Do you love hot air balloons? If so, this event is begging for you to attend! This festival isn’t like local hot air balloon rallies. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta features hundreds of balloons! People come from all over the world to showcase their balloons at this festival.

And it’s not just your typical hot air balloons! So many special balloon shapes! Here are a few examples of the unique balloons…

When we initially planned our visit to New Mexico, we had no clue about this festival. It was only when we began researching things to do that it came across our radar. Once we saw that the Balloon Fiesta would be starting while we would be in New Mexico, we completely rearranged our itinerary to make sure we could go!

Since this festival is a huge event, it’s best to be prepared for your visit. Here are a few tips we know you’ll find useful…

5 Tips for a Great Experience at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

1. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is incredibly popular, so you’ll want to book your lodging asap. Be prepared for higher than usual hotel rates. While staying close to the festival grounds is an option, think about staying near Old Town instead. The drive from Old Town to the festival grounds is around 20 minutes, but you’ll be close to restaurants and shops for when you’re not attending the Balloon Fiesta events.

2. As can be expected, there are lots of people attending the Balloon Fiesta. If you want to avoid sitting in traffic trying to get in to the parking lots, be sure to leave early. The events started at 6:00 a.m., so we were on the road by 4:00 a.m. When we arrived, we were one of the first to park in the lower parking areas near the entrance gates. We were meeting friends there, and they didn’t leave for the festival grounds until around 6:00 a.m. They ended up stuck in traffic and almost missed Mass Ascension at 7:00 a.m.

3. Dress in layers! In the mornings and the evenings, it was quite cool. By mid-morning, it was starting to warm up considerably. We were happy to have layers to shed by the end of Mass Ascension.

4. Bring a chair or blanket. While there are a few picnic tables, there aren’t a lot of seats around. For the morning events, the ground was wet with dew, so a chair would be ideal. We’d suggest grabbing a fold up chair in a bag with a handle so that it’s easy to carry in.

5. If you want to make sure to see a particular event such as Mass Ascension, give yourself a few days in Albuquerque. The event may be cancelled depending on the weather, so having a few days to play with will help to you to ensure you get to enjoy the event!

Bonus tip: There’s a handy dandy app you can download on your phone with the event schedule, ticket information, a find my car option, and a map of the fair grounds!

If you have time to schedule a road trip around the festival, there’s a fabulous 9 day road trip itinerary here!