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I remember the fiesta as a child, but I moved away for 20+ years. It's so wonderful to be back and have my 4 year-old daughter to share it with. I don't ever remember going to the actual park as a child, I suspect we didn't... this year we're loosely tied to a family that owns balloons, so it's been even more amazing to help with the launch, be part of the chase... if you have the time or the inkling, I truly recommend volunteering as part of a crew. The pilots are, by and large, great people, and the whole experience is kicked up a notch.
Something I took note of a while back that I thought I should share now during Balloon Fiesta is just how many Balloon "Fiestas" the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has spawned all over the world now and in the past.
There are, or have been, Balloon Fiestas in Australia, Canada, England, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Romania, Slovakia and South Korea.
Some are listed in the link below, but I found others simply by typing in "Balloon Fiesta" on Google and looking through the results.
That video was wonderful, guaranteed to make you smile. Attended a few years back it was amazing couldn't decide on a favorite so many neat ones. Gorgeous pictures the colors are beyond belief. Only downside is I really don't need to know 5:00 a.m. exists! BUT.....Frontier breakfast afterwards helped a bunch
You have to watch Thursday morning! It's the Special Shapes Day. As I recall, the Special Shapes launch first, then the rest of the balloons at the park (and spots all over town). Way cool! We have some new shapes this year, too - Elvis is a HOOT! The ABQ Business Journal (forgot their new name) has some good pics from this past weekend.
Looking forward to the Special Shapes this week. Today (Tues 10/8/13) must have been amazing with the backdrop of the stunning sunrise I saw this morning!
Hey, if interested in a Ballooning Bad pin, they just announced on KKOB that Plano Pins just released a number for internet sale. I just bought 2 of each color and the order seemed to go through, so if you're looking for some, type fast!
These are from Thursday morning when the special shapes inflated, but did not take off due to high winds. At the time, there were no winds on the ground at all, but a big storm rolled in later in the day.
Thanks for posting, saw some old favorites and a few new ones. It is such a fun colorful festival in a culturally colorful beautiful place!
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Balooning Bad pins? Hurry Hurry!
