Best days to go to the Albuquerque Balloon festival 2022

If you have seen photos of many vividly coloured balloons gliding across semi-arid scenery there is a good chance that those shots come from the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, which runs over several days from 1-9 October, 2022 and has been held for 50 years.

It is held in October due to the wind conditions known as the ‘Albuquerque Box’, which can take the balloons on a tour of the river valley, the surrounding mountains and bring them back to the 80-acre launch area in the even bigger Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park.

The calendar includes a dawn patrol, when the crews lift off in the dark and come into view with the early sun; laser and firework shows; flight competitions; musical entertainment and the dramatic mass ascension when almost hundreds balloons are launched over two hours.

The balloon-filled sky also is clearly a draw for those interested in landscape photography.

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta also features live music performances, so expect some pretty nifty hot air guitars in the audience.

When is the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

In 2022 the festival will be held from 1 to 9 October.

Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Tickets

Tickets go for about $150 if bought in advance, but are more costly on the day. There are VIP options with better views and more comfort. Extra public transport is available during the event. Albuquerque can be quite chilly in the morning, but warms up as the day progresses. You can purchase your tickets to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta here.

How to Get to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

In addition to park sites, there is also a park and ride shuttle service to the show. For more details and a handy map, click here.

When in New Mexico, why not go on a road trip. Read: New Mexico Road Trip: UFOs, Ghost Towns & Country Music.

Things To Do in Albuquerque New Mexico

To many, Albuquerque is inescapably connected with the TV series Breaking Bad. So, when you are all ballooned out, there are tours and guides to do-it-yourself walks of the city that take in film locations and trivia from the show. Elsewhere, the aerial tramway to the Sandia Peak at over 10,000 feet gives a great view of the city. There are walks in the hills with petroglyphs to discover, the old town, several museums, a cultural centre and a range of artisan breweries.

Flights to Albuquerque New Mexico

Though the airport in Albuquerque is said to be an international one it is actually quite small. It has many domestic connections so foreign travellers will need to land elsewhere and then take a local flight to join the fiesta.

Hotels in Albuquerque New Mexico

If you are looking to book a hotel in Albuquerque for the festival, enter your dates in our flight and hotel comparison engine to search hundreds of sites for the best deals:

Visit: http://www.balloonfiesta.com/

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Mike East

Mike began his career in travel writing by going overseas during his holidays and writing his own guide. He then sent this manuscript off to a range of travel guide companies and got a range of rejection letters — all except one. Getting a contract to write for Roger Lascelles Publications on the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas was how his career began. With this opportunity came other pieces for British magazines and The Sunday Telegraph.

MORE PARKING THE CONCESSION TENTS PITCHED, THE FENCES ARE UP AND RUNWAY ON THE FIELD IS READY FOR NEW FAVORITE EVENT. WE HAVE 648 HOT AIR BALLOONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE FLYING WITH US ON SATURDAY MORNING. AND THAT’S ACTUALLY THE LARGEST NUMBER, HOT AIR BALLOONS THAT WE’VE HAD IN OVER A DECADE. PILOTS FROM DOZENS OF U.S. STATES AND 21 COUNTRIES WILL FILL OUR SKIES WITH ALL SHAPES AND SIZES. WE HAVE 120 SPECIAL SHAPES. NORMALLY, WE’RE ABOUT A HUNDRED. SO WE HAVE 20 BRAND NEW SPECIAL SHAPES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN SEEN HERE BEFORE. ORGANIZERS ARE ANTICIPATING THIS TO BE BUSIER THAN EVER. SO THEY ADDED HUNDREDS OF NEW PARKING SPACES. WE ARE ON BALLOON FIESTA AND WHEN YOU’RE DRIVING INTO THE LOT OFF TO THE RIGHT, THERE’S A BRAND NEW PARKING LOT WITH AN ADDITIONAL HUNDRED SPACES AHEAD OF THE FUN. ORGANIZERS ARE STRESS SAFETY. THERE’S NOTHING LIKE LOOKING UP TO THE SKY AND ALL THESE BEAUTIFUL BALLOONS. AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, IT’S VERY EASY AN ADULT TO BE LOOKING UP AND THAT CHILD WALKS AWAY. NEW MEXICO POLICE ARE HANDLING TAG YOUR TOTS AND WILL BE AT THE NORTH AND SOUTH END OF THE PARK. THEY SAY IT’S SMART TO PUT IDENTIFY EARS ON THEIR WRISTS WITH YOUR PHONE NUMBER TAKING PHOTOS OF WHAT YOUR KIDS ARE WEARING HELPS TO LET YOUR CHILD KNOW THAT THOSE OF US THAT ARE IN BLACK AND WHITE UNIFORMS THAT THEY CAN COME TO US IF THEY’RE LOS. WE HAVE RADIOS. WE CAN TRANSMIT INFORMATION ABOUT THE LOST CHILD STAR SON KOAT ACTION 7 NEWS. IF YOU DON’T WANT TO DEAL WITH THE DRIVING THERE WILL BE THREE PARK AND RIDE OFFERINGS AT COTTONWOOD MALL, CORONADO CENTER AND HOFFMAN TOWN CHURCH. THERE WILL BE TWO SESSIONS OF PARK AND RIDE IN THE MORNING AND THEN TWO SESSIONS AT NIGHT. ORGANIZERS SAY THEY HAVE THE CAPACITY TO FIT 18,000 PEOPLE PE

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Everything you need to know for the 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

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Updated: 9:57 AM MDT Sep 29, 2022

Vince Rodriguez

Digital Media Manager

The 50th Annual Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta begins on Oct. 1 and runs through Oct. 9. Organizers are planning a huge event to celebrate the big anniversary.Here's everything you need to know about this year’s Balloon Fiesta.Where is Balloon Fiesta?Balloon Fiesta Park is located west of I-25 between Alameda Blvd. and Roy Rd. For parking and how to get there, see the map below. How do I get there?If you want to drive, view the map below to see how to get to Balloon Fiesta Park.Traffic will be congested as you drive to Balloon Fiesta Park. You can check live traffic conditions around the park here.If you drive, parking is $20 for each session, and you must pay cash. Credit and debit cards are not accepted for parking.Balloon Fiesta Park and RideWith traffic expected to be extremely congested this year, Balloon Fiesta has park-and-ride options available.The following locations are serving as park and ride locations:Cottonwood Mall (10000 Coors Bypass NW)Park in the northeast parking lot near Seven Bar Loop and Coors Bypass NWCoronado Center (6600 Menaul Blvd NE)Park at the southwest corner near San Pedro Dr. and Uptown BlvdHoffmantown Church (8888 Harper Road NE)Park in the northeast parking lot onlyThe Intel park-and-ride lot will not be available this year. Admission to the Balloon Fiesta will be included in your park and ride ticket. All park and ride tickets must be purchased online and will not be available at the remote lots.You can reserve Park-and-ride tickets here >>Park-and-ride schedule for morning sessions:Buses run FROM remote lots TO Balloon Fiesta Park at 4 a.m. and 5:30 a.m.Inbound service ends at 7 a.m.Buses run FROM Balloon Fiesta Park TO remote lots from 8 a.m. to 11:30 for full-service return buses11:30 a.m. to noon: "Straggler" buses. Each "straggler" return bus will go to all locations.Park-and-ride schedule for evening sessions:Buses run FROM remote lots TO Balloon Fiesta Park at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.Inbound service ends at 6:30 p.m.Buses run FROM Balloon Fiesta Park TO remote lots from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. for FULL-SERVICE RETURN BUSES9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. "Straggler" buses. Each "straggler" return bus will go to all locationsThere will be no park-and-ride service on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.When should I get there?Balloon Fiesta officials encourage people to get to the park early, between 4 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., for weekend events, the gates open at 4:30 a.m.For evening events, people are encouraged to arrive at the park by 4 p.m., and gates open at 3 p.m.What events are happening at Balloon Fiesta?Here's a complete schedule of events happening at Balloon Fiesta this year. How do I purchase tickets?General admission to Balloon Fiesta is $15/person for anyone over the age of 12.You can purchase tickets in advance online here or in person at the Balloon Fiesta gift shop. Tickets will also be available for purchase at the gate during the fiesta.How will I know if Balloon Fiesta is canceled?Every morning of Balloon Fiesta, there is a pilot’s briefing where Balloon Fiesta officials determine if it is safe to fly based on weather conditions and wind speeds in the area. If things look good, they’ll raise a green flag, giving pilots the go-ahead to lift off.If things don’t look so good, organizers will raise a red flag, grounding balloons for the day. However, if the conditions are right, pilots will still inflate for a static display.If a session is cancelled due to weather, you will need to keep your ticket and it may be used as a raincheck for admission for any other session at Balloon Fiesta.If Balloon Fiesta is canceled, KOAT will send app users a push alert letting them know. You can subscribe to KOAT alerts here.You can see what the weather looks like in Albuquerque for each day of Balloon Fiesta here.How many balloons are flying this year?Balloon Fiesta officials say there are 648 primary pilots registered this year. There are 120 special shape balloons with 19 new special shape balloons registered this year. What if I can’t make it to Balloon Fiesta this year?We’ve got you covered! If you cannot see Balloon Fiesta in person, you can watch live coverage of the 50th Balloon Fiesta online at KOAT.com. We will also have a live stream of Sky 7 flying over Balloon Fiesta on KOAT.com every morning during the fiesta, starting at 7 a.m.Where can I submit photos I’ve taken from Balloon Fiesta?We want to see the incredible images and videos our viewers take! Please submit your photos to our ulocal New Mexico group on Facebook for a chance to be featured online and on-air.

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