What It’s Like at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 🎈 (5 things to know before you go!)

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is one of the world's largest hot air balloon festivals, drawing in hundreds of thousands of spectators from around the globe. This annual nine-day event features over 500 colorful hot air balloons ascending into the sky at dawn, with dozens returning certain nights for a similarly enchanting evening glow.

Taking place each year in early October, the Albuquerque Intnernational Balloon Fiesta includes daily mass ascensions, night glow events, competitive balloon races, drone shows, fireworks, and a vibrant carnival atmosphere with food, music, and arts and crafts vendors.

We got to spend one day at the Balloon Fiesta on the way home from our 2023 Travel Season. This was a bucket list season with one final bucket list item to experience! But… did it live up to the hype? Would we return? If so, what would we do differently? 🤔 Keep reading for what it’s really like at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta and 5 things to MAKE SURE you know before you go!

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What is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta?

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is an annual hot air balloon festival held in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is one of the world's most renowned and largest hot air balloon events, typically taking place over the course of nine days in early October.

During the Fiesta, hundreds of colorful hot air balloons take to the sky, creating a spectacular - and truly mesmerizing! - sight. Throughout the 9-day event, you can watch mass balloon ascensions, enjoy night "glow" events where balloons illuminate in coordination against the night sky, witness skydiving events, watch fireworks displays, and much more.

There’s also a range of other activities, including live music, food vendors, and arts and crafts displays.

How to Get to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

You have several options for getting to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

If you're flying to Albuquerque, you'll want to book a flight to Albuquerque International Airport (ABQ), the city's main airport. From the airport, you can rent a car, take a shuttle, or use a rideshare service to reach Balloon Fiesta Park, where the events are held each day.

If you're driving, you'll need to plan your route based on your starting location. Albuquerque is accessible via major highways, including Interstate 25 and Interstate 40. You can use a GPS navigation system or map for specific directions.

To get to the events each day, drive or walk to Balloon Fiesta Park, located at 5000 Balloon Fiesta Parkway, Albuquerque, NM 87113. Know that traffic can be VERY heavy during the Balloon Fiesta, so plan to arrive early, especially if you want to catch the early morning mass ascensions.

To avoid traffic, consider staying close enough to walk to Balloon Fiesta Park or opt for the Fiesta Express Park & Ride Bus Service. (No service on Monday-Thursday). Learn more about the Park & Ride here or find a map and directions to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta here.

Note: If you’re driving to Balloon Fiesta Park, your GPS may try to reroute you to Jefferson Road; however, there is generally NO park access from this road. If you take the exit for Jefferson Road, you will likely have to take the longer route to 2nd Street instead.

Where to Stay for the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

Take our top advice and stay as close to Balloon Fiesta Park as you possibly can! Book in advance for camping, RVing, glamping, and hotels within walking distance to the Park.

Done-For-You Tent Camping: Camp 505 offers an option for tent camping during the Balloon Fiesta, with tent accommodations provided and set up prior to your arrival. This generally costs about $800 for 3 nights. Learn more and see what’s included here.

Glamping: Glamp among the balloons from a glamping tent within Balloon Fiesta Park. Learn more and see what’s included here. (A glamping accommodation for 3 nights starts around $1600. The year we were visiting, tickets went on sale on April 7th, but you’ll want to double-check the date for the year you’re visiting.)

RVs & Standard Tent Camping: Reservations for RV and standard tent camping sites generally go on sale in early January. (For 2024, reservations will go on sale on January 10th at 9am MT.) A 3-night minimum is required for these sites. You can see pricing and site options here.

Nearby Hotels: There are also a few hotels within walking distance of Balloon Fiesta Park, such as the Holiday Inn & Suites, Quality Inn & Suites, Comfort Inn & Suites, and Staybridge Suites on/near Alameda Boulevard NE. If you’re a Marriott fan like we are, and you’re able to walk comfortably for about an hour, consider the Springhill Suites off Holly Ave NE. It’s right next door to many convenient places to eat. (We actually walked to the Five Guys here between the morning & evening sessions because we didn’t want to deal with traffic and parking again for the evening session. It’s a walk, but it’s doable!)

More Options: There are, of course, plenty of other hotels or short-term rentals to consider throughout Albuquerque. Just remember that unless you’re willing to get up WELL before the sun, expect to hit heavy traffic.

Since we were pit-stopping in Albuquerque on our way back to Dallas, we made plans for the Balloon Fiesta somewhat last minute and stayed in a short-term rental about a 20-minute drive from Balloon Fiesta Park. Leaving at 4:40am on the Saturday of the 2023 solar eclipse, which may have impacted crowds, our 20-minute drive turned into 2+ hours. If you’re not able to stay within walking distance of Balloon Fiesta Park, and you want to ensure you arrive in time for the morning events, plan to leave VERY early. The gates open at 4:30am. Plan to arrive well in advance of this and wait in your car or at the gates.

Or consider the Park & Ride, which can use expedited routes to bypass heavy traffic.

How much does it cost to get into the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta?

General admission for one session on one day costs $15 (plus a $1.50 service fee for online tickets) to get into the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

If you plan on using the Park & Ride, you must purchase tickets ahead of time online. (No same-day sales.) Get Park & Ride pricing here.

If you’re driving yourself, you’ll want to bring $20 cash for parking at a nearby parking lot. (No credit or debit cards for parking fees.)

There are also VIP admission tickets, such as Gondola Club Tickets and Chasers’ Club Tickets, which may include things like premium parking, meals, and private restrooms. Learn more about your options and what it costs to get into the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta here.

What are the dates of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta?

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is typically held each year in early October and lasts for nine days. The exact start and end dates change from year to year, so check the Balloon Fiesta website for specific dates.

In 2023, for example, the Balloon Fiesta was held from October 7th through October 15th.

For 2024, it’s currently scheduled for October 5th through October 13th.

For 2025, the Fiesta is scheduled for October 4th through October 12th.

And for 2026, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is currently scheduled for October 3rd through October 11th.

Is it worth going to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta?

Planning a trip to Albuquerque for the International Balloon Fiesta can be expensive and a logistical headache. All to hang out with thousands and thousands of people once you arrive. So, it’s a fair question to ask, “Is it worth it?”

We visited the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta on its final Saturday of the 2023 Event. It happened to be the exact same day a solar eclipse was visible, and Albuquerque was in its direct path. While we were sitting in standstill traffic at 5am on our way to Balloon Fiesta Park, we were asking ourselves this exact question. “Is this worth it?!”

Are the high hotel prices worth it?

Is it worth booking FAR in advance for more moderate pricing or the chance to ride in a balloon?

Is it worth navigating traffic and lines and lines of people?

Yes, it is 110% worth the trip to Albuquerque for the International Balloon Fiesta!

Despite the traffic, lines, and early planning, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is absolutely MAGICAL. It’s surreal, beautiful, and a totally and completely enchanting experience!

Sure, it’s also chaotic 🤪 and sometimes overwhelming… but you’ll forget about the challenges in getting here as soon as you’re watching the first balloon take off while the sun comes up over the horizon!

What are the best days to attend the Balloon Fiesta?

Our pick for the best days to attend the Balloon Fiesta is the first three days of the event or three of the final four days. Plan to be there the first Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, or the last Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!

This way, you’ll get to experience as much of the festival as possible. These earlier or later days during the festival are generally packed with drone shows, morning glows, opening ceremonies, skydiving, balloon races, evening glows, fireworks, and more!

Many of the accommodations at Balloon Fiesta Park require a three-day minimum, and we agree this is a great amount of time to experience the festivities. Because events are weather-dependent, you’ll want to stay more than one day to give yourself the best possible chance of seeing as many balloons in the sky as possible. (The less wind, the more balloons are flying. The more wind, the higher the chance balloons won’t lift off the ground, or the mass ascension as a whole could be canceled.)

Both the morning sessions and evening sessions are magical (and different in what they offer), so we highly recommend planning a trip to experience at least one session of each. Weekdays are probably better for fewer crowds, but the middle of the week doesn’t offer as many night glow events. So plan to be there for a day or two during the week if you want to enjoy fewer crowds but make sure to stick around for an evening session over the weekend, too, so you can marvel at the warm glow of dozens of balloons contrasting the night sky!

Note: There are no evening sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or the second Sunday. That’s a large part of why our pick for the best days to attend the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is the first Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, or Thursday, Friday, and the second Saturday!

“Night Magic™ Glow” at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta 2023

5 Things to Know Before You Go to the ABQ Balloon Fiesta

Here’s what you need to know before planning a trip to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (and what we’d do differently if we went again)!

1. Stay within walking distance of Balloon Fiesta Park.

If at all possible, staying within walking distance of Balloon Fiesta Park is our #1 recommendation for planning a trip to see this magical event. Camp, glamp, or RV at Balloon Fiesta Park, or stay at the Holiday Inn & Suites or Quality Inn & Suites on Alameda Boulevard NE.

Staying within walking distance of Balloon Fiesta Park will ensure you avoid traffic while getting more sleep, and will ultimately make your Balloon Fiesta experience that much more enjoyable.

However, staying within walking distance will mean you need to plan well in advance. There are affordable camp and RV sites at the Park, plus a few options for more comfortable glamping tents on site, but securing one of these locations will require you to book as soon as reservations become available. Follow the Balloon Fiesta website (and consider signing up for their newsletter) for updates on reservation dates for the year before you’d like to visit.

We made it to Balloon Fiesta Park just in time for “Mass Ascension” at 7am. It was absolutely incredible!!!! The National Anthem at the beginning of the ascension was SPECTACULAR and gave me goosebumps! I’ll post the video on Instagram @roadtriplocals. It. was. phenomenal. *P.S. How quickly do you spot Jonathan in this photo??*

2. Tickets are good for one morning session or one evening session on ANY day of the event. (The more days you’re in town, the better your chance of seeing tons and tons of balloons in the sky!)

One ticket is good for one person for either one morning session OR one evening session. If you’d like to attend both the morning and evening sessions on any given day, you’ll need two tickets. If there are two of you traveling together and you’d both like to attend the morning and evening sessions, you’ll need four tickets: one for each of you for the morning session and one for each of you for the evening session.

Tickets are nonrefundable, but they can be used for ANY session. So, if the wind is looking high one day and you choose not to enter Balloon Fiesta Park, your ticket will still be good for the next day.

Note: Wind can cancel the mass ascension event AND limit the number of balloons that rise even when the ascension is not canceled. Less windy days = more balloons in the sky! If the balloons as a whole are not allowed to inflate (due to park regulations about wind), your ticket becomes “rain-checked” and will get re-activated as a General Admission ticket you can use another day.

There is currently no limit on attendance capacity at Balloon Fiesta Park, so you don’t have to worry about purchasing all the tickets you need in advance or deciding ahead of time which days you’d like to enter the Park. You can purchase additional tickets as you go online (service fee applicable) or purchase tickets at the Balloon Fiesta Gift Shop.

Our recommendation is to plan on being in Albuquerque for multiple days so you can choose when to attend morning and evening sessions, not just based on the events offered that day but also based on the weather and wind. Less windy days mean more balloons in the sky, so those are the days you want to be in the Park!

3. The morning and evening sessions offer different activities. Both are spectacular and worth doing! (But you’ll need a separate ticket for each.)

We highly recommend attending at least one morning session and one evening session during your time at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. During the morning sessions, try to arrive at the Park as early as possible to see the morning drone show, morning glow show, and mass ascension.

For the evening sessions, make sure to see the Night Glow (when the balloons stay tethered to the ground while lighting up in coordination against the sky), and also stick around for the evening skydiving, drone show, and epic firework display. (Bring lawn chairs or blankets!)

The range of morning and evening events at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is one more reason we highly recommend staying within walking distance of Balloon Fiesta Park. Get there as early as you want and stay as late as you want without worrying at all about traffic!

4. Bring blankets, chairs, layers, snacks, water, and sunscreen. Arrive early to beat concession lines or eat before you get there.

Think about the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta as a big picnic happening in the middle of a fair.

The middle of Balloon Fiesta Park is full of people finding spots to place picnic blankets and lawn chairs alongside trucks and balloons prepping to take off, and outside the large lawn area is a square of bathrooms, exhibitions, museums, gift shops, and concessions.

You’ll be able to find some personal space within the large, open area in the middle of Balloon Fiesta Park, but outside of this, it’s organized chaos with lines EVERYWHERE — for food, drinks, snacks, gift shops, restrooms, museums, and everything else.

Plan to bring blankets (and your patience 😅), lawn chairs, snacks, water bottles, and sunscreen (there’s little shade). We really enjoyed walking among the balloons for our first few hours of the mass ascension and evening glow, but then we found quieter spots to hang and watch from one spot. For the evening sessions, we HIGHLY recommend lawn chairs or a blanket so you’re comfortable during the drone and fireworks shows!

There are plenty of options for food and drink inside that park, but it’s a typical concessions area that gets super busy. If you don’t want to wait in lines, there are options just outside the park. (Starbucks is walking distance. So is Holly Plaze but it’s a much further walk.)

5. You can be part of the action and ride in a hot air balloon during Mass Ascensions… just book well in advance!

If going up in a hot air balloon is on your bucket list, this might be one of the most epic opportunities to check this experience off your list.

During the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, you can ride in a hot air balloon during Mass Ascensions. This means you’re not just marveling at all the balloons from the ground, but also getting to be part of the action and see the magic from the sky!

Rainbow Ryders is the official balloon ride concession for the Balloon Fiesta and the only company authorized to take guests in hot air balloons during the events.

You’ll want to reserve your seat well in advance as rides during the Fiesta book quickly. Call Rainbow Ryder at 505-823-1111 or learn more about booking a balloon ride during the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta here.

We definitely hope to experience this if we make it back to the ABQ Balloon Fiesta one day!!!

1-2 Day ABQ Balloon Fiesta Itinerary

This one’s relatively self-explanatory, as basically, you want to get to Balloon Fiesta Park and experience all the activities of the day!

But if we got to redo our Balloon Fiesta experience, here’s what we’d do…

Ideally, spend three or four nights staying at Balloon Fiesta Park (camping, glamping, or RVing) or at a hotel within walking distance, such as Holiday Inn & Suites or Quality Inn & Suites on Alameda Boulevard NE.

Each morning, walk to Balloon Fiesta Park, planning to arrive around 5:30am, so you’re there in time for the 5:45am Drone Light Show. Stick around for the Dawn Patrol Show, Morning Glow, and then the Opening Ceremonies and Mass Ascension!

If you’re staying onsite and the lines are short when you arrive, grab a breakfast burrito from concessions before the Mass Ascension begins. If you’re staying at a nearby hotel, grab food and drinks from Starbucks on your way to the Park.

Plan to be out of food lines and walking among the various balloons about a half hour before Mass Ascension (starting in the back towards the stage and making your way forward as the balloons lift off). Get as close to the sponsored balloon of the day as possible by 7am because that balloon is likely to kick off the Mass Ascension with the most epic national anthem you’ll ever witness!

After watching balloons take off, cheering with crowds as they go, and taking more pictures than you can possibly imagine, check out the other events onsite around mid-morning. Browse any exhibitions, watch the balloon races, visit the museums, stroll through the gift shops, etc.

Between the morning and evening sessions, it’s time to eat! If you’re in the mood for a long walk, head to Holly Plaza. Otherwise, eat back at your lodging and maybe even relax with a quick nap.

The evening session starts around 5pm, so make it back to Balloon Fiesta Park by then to watch skydiving, evening glows, drone shows, and fireworks!

Be sure to have booked a balloon ride (in advance) for your second day at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta, so the next morning, you get to be PART of the Mass Ascension of balloons in the sky.

Repeat for as many days as you’d like!

Our Experience at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta

After three weeks of touring Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks with friends and family at the end of our 2023 Travel Season, we were finally making our way back to Dallas.

As we were mapping out our route home, we realized Albuquerque, NM, wasn’t too far off the path — and we could pass through on the same day as not only the Balloon Fiesta BUT ALSO a solar eclipse.

Why not cross two more bucket list experiences off our lists?

By the time we were planning this pitstop in Albuquerque, we were too late for camping, glamping, and RVing, and hotel prices were astronomical, so we opted for a short-term rental about 20 minutes out of the city. (We also had Lincoln with us, and Balloon Fiesta Park is NOT dog-friendly.)

We figured as long as we got up early enough, we’d be fine… right?

Not so much.

On the Saturday of the Balloon Fiesta — the same day as the 2023 Solar Eclipse, which crossed directly through Albuquerque — we woke up at 4:15am and made it out the door around 4:40am. I’d read to arrive by 5am, so we were right on schedule with our estimated 20-minute drive to the Park. Plus, in case there was some traffic, we’d still have two more hours before the main event, the Mass Ascension, was scheduled to begin at 7am.

Our ETA climbed, and climbed, and climbed as we were following our GPS toward Balloon Fiesta Park.

Two hours later, sitting in standstill traffic about two miles from the Park, we were missing the drone show. Then, the dawn patrol. Then, the morning glow.

We sat on a distant freeway, in bumper-to-bumper traffic, watching the balloons light up the sky, no longer even headed in the direction of the Park. (Pro tip: Jefferson Street generally does not provide access to Balloon Fiesta Park during the festival… but your GPS probably won’t know this!)

It was only thanks to a moment of desperation and a *perfectly* timed detour (one we took without knowing whether it’d lead to the festival or back home… we were truly okay with either at this point!) that we made it to a nearby parking lot with about ten minutes to spare before Mass Ascension. 🙏

Then, it was a full-on sprint from the parking lot to the gates of the fiesta and through the balloons!

It was surprisingly all worth it — at this point, just entering Balloon Fiesta Park, we weren’t so sure it would be, ha! — as we began walking through rows and rows of the largest hot air balloons we’d ever seen.

Then, one by one and sometimes two by two, the balloons started taking off right in front of our eyes, and we forgot about the frustration of the hours before almost immediately. (The ABQ Balloon Fiesta is one of the only places where you get to walk AMONG the balloons. It’s jaw-dropping to watch them inflate and lift off right in front of you!)

The Balloon Fiesta is truly a surreal event, one that felt even more magical when we got to witness the Solar Eclipse “Ring of Fire” just a few hours later, then an evening “Night Magic Glow” a few hours after that.

Pure magic with a dash of chaos is the best way to describe our 24 hours at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta!

Happy road-tripping!

There are lots of fun things to do and see in Albuquerque. For more New Mexico Road Trip ideas, check out our Unsung Hero: New Mexico Road Trip.

Or browse all of our road trip itineraries here.

Your turn! Please comment below

What’s your favorite thing to do in Albuquerque during the International Balloon Fiesta? Or, which of these activities would you most love to experience? 😍 Please share with us in the comments below!

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