Burritos and Balloons in Albuquerque

It’s 5am. We are bundled in layers drinking coffee and tea. Our friends’ granddaughters, 10-year-old Charley and 9-year-old Devon, proud New Mexico natives, said we had to try a breakfast burrito at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. According to them, it was a must. So we did while standing in a wide open field, burritos in hand, waiting for the first sign that the fiesta was starting. And yes, they were absolutely right.

Finally at 5:45, the drone show started. Thousands swirled using the sky as a canvas creating a scene of The Big Dipper and the moon setting and transforming into a glowing sunrise with a rooster and an alarm clock. Yet again, the drones whirled and hovered creating an image of orange juice being poured into a glass, then morphing into a hot air balloon rising as the words across the sky spelled out “Good Morning Balloon Fiesta” in a finale. 

A flickering of lights. Flames inside five hot air balloons shine like lanterns. It is a small group of hot air balloon pilots, known as the Dawn Patrol, whose responsibility is to check weather conditions for the day. Our fingers are crossed as they launch, creating a glow against the dark sky. We cheer as the announcer declares that they have given the “go ahead” for the day’s mass ascension. 

As the sun rose, the field slowly filled with movement. Balloons lay on the ground as large propane-fueled burners heat the air inside the balloons’ envelopes and they begin to take shape. The heat and whoosh from the torches inflated the balloons creating excitement as we anticipated the first launch. A whistle blew as a signal. The first balloon lifted off. We waved. We cheered. We applauded. Another lifted off. Then another. And another, all launching right over our heads. Balloons popped up everywhere.

Throughout the next two hours, hundreds of balloons are inflated and launched filling the field and the sky with bright colors, patterns, and fun shapes. There was a brain, Elvis, sea animals, a farmer with his barn, a giant cow, a unicorn, a jack-o-lantern, Frankenstein, Darth Vader, Yoda, and hundreds more. We couldn’t help but smile as we walked around the kaleidoscope of balloons.

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta has been on my list for years. We woke up at 3:30am, an accomplishment in itself for those of you who know us. Was it worth it? Yes! It's peaceful. Stunning. Magical. Would we go again? In a heartbeat! And maybe hop a ride on the giant cow.