Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Celebrates 48th Event

September 5, 2019

“Picture Perfect” Launches October 5-13, 2019

Contact: Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group | 505.898.8689, media@balloonfiesta.com

Albuquerque, NM -The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® will launch from Balloon Fiesta Park, October 5-14, 2019. The 48th annual event, themed “Picture Perfect,” will feature more than 580 hot air balloons, of which nearly a hundred are anticipated to be special shape. Pilots and guests from all over the world will come to New Mexico to celebrate the nine-day event.

For locals and early visitors, events will begin with Albuquerque Aloft on October 4. The Balloon Fiesta’s five signature morning mass ascensions launch both weekends (October 5-6, 12-13) and mid-week (October 9). Other favorite events include the evening Balloon Glows, Special Shape Rodeo and Fireworks Shows. A complete schedule for the nine-day event can be found here.

The first day of flying is scheduled for Saturday, October 5. The Dawn Patrol Show, will take to the skies followed by a dawn launch of more than 500 hot air balloons. Balloon pilots will launch in various waves in search of the famous Albuquerque Box (a wind pattern unique to Balloon Fiesta Park providing pilots the chance to take off and land from the same location).

The Balloon Fiesta will feature 104 special shape balloons, including 14 shapes that will be new to the Albuquerque skies. New Shapes like ‘Billy The Kid’ and ‘Baby Monster’ will be flying alongside familiar shapes like ‘La Ristra’, ‘Joelly’ and ‘Joey Bee.’ Both ‘Chic-I-Boom’ and ‘Uncle Sam’ will be returning for their 31^stconsecutive year. Special shape balloons will be flying throughout the nine-day event and featured during the Thursday and Friday sessions (October 10, 11).

The Balloon Fiesta flying competition will begin on Monday, October 7 and will continue through Friday. The America’s Challenge Gas Race inflation is scheduled for Saturday, October 5 and will feature nine teams.

On Wednesday, October 9, the Flight of the Nations will get the mid-week mass ascension started, showcasing all countries represented at Balloon Fiesta. There will be 17 countries represented at this year’s event. In addition to the United States, flags from Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Kenya, Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Switzerland and Thailand will fly during the event; this will be the first Balloon Fiesta that flags will be flown from Kenya and India. This year’s event also features balloons representing 41 states.

Balloons are not the only entertainment at Balloon Fiesta. Music Fiesta, a one-day music festival, is in its sixth year, will be on October 12. Tylor Brandon and the Neon West Band will kick things off, followed by Casadee Pope and headlined by country music artist Justin Moore. More details and ticket information can be found here. In addition to Music Fiesta, guests will enjoy different entertainers every day, visit the entertainment schedule, which is regularly updated.

Guests will also be able to visit more than 40 food concessionaires and 40 different merchandise vendors, as well as enjoy returning attractions like the Artisans at Balloon Fiesta and Balloon Discovery Center. Guest options Glamping and the Concierge Program have expanded and returned for their second year.

About the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta presented by Canon is an annual festival of hot air balloons that takes place every October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It is the largest gathering of balloons and balloonists in the world. For details on events, schedule, entertainment and photographs visit our website www.balloonfiesta.com and follow us on Twitter @BalloonFiesta and Facebook.

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