{"id":11009,"date":"2018-08-16T12:00:36","date_gmt":"2018-08-16T19:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/?p=11009"},"modified":"2019-09-11T11:21:39","modified_gmt":"2019-09-11T18:21:39","slug":"5-reasons-to-attend-the-worlds-largest-hot-air-balloon-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/altitudes\/5-reasons-to-attend-the-worlds-largest-hot-air-balloon-festival","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons to Attend the World&#8217;s Largest Hot Air Balloon Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s cooler than catching a glimpse of a colorful hot air balloon floating through the morning sky? How about more than 500 of them. This year, the <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.balloonfiesta.com\" target=\"_blank\">Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta<\/a> is celebrating its 48th event, October 5-13, 2019. What started with 13 balloons in a shopping mall parking lot in 1972 has grown into the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, drawing spectators and pilots from around the globe. And with Albuquerque only a short, six-hour drive from Phoenix, there\u2019s no reason not to find yourself flying above the Land of Enchantment.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-large wp-image-11013\"><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  width=\"750\"  height=\"500\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\"wp-image-11013 pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-750x500.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-750x500.jpg 750w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-380x253.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-1160x773.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long-850x567.jpg 850w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220552\/16-Marlon-Long.jpg 1500w\" ><figcaption>Photo: Marlon Long\/Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"worlds-largest-gathering-of-balloons\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World\u2019s Largest Gathering of Balloons<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Packing in more than 500 balloons, the Balloon Fiesta Park\u2019s launch field alone spans the size of 54 football fields. As the world\u2019s largest hot air balloon festival, the nine-day event is often considered the most photographed event in the world. With so many balloons taking to the sky, festival-goers have endless opportunities to capture both close-up shots and panoramic skies speckled with hundreds of balloons. Don\u2019t miss Mass Ascension, occurring weekend mornings and Wednesday morning, when all the balloons take off from the park at once. Of the hundreds of balloons, nearly 100 will be uniquely shaped. To get the best views of these, visit Thursday or Friday during the Special Shape Rodeo.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-large wp-image-11010\"><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  width=\"750\"  height=\"596\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\"wp-image-11010 pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-750x596.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-750x596.jpg 750w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-300x238.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-1024x813.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-768x610.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-380x302.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-800x635.jpg 800w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-1160x921.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-80x64.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-620x492.jpg 620w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace-850x675.jpg 850w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220531\/07-Angelina-Peace.jpg 1500w\" ><figcaption>Photo: Angelina Peace\/Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"balloon-glows\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Balloon Glows<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even when the sun goes down, the balloons are still the stars of the show. The popular balloon glows are a magical nighttime display of balloons lit from within. The real stunner is when they all fire their burners, lighting up simultaneously. Afterwards, stick around for a glittery firework show to top off the night. Five balloon glows are scheduled for this year featuring a variety of events. Visit the first Sunday night (Oct. 6) for the largest glow of the week.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-large wp-image-11014\"><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  width=\"750\"  height=\"500\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\"wp-image-11014 pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-750x500.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-750x500.jpg 750w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-380x253.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-1160x773.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-620x413.jpg 620w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta-850x567.jpg 850w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220559\/31-Victor-Banta.jpg 1500w\" ><figcaption>Photo: Victor Banta\/Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"more-than-just-balloons\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More Than Just Balloons<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From food and music to competitions and more, the Balloon Fiesta has plenty to see on the ground too. In addition to daily entertainment, a one-day music festival will take place on October 12 and will feature Tylor Brandon and the Neon West Band, Cassadee Pope and Justin Moore. Other fun events include the Special Shape Rodeo, a celebration of the uniquely shaped balloons; a balloon discovery center where you can learn the ins and outs of building and flying the balloons; chainsaw carving; an arts and crafts show; a laser light show; fireworks and more. Not to mention, you can even be a part of the show with an official balloon ride.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-large wp-image-11011\"><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  width=\"750\"  height=\"501\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\"wp-image-11011 pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-750x501.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-750x501.jpg 750w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-380x254.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-1160x774.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos-850x567.jpg 850w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220538\/08-Bennie-Bos.jpg 1500w\" ><figcaption>Photo: Bennie Bos\/Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-food\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Food<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If there\u2019s one reason to visit Albuquerque other than the colorful balloons, it\u2019s for the food. New Mexico&#8217;s official question is \u201cred or green (chile)?\u201d afterall. Whether you\u2019re filling up at the festival or around town, you\u2019re bound to have something smothered in the state\u2019s official food. At the festival, enjoy plenty of mouthwatering eats from traditional New Mexican food to classic festival treats.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignnone size-large wp-image-11012\"><img  loading=\"lazy\"  decoding=\"async\"  width=\"750\"  height=\"501\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\"wp-image-11012 pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-ls-sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-750x501.jpg\"  data-pk-srcset=\"https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-750x501.jpg 750w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-380x254.jpg 380w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-1160x774.jpg 1160w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-80x53.jpg 80w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-620x414.jpg 620w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos-850x567.jpg 850w, https:\/\/media.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/24220545\/11-Bennie-Bos.jpg 1500w\" ><figcaption>Photo: Bennie Bos\/Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"the-most-beautiful-time-of-year\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Most Beautiful Time of Year<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Albuquerque boasts a dry climate with mostly sunny days, it\u2019s still home to all four seasons. Visiting in October means you\u2019ll enjoy cool, crisp mornings with mild temperatures throughout the day. While the city\u2019s fall air and changing trees provide the perfect backdrop for admiring hot air balloons, its weather and geography is what makes it ideal for launching into the sky. Its diverse altitudes and promising winds have created the \u201cAlbuquerque Box,\u201d a natural occurrence where winds blow in a box-like pattern. This sometimes allows balloons to land right where they took off.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information, visit: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.balloonfiesta.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">balloonfiesta.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to go for a ride? <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/rainbowryders.com\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>Rainbow Ryders<\/strong><\/a> is the official balloon ride operator for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta (and have been since 1999!) and is the only operator to launch at the event. Choose from rides during sunrise, sunset and pre- and post-event. To book a ride or for more info, click <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/rainbowryders.com\/albuquerque-international-balloon-fiesta\/\" target=\"_blank\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This post was updated Sept. 11, 2019.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"What started with 13 balloons in a shopping mall parking lot in 1972 has grown into the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, drawing spectators and pilots from around the globe. \n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":11013,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[65,1489],"tags":[3507,3652,103,3653,2392],"class_list":{"0":"post-11009","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-altitudes","8":"category-news","9":"tag-albuquerque","10":"tag-albuquerque-international-balloon-fiesta","11":"tag-featured","12":"tag-hot-air-balloon","13":"tag-new-mexico","14":"cs-entry","15":"cs-video-wrap"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 Reasons to Attend the World&#039;s Largest Hot Air Balloon Festival<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What started with 13 balloons in a shopping mall parking lot in 1972 has grown into the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, drawing spectators and pilots from around the globe.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.arizonafoothillsmagazine.com\/resorts\/altitudes\/5-reasons-to-attend-the-worlds-largest-hot-air-balloon-festival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Reasons to Attend the World&#039;s Largest Hot Air Balloon Festival\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What started with 13 balloons in a shopping mall parking lot in 1972 has grown into the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, drawing spectators and pilots from around the globe.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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