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Hot air balloons can only be so exciting to those left on the ground, so the event coordinators plan as many interesting spectacles as possible. The vendors selling cheap trinkets and overpriced “food” from their makeshift stalls are thankful.
One of the popular events is the Night Glow, where the balloons inflate with their burning propane tanks and light up like ornaments. The hissing of nearly a thousand gas tanks is just as much a part of the experience as the visual.
Despite their infinite combinations of colors and patterns, teardrop-shaped balloons lose the attention of the audience to the Special Shapes balloons. Bees, Witches, Dragons – if someone has the creativity to imagine a shape and the know-how (and financial backing) to put it together, you’ll see it a the Balloon Fiesta.
This particular balloon is one of which many Albuquerque natives are proud. Bueno Foods parades its famous Chile Ristra through the skies of the town. The Ristra is a decorative element seen all over the state – dried chiles are strung up to soak up the sun, presumably to be taken down and cooked (although most I’ve seen have gathered far too much dust and mold).
This balloon bears a very traditional icon seen everywhere in the Southwest. Kokopelli, an iconic figure in Native American mythology, represents an entire gamut of concepts, from music to fertility.
Colors and patterns abound. Many balloons have the logos of their corporate sponsors emblazoned across their surface, while others opt for a more traditional approach.
Another event with more of a practical purpose is the Dawn Patrol. A series of balloons are sent up an hour before dawn to test wind conditions at various altitudes. Hot air balloons are incredibly sensitive to changes in the weather, and sending a thousand into the air – surrounded by 10,000 spectators – requires a few precautions.
It takes an entire team of people to pull the balloons from the trucks, unfold them, start the hot air into them, and then launch them.
Once the balloon is in the air, the team converts to “Chaser” mode, piling into their vehicles to follow the balloon as it drifts around at the mercy of the winds.
The balloon has no control over where it lands, and the site is often not the optimal place to drop a basket. Crews often have to trample cornfields flat or usher away livestock to make room for the hot-air craft.
Every few years, a balloon drifts over Kirtland Air Force Base. When it lands, the pilot and passengers are given a stern talking to, their film is destroyed, and they’re detained for several embarrassing hours.
What Albuquerque gallery would be complete without “The most photographed event in the US” (is it at all obvious that Kodak was a long-time sponsor)?
Every year at the end of September, balloonists from all over the world descend on Albuquerque to show off their lighter-than-air craft. They bring with them their launch teams – and thousands and thousand of tourists.
