NIGHT LIGHTS
300 balloons brighten Balloon Fiesta Park to cap off a full day of events
Three hundred balloons lit up the field Sunday evening at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, wrapping a picture-perfect fall day.
The balloon glow — the second of the nine-day festival, which kicked off Saturday — got underway a little after 6:30 p.m., with event sponsor Canon’s black, red and white balloon leading the way.
The crowd cheered and snapped photos as each successive balloon sprang to life amid the roar of burners.
Unlike the morning mass ascension, a glow is a grounded affair. The balloons never take off, giving visitors a chance to chat with pilots and crews.
“This is so cool you can come up close to the
balloons,” said Shannon Johnson, an Albuquerque resident who was attending her first glow.
Johnson recently moved to the Duke City from Gallup and said she feels like the Balloon Fiesta is the unofficial kickoff for fall.
“In Gallup, it’s actually like the start of winter,” she said with a laugh.
On Sunday, the balmy 78-degree day cooled down to the high 60s during the balloon glow.
Jenny Duff — a crew member for the balloon Sincerely, owned by Fiesta executive director Paul Smith — was glad the evening winds weren’t strong enough to cancel the event.
“We want to put on a show,” she said. “We don’t want the crowd to go home sad.”
Duff, an Albuquerque native who began crewing in high school, said the Fiesta is a highlight of the year.
“This is better than Christmas for us,” said Duff, who works as a fifth-grade teacher at Sunset View Elementary School. “I couldn’t sleep Friday night waiting for this.”
Ballooning is a family affair for Duff. Her husband, Jeff Duff, is Sincerely’s pilot, and her 16-year-old son, Ryan, is about to start pilot training.
The teen passed up a $4,000 school trip to Paris in favor of ballooning.
Duff said the balloonists who come to the Fiesta also view themselves as a kind of extended family.
“We see each other here every year, and it’s like a day hasn’t gone by,” Duff added.
Over 540 balloons are taking part in the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, with 23 countries represented.
Now in its 46th year, the Fiesta is Albuquerque’s premier event, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators from around the world. In 2015, the event generated 955,000 unique visits and pumped $177 million into the local economy.
Shannon Jacques, Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce special project director, said Balloon Fiesta is a great advertisement for the city.
On Sunday, she brought business executives from Mexico to experience the balloon glow.
The group was visiting Albuquerque to look into importing local beers and wines for resorts and liquor stores in Mexico.
“They’re having a blast,” Jacques said. “They said they’ll be back . ... This is huge. It propels business in the community.”