category Third Place Winner, Ken Sklute.

Do you have a Balloon Fiesta photo of which you’re proud? Share your favorite Balloon Fiesta image on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and tag our page for a chance to be featured in next month’s newsletter!

Read all about it

Check out the latest media coverage about Balloon Fiesta

• AFAR Magazine Online highlights the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta as one of the 10 Best Places to Travel in October - The article has reached an audience of over 1.4 million!
• Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta comes in first on TimeOut's list of Most Spectacular Hot Air Balloon Festivals in the U.S.
• Albuquerque Journal reports Minneapolis-based Sun County Airlines will fly to and from Albuquerque from June through the end of August, with additional flights during Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Sponsor Spotlight

New Mexico Mutual has provided access to quality, cost-effective workers’ compensation insurance and services throughout New Mexico for businesses of all sizes for over 30 years. They are the state’s leading workers’ compensation carrier and insure over 30% of the market. The 52^nd event marks 19 years for New Mexico Mutual as a sponsor at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®. Along with their Fiesta Tent Package sponsorship within the Corporate Village, they have also supported different events over the years for the Anderson Abruzzo International Balloon Museum Foundation. As a local company, New Mexico Mutual feels that it is important to support our community in any way that they can. It’s crucial for them to support the largest and most renowned event in our state, as it boosts our economy and strengthens our communities. Making our state a better place to live and work inspires everything New Mexico Mutual does as a company. During the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®, New Mexico Mutual loves being a part of the event as it brings their employees and key partners together in one place and it’s a great opportunity for them to reflect on the partnerships they have built within New Mexico, celebrating their success as a homegrown company. We thank them for their support!

For a complete list of Balloon Fiesta sponsors, click here.