This month in New Mexico the 25th annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta takes place. I attended my first Fiesta in 1981. I had "discovered" ballooning the previous fall while attending an outdoor Jazz concert in Atlanta, Georgia. During the ensuing year I had made a number of treks to Atlanta from Savannah, where I lived, to chase balloons, attended one small event and had the opportunity to fly once. After a trip to Albuquerque for the 10th Fiesta I would take delivery on my first balloon and start lessons.
The trip to Albuquerque was part of a Southwest vacation. I would be attending the last three days of the 1981 event. Camped about 20 miles north of the launch field I remember rising in the morning and driving down a lonely dark road toward Cutter Field. Suddenly, high off in the distance a large orb lit up against a pitch black sky. Then another did the same. Goosebumps covered my body with the excitement and anticipation of attending this great event that I had heard others talk about.
I was not disappointed. The number of balloons in air at any one time was amazing. The pilots flew Roadrunner/Coyote and Tumbleweed drop competitions that day. On Saturday I found a pilot from Georgia and volunteered to crew. After inflation he offered me a ride in the mass ascension. Wow.
In three days I took 240 pictures. Yep, I was hooked, even worse then before.
This fall will be my 16th Fiesta. I have watched as the event has grown and changed. It used to be that you knew almost everybody attending. Now you are lucky to run into many of your friends because of the number of people and wide variety of activities taking place. As ballooning has matured so has Fiesta. Today it is bigger and better than ever.
The logistics of putting on an extravaganza of the magnitude of Balloon Fiesta are enormous. The success that Fiesta has enjoyed is a testament to a largely volunteer organization and community that literally opens its doors to the world every October.
It has been written many times in this magazine that ballooning is about people and friendships. Many of the out-of-town pilots who come to Albuquerque have established special relationships with people in the community. People who take a week's vacation just to crew for the same balloon year after year. In my own case I have had the same family and their friends crewing for me for fifteen years. I have watched their kids grow up and start their own families. Fiesta is more then just celebrating ballooningit is celebration of life itself.
In honor of the 25th anniversary Balloon Life takes a look back at the first 24 years in our Special Report this month. Fiesta spirit, competition, special events, and the history are a few of the insights you will find.