When: Nine days in early October, every year. Dates are announced ahead.
Tickets: Ticketed (sessions) — Admission is by session ticket, bought through the official Balloon Fiesta site; parking and park-and-ride passes are separate. Special packages (chase crews, VIP) exist. Buy official.
What it is
Hundreds of balloons launch together at dawn over the New Mexico desert, plus evening 'glows' where inflated balloons light up the field after dark.
How to get started
- Pick your sessions — the dawn 'mass ascensions' and the evening 'balloon glows' are the highlights, and each needs a ticket.
- Buy session tickets in advance from the official site, and reserve a park-and-ride or parking pass.
- Set a very early alarm; the mass ascension starts around dawn, so arrive in the dark.
Tickets & where to buy
Admission is by session ticket, bought through the official Balloon Fiesta site; parking and park-and-ride passes are separate. Special packages (chase crews, VIP) exist. Buy official.
- Where to stay
- Albuquerque hotels book out for the fiesta — reserve early, and factor the pre-dawn drive to the park.
- First-timer tips
- Dress for cold desert mornings that warm up fast. The dawn mass ascension and the evening glow are the two can't-miss sessions.
- Watch out
- Mornings are cold and dark and traffic is heavy — leave very early for the ascension.
Several of these festivals are tied to Easter or a lunar calendar, so the exact dates shift each year. Confirm the current year's dates and ticket on-sale times from the official source before you book flights.