Panorama of balloons at the 2015 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
We’re Back! Shelli and I just spent four days in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the 2015 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. A double blessing for us, daughter and family are located there. I have attached the following video to give you a glimpse of the beauty and uniqueness of this event. For best results, view in Full Screen Mode, HD, and Speakers.
The first two weeks of October mark one of the premier events in the world of Hot Air Ballooning, and it all happens in Albuquerque. Birthed in 1972, this event has grown into the largest hot air balloon festival in the world. Hundreds of balloons and tens of thousands of spectators invade this city located in the middle of New Mexico. This is a must see spectacle! Balloons of all shapes and sizes ascend into the pure blue skies of New Mexico, skies punctuated by an array of billowy clouds.
Location of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Located at the foot of the Sandia Mountains is Balloon Park and Field. This is the launching platform for arguably the finest winds for ballooning found anywhere in the world. The “box” is a set of predictable wind patterns that can be exploited to navigate the balloons. From this field it is possible to ascend into the winds and travel north at lower altitudes and return south by ascending to a higher altitude. Balloonists return to their approximate starting point, by simply adjusting their altitude, catching a different current, and thereby reversing direction.
David and Heidi, my son-in-law and daughter, live in the northwest suburb of Corrales. From their back yard we have a grand view of the Sandias and it overlooks the entire balloon park. It is from this amazing vantage point that the majority of the photographs in this video were captured.
Each year there are additions to the festival that catch my attention. This year, one of the newcomers was in the shape of a handsome, beagle dog. Its an amazing sight to watch this massive hound prancing from one end of the Sandias to the other.
Please settle back and enjoy this 42 photo journey through the participants in this 2015 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
If you go:
Be sure to make reservations well in advance. Accommodating tens of thousands of visitors each year means the best hotels fill up early.
For information on the event and the Albuquerque area, visit these links.
The Official Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Site
Albuquerque convention and Visitors Bureau
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It amazes me that all those balloons don’t collide. They are beautiful !!!!!!! Tell Heidi hi for me 🙂
So sorry we missed you! Our short time in Alb. was pretty well covered. Next time for sure! What an amazing spectacle this was…loved every moment and were dazzled by the sheer number of balloons in the air and the beauty of each.
Our love to you both and hopefully we can get together one day soon!
Nancy and Craig
Nancy,
It certainly would have been nice to visit with you at Balloon Fiesta. I beleive the last time we met was in San Diego.
We get to Albuquerque several times a year but we try never to miss Fiesta time. It was another great year, the “Box” was in great shape and a couple days the balloons stayed aloft for several hours.
Next Time,
Ron