October 3-10, 2015
Our youngest son Justin with his wife Graciela and the grandkids Bella and Nina flew down a few days to enjoy the balloon fiesta with us. The event is a world-renowned attraction and destination for kids of all ages. Literally hundreds of balloons have taken flight from the Balloon Fiesta Park this week.
From its modest beginnings in 1972 with 13 balloons launching from a shopping mall parking lot, the Balloon Fiesta has grown to multiple events launching year-round at the custom-designed, 365-acre Balloon Fiesta Park. The signature event remains Balloon Fiesta—which, with almost 600 balloons, is the largest ballooning event on earth, the most photographed event on earth, and the largest annual international event held in the United States.
Imagine 54 football fields, all put together.
That's the size of Balloon Fiesta Park's 78-acre launch field! And at this
Park's "playing field," there are no losing teams and no viewing
stands.
Fiesta events begin early in the morning at 6:30am when the dawn patrol of 8 to 10 balloonists check the wind conditions, one of the balloonist signals if the weather conditions are okay for all other balloon pilots on the field the go ahead with their crews to begin the process for inflating their balloons.
Equipments is pulled off of pickup trucks on the launch field. Balloon fabric called the envelope is rolled out on the grass, a fan operated by a generator fills one's balloon until it slowly inflates with air, propane tank hoses are attached to burners on a frame above the gondola basket, each pilot sporadically turns a lever sending propane gas hot flames inside his/her balloon to fill it upright, crews help to hold the basket down from lifting, zebras control volunteers direct the crowds to move back away to clear the area for safety and then blow a whistle to signal the balloon pilot the okay to launch. It is indeed something to watch the spectacle of a mass ascension.
Hundreds of
thousands of smiling, upturned faces, awestruck by the spectacular beauty of
hot air balloons filling the big blue New Mexico sky.
Evening events such as night glows and laser shows thrill the crowds. Fiesta fireworks are amazing. What you can't hear until
you walk the field at nightfall is the thrilling roar of hundreds of burners
simultaneously igniting, turning the Park into a huge lighted Christmas tree of
colorful balloons.
The grandkids climbed up on top of the motor home
with their dad and JR the following morning to witness
the next morning mass ascension for more excitement
 |
| Wow a chase crew helps its pilot who landed safely in the RV lot one morning during a mass ascension. Was it his target for breakfast? |
 |
| Close call as a gondola basket passes over several RVs. |
