International Balloon Fiesta

Early in our 2006 travels we met a fine Christian couple at the Fort Bliss RV Park named Junior and Phyllis. We did not have much time to fellowship with them, but they invited us to park with them at the forthcoming Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. As the time for the Fiesta grew near, we became more and more excited about attending this amazing event. It is the largest of its kind in the world. Junior and Phyllis were great fun, and after being parked beside them for three days, we now count them as special friends. We were glad that they had experienced the Fiesta on two previous occasions, as it would be easy for “newbie’s” to get lost among the 850,000 people and thousands of RVs who attend the various balloon launches. There were scores of vendors selling all kinds of food and merchandise. The traffic was horrendous, but a constant stream of shuttle buses provided transportation from the RV parking lot and the launching area. The balloons arrived in all shapes, sizes and colors. The first balloons we saw were the Dawn Patrol. A few balloons ascend before daylight to test the various weather patterns. Later in the morning, the dairy people sent a huge Holstein cow aloft, and she was “udderly” fantastic. Jesus was represented along with Noah’s Ark. In the photo you will see how Uncle Sam managed to get between them. Wells Fargo showed off a huge stage coach. NASA would not be outdone. The shuttle seemed to stay close to the American Flag. At the close of the evening’s events a gigantic fireworks display entertained the thousands of attendees. There were also Glowdeos. That was when the largest balloons remained tethered and huddled close together after dark. On the command of the announcer, they fired their burners in unison. The result was a huge Christmas-like display of huge lights and a plethora of shapes and colors glowing in the night. In all there were around 750 different balloons.