Witness One Of America's Most Photographed Events At The World's Largest Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Every October, nearly a million people head to the high desert of central New Mexico for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta where some 600 hot air balloons and their pilots come together for the world's largest hot air balloon event. The epic show draws so many people and the display is so stunning, that it's been called the most photographed event on the planet. An estimated 25+ million photos are taken over the nine day event. Albuquerque is a year-round destination for outdoor activities, and you can see hot air balloons take off there most mornings during the year. But visiting in early October is an experience like no other. In 2024, the event takes place between October 5 and 13.

The events take place in the Balloon Fiesta Park, and there is a Mass Ascension (weather permitting) on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday morning. The take-offs happen in waves and can last for two hours, and you're able to walk amongst the balloons as they're filled and prepared for take off. On mornings without a Mass Ascension and in the evenings, many of the balloons are inflated and tethered in the park with their burners ignited, making the balloons glow. Along with classic balloons, there are over 100 special shape balloons for the 2024 event — Darth Vader, Yoda, Humpty Dumpty, Frankenstein, and more can be found in inflatable form.

Riding in a hot air balloon is definitely a travel bucket list item, and you can actually go up in the Mass Ascension with Rainbow Ryders, a local hot air balloon company — they're the only company that the public can use if they want to take flight at the fiesta. It costs around $600, and as you might imagine, the spots can fill up quickly, so book early. 

You have to get up early, like pre-dawn early, to get down to the park if you want to watch the balloons inflate and take off. For the morning events, try and get there around 5 a.m., and for the evening sessions, aim for 4 p.m. Wear layers, it will definitely be chilly in the mornings before the sun rises, down around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but it can warm up into the low 70s by midday. You do have to have a ticket to get in; you can buy them there or ahead of time on the festival's website. For a guided experience, Routes Bicycle Tours & Rentals has a balloon & bikes tour, which utilizes the park's free bike valet service.

There's a range of activities throughout the event — including drone shows, chainsaw carving, and fireworks — so you can pick and choose what you want to attend. Vendor tents set up around the perimeter, selling fair-style food and all kinds of balloon themed merchandise. We like the green chile cheeseburgers or a breakfast burrito for a yummy taste of New Mexico.

General admission tickets for 2024 cost $15 for one morning or evening session; it costs extra for parking. If you don't want to hunt for parking in the dark at the Balloon Fiesta Park, they have a park and ride option from Thursday to Sunday.. You can also splurge for various VIP experiences, which will get you into special hospitality tents for food, drinks, and places to sit. The field itself doesn't have seating, so we'd recommend bringing comfortable shoes for the whole family.

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta started in 1972 with just about a dozen balloons and 10,000 guests. The event grew exponentially,  and the city is now considered the world's hot air ballooning capital. Albuquerque is great for ballooning because the winds are so predictable. The balloons typically move in a box shape — to the south at lower elevations and towards the north the higher they get. Along with the permanent 360-acre park for the Balloon Fiesta, the Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum at the south end of the Balloon Fiesta Park has exhibits on the history of ballooning and how they've been instrumental in space exploration and as spycraft.

As for where to stay, Sandia Resort and Casino is just a couple miles from the park, and you can see the glow of the balloons during dinner at their rooftop restaurant. If you want to relax away from the crowds, Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town is about a 15-20 minute drive from the park.

While seeing the balloons all together is pretty magical, you can also see balloons in flight elsewhere in town. North Domingo Baca Park is a popular spot as is the Bosque Trail. Watching the balloons land can be a bit trickier since you don't always know exactly where they'll touch down, but Vista Del Norte Park is one popular landing spot. When you're there, you might hear a pilot reciting the balloonist's prayer. "May the winds welcome you with softness. May the sun bless you with its warm hands. May you fly so high and so well that God joins you in laughter and sets you gently back into the loving arms of Mother Earth."