A Look at Kevin Bubriski’s New Mexico
KEVIN BUBRISKI drove cross-country to Santa Fe in 1981, fresh from a stint with the Peace Corps in Nepal. The aspiring documentary filmmaker fell in love with still photography in northern New Mexico…
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Tag: Balloon Fiesta
Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta First-Timer Guide
➤ Arrive early. On Mass Ascension days, plan to arrive between 4 and 4:30 a.m. Gates open at 4:30 a.m. Park & Ride is available on select days, but not Monday through Wednesday. ➤ Walk the field. The…
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Enjoy Hot-Air Balloons Year-Round
➤ Taos Mountain Balloon Rally October 27–29 Fall colors in the mountains add to the spectacle of this intimate event, which draws about 35 balloons each year. ➤ Artesia Balloons & Tunes Festival…
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Check Out This Balloon Fiesta Pin Collection
STEVE ARNDT LANDED HIS FIRST PIN at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in 1986, as a volunteer on the US West balloon chase crew. Today, his Albuquerque office features 4,000 unique pins…
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Take Flight in a Hot-Air Balloon
W HEN BONNIE JELINEK attended last year’s 50th anniversary Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, it was a huge check off her bucket list. So imagine the Plano, Texas, resident’s joy when her…
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Tips for Balloon Fiesta Photography
ALBUQUERQUE PHOTOGRAPHER AARON BLANC figures he wasn’t even a year old when he attended his first Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. He’s been a “balloonatic” ever since. Even while living away…
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Balloonist Makes a Comeback
KAREN CONVERSE AND HER CREW roll up to balloon events sporting matching pink-and-black apparel inspired by her 90,000-cubic-foot balloon, Penumbra, and its alternating vertical bands of color. A pink…
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Join a Hot-Air Balloon Chase Crew
LOOK UP ON ANY CLEAR DAY in Albuquerque, and you might spot a colorful globe drifting across the sky. “The balloons would land on the dirt road down the street from us,” says Michael Kerns, who grew…
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Get to Know This Young Balloon Pilot
“I’M GONNA GO HOT!” Kierstynn Wehner shouts to her crew over the loud, droning noise of a nearby inflation fan. It’s just after sunrise in Rio Rancho as the 17-year-old triggers and steers a 15-foot…
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Don’t Miss These Balloon Fiesta Glow Events
Dates and times below are for the 2026 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Balloon events are weather dependent. Check the official event schedule and Fiesta updates before heading out. Krispy…
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