Sunday morning, we got up a bit later. The sky was offering a beautiful picture of colors! We were going to meet
at 6:30 and head over to see the balloons launch. However, the winds in the
upper levels of the “Albuquerque box” were too strong.
Let me tell you about
that. The cool morning temperatures in October and the Albuquerque box. The
“box” is a set of very predictable wind patterns that can be used to navigate
the balloons, at lower elevations the winds tend to be from the south, but at
higher elevations they tend to be northerly. So the balloons can go in one
direction as they launch and then they can come back to you at higher
elevations.
However, there was no morning launches, because the higher
elevation winds were greater than 10 miles per hour. The balloons did inflate
on the field for a static display.
We decided to walk the vendor’s area and check out the chain
saw carving and the car show. The Balloon Fiesta offers concessionaires and
artisans the opportunity to sell their products to a captive, on-site audience
of hundreds of thousands of people. The Fiesta strives to provide high quality
concessions and artisans at Balloon Fiesta.
With over one third of a mile of concession space and an
on-site juried arts and crafts tent. There are hundreds of vendors. Everything
from food, to phones, to balloon related items and New Mexico jewelry. Artisans
at Balloon Fiesta is the only arts and crafts show located on-site during the Balloon
Fiesta. There are more than 30 artisans featured. There is a little something
for everyone. We picked up a handcrafted set of balloon earrings, to remember our
trip.
The Balloon Fiesta hosts a Chainsaw Carving Invitational featuring
professional chainsaw carvers. They are produced some amazing sculptures. Here
is the southwest, they think chainsaw sculpture are a relatively new art form.
I guess, they don’t have as many logs out here as we do in the northwest! When we got there, no one was carving, clean-up
of the aftermath of carving was going on. The event is sponsored by Echo. They
will be raffling off Echo chainsaws and sculptures on competition days to
benefit the Albuquerque Area Firefighters Random Acts. We found one, but it did
not have a "Buy it Now" price. The carvers here, this weekend are
from Wisconsin, Illinois, Oregon, and Arizona.
The 15th annual Fiesta of Wheels, is held the first Sunday
of the Balloon Fiesta. It is special event for automotive hobbyist. The Rainbow
Roadrunners Car Club hosts the car display on the field after the balloons lift
off. Since the balloons did not launch, there was no backdrop of balloons in
the air this year. Their advertising
boasts hundreds of classic, vintage and special interest vehicles, but it was
more like … less than 50 cars.
The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon
Museum is a gateway to exploration, discovery and achievements in ballooning. It
is here that you can explore the history, science, sport, and art of ballooning
and other innovative forms of flight. We learned how human aviation began with
ballooning in 1783 and the many advancements that have followed.
Since it opened in 2005, the Museum has welcomed over one
million visitors from Albuquerque and many other communities in New Mexico, as
well as from across the country and around the world. It was named in honor of
Albuquerque's pioneering aeronauts Maxie Anderson and Ben Abruzzo.
We watched a movie on ballooning in the Tim Anderson 4-D
Theater, complete with glasses!
The Balloon Fiesta was born from a small gathering of 13
balloons in 1972. The first gathering was held in the parking lot of Coronado
Center in uptown Albuquerque. The following year, 13 countries took part in the
"First World Hot Air Balloon Championships," held at the New Mexico
State Fairgrounds. The event had already caught on. By 1978 Albuquerque was
playing host to the world's largest ballooning event.
Gas balloons became part of the Balloon Fiesta in 1981. In
1993 the Balloon Fiesta hosted the 37th annual Gordon Bennett Cup, the world's
oldest and most prestigious gas balloon race. In 1994, Balloon Fiesta hosted
the 8th World Gas Balloon Championship and in 1995, Fiesta launched America's
Challenge Gas Balloon Race, a distance race that broke distance records, dating
back to 1912. In 1999 the prestigious Gordon Bennett Cup was hosted once again here.
Twenty teams representing twelve countries participated in the 43rd Annual
Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett. The Belgian team flew a distance of 910
miles to win the race, landing on October 5th, south-southeast of Tupelo,
Mississippi.
In 1992, the name Kodak was added to Albuquerque
International Balloon Fiesta, reflecting the fact that this had become the
world's most photographed event. In 2002, Kodak stepped down from being the
title sponsor of Balloon Fiesta. Other corporate sponsors got in on the sponsorship
and different major sponsors are named each year. This year, Canon was the
title sponsor and other major sponsors included Coca-Cola and Albertsons.
The Balloon Fiesta has literally changed the face of the
ballooning sport, each year showing new pilots and owners what thrilling and
safe experience ballooning can be. Drawing entries from more than 28 different
countries, the Balloon Fiesta has truly become international in stature.
Today the Balloon Fiesta includes such special events as the
weekend and Wednesday mass ascensions, Balloon Glow, Night Magic Glow, and the
Special Shape Rodeo and Special Shape Glowdeo where more than 100 uniquely
shaped balloons participate.
It has grown to become hands-down the largest balloon event
in the world. The Balloon Fiesta hosts hundreds of balloons and over 1,000
pilots. Each year, the Balloon Fiesta is organized by a full-time paid staff of
less than 12 people, an all-volunteer board of up to 24 members and thousands
of volunteers working every facet of the event.
We enjoyed a pot luck dinner tonight.
We could not use the “outdoor
patio” we created, because the winds were fierce and the threat of rain loomed
in the air.
So we fit 16 of us into Kelly & George’s Coach. I think Kent, Sally, Clarence and Sandy had the best seats ... they could just graze from the backside of all the dishes!
Because of the winds, there was no night glow. But they were
able to get the fireworks off!
Another excellent Yankee Adventure! Tomorrow is another day, hopefully a chance to see more balloons launch!
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