Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta questions
 

Several questions:
I posted on this site earlier about hotels near the Balloon Fiesta Park and due to the lateness of booking, decided to book the Howard Johnson Express, which is probably rather basic but close to the park (about 2 miles). The staff there (when I called) was quite service oriented, so I am hoping the place will be adequate enough. I will post when we return and let you know how it was.

I am now trying to determine if we can just drive to the park from this hotel rather than drive farther in the opposite direction to one of the park and ride locations and take the shuttle. Is driving feasible if we start early enough?

I also have the following questions which I emailed to the email address for the balloon fiesta but have recieved no response from them. Can anyone on this site provide any insight?

1. Are special shapes also launched the first weekend of the event (during the mass ascension) in addition to the regular balloons? I know they go up by themselves later in the week, but we will only be there the first weekend and wonder what chances we might have to see the special shapes during that time.

2. If I order advance tickets or park and ride tickets from the balloon fiesta website, are they sent to me by USPS mail or can I print them on line when I order?

3. On October 6 (Friday) the balloon fiesta schedule shows a "Fiesta Challenge Competition" flight at the park from 5 - 7 PM. Is there admission charge for this event? Can we just show up and watch? Is the event visible primarily from the park or elsewhere?

Thanks for any help you can provide.

To get to the park from HJ, you will have to drive NORTH on either the frontage road or I25, then exit at Tramway, turn around and head south. There are only a few specific ways to get in for cars.

I would suggest that the first morning trip, you take the park and ride to get acquainted with the parking, the layout of the fiesta etc. Then you can decide if you want to drive it yourself.

IF you do decide to drive, you really have to leave early, as thousands do the same and you want to be there while they balloons inflate. It is really an amazing site to see this, almost as good as the ascent. Get there really early 5:30 am...walk around, have a breakfast burrito, cinnamon bun and coffee or cocoa. Then wander the field amongst the balloons to watch them first cold inflate and then heat up. They often need extra hands, and this makes it a really special treat for you to get involved. Also, if you wander to the west side of the field, go to the pilot's briefing -- that too is an interesting part of fiesta that most specatators miss. It is right out in the open, and anyone can stand there and listen. It is fun to hear some of the comments, and to get a heads up on the days activities.

If you are going to be in ABQ for a while, they often still need people to volunteer for chase crews. You can sign up online or there is usually a booth near the south side of the field.

1. Specials shapes do go up with mass ascensions, so don't worry about missing them.

2. I don't remember about ordering tickets online..how they are delivered but I do not think you can print them online. If you get into ABQ before fiesta, you can buy tickets at field. I think the park and shuttle tickets can be bought on the bus.

3. Every time you go into the park, you have to have a ticket. They sell multi-admission ticket booklets as I remember. The challenge can really only be seen in the park, they do a ring grab and it is over the park.

Sorry if I seem foggy on a few points, I only bought tickets my first year in ABQ and then was on chase crew all the subsequent years.

Hope this helps...
Debi

Wow. You are a wealth of information. Thanks so much!

I just checked the site and you CAN print tickets at home for admission. They are $5.50 each. Parking is $10 and you pay that on the way in. https://secure.balloonfiesta.com/shop/genadmin.php

Hope this helps...
Debi

I followed the link and the tickets for admission do in fact say say "print at home" on the first screen so I can tell right up front what to expect. However, the option to buy Park and Ride tickets does not say anything like that. I am at the screen where you have to fill in your credit card information and it still hasn't said if I can print them off at home or not. It just says a receipt will be mailed to my email address. Thoughts?

Hmmm, I really think I bought the park and ride ticket right on the bus. Maybe Lee Ann will see this and have a better idea.
Debi

Congratulations on getting a room so close to the park! I have friends who stay there and they've always been pleased with their room.

I've only ever driven to the park, so I can't answer your park and ride questions. Try the city of Albuquerque's website - www.cabq.gov - and see what you can find there.

Lee Ann

Just wanted to chime in...

I'm getting excited! We are coming from Houston for the opening weekend of Fiesta.

I generally crew in Houston but I won't crew in ABQ because there are too many distractions.

Debi - I'm curious ... Do you crew for the same pilot each year?

Wanderlust -

I was going to suggest that you check out Old Town for shopping. I've found terrific balloon souvenirs there.

Don't even get me started on the jewelry but I bet a local can get you pointed towards some better bargains. The selection is fantastic though!

Moldy- Yes I crewed with the same pilot each year and became part of his ABQ "family". It's so much fun! I actually met him for the first time when he landed near where my home was being built. I was outside watching the balloons off in the distance and one started right towards my house. I grabbed my camera and took pictures as it passed right over my head. I then realized it was landing and hopped in my Jeep and went over to where they landed. I asked if they needed help packing up [which they always do] and one thing led to another and I was soon part of the team. My reward for following that morning and others was my first flight! It was amazing...unlike anything else. So quite and peaceful with only the sound of the burner giving off bursts of flames to keep the balloon aloft. I could look over and see my own shadow on the ground below. How cool is that? After landing, I got the official initiation into ballooning which involves champagne and some tales of how ballooning started and well, I could tell you more, but we don't like to tell the WHOLE initiation, cause that would spoil the fun! I've flown many more times since then, but my first flight will be one I remember always.

Debi

Debi -

You should ask "Your" pilot if he flys at the Ballunar Liftoff in Houston. We have a terrific event - but much, much smaller than Fiesta. I'd say we have 80 - 100 balloons on a regular basis in August.

If I haven't said it enough... I'm getting excited!

Please keep doing the good weather dance.

"2. If I order advance tickets or park and ride tickets from the balloon fiesta website, are they sent to me by USPS mail or can I print them on line when I order?"

I just pre-purchased our Park N Ride shuttle tickets this afternoon, and yes, you can print the tickets at home. When you complete your purchase, there is a screen that enables you to either bring up the tickets immediately to print off then, or you can return to the web site later and print them off then. I just went ahead and printed them when I completed the purchase, so I can't speak to how well the system works if you wait until later to print the tickets later.

And you can buy the Park N Ride shuttle tickets at the bus, but they will cost $5.00 more. Tickets cost $10.00 if purchased in advance, $15.00 if purchased at the bus. Kinda makes it worth it to purchase in advance, if possible.

What keeps a person from printing one admission/parking/shuttle fee and not making copies of that for free?

"What keeps a person from printing one admission/parking/shuttle fee and not making copies of that for free?"

I would think for the same reason one doesn't copy online tickets for sporting events. There is a bar code on the tickets that you print out. If the bar code is scanned once (as is normally done at sporting events), then the ticket is considered invalid after it has been scanned. Hence, if one prints out their ticket multiple times and gives (or sells) additional copies to others, only the first person who uses the ticket gets the service or gains entry. Subsequent individuals who submit the ticket to be scanned will find the ticket has already been scanned and is no longer valid. Which is why, when one receives these types of things over the internet, there is a warning to keep them secure.

Now....if there is no scanning of the bar codes at the buses, then this is all moot.

Okay, I finally got an email response back from the Fiesta folks. Apparently the event on Friday night, October 6th is free. Here is what they wrote: "Friday October 6th is a free event. The city of Albuquerque is having a tercentennial celebration." So, we will have an opportunity to share in that at no charge plus we can get a feel for the route, routine, park, parking, etc. ahead of the weekend events. Thought I would pass that along. They also answered my other questions about the special shape balloons (they are there the full 10 days) and printing off the parking tickets at home. Thanks for all the helpful advice and suggestions!

Glad you got a response. Have a terrific time!
Debi

Friday night is free, eh? Hmmm....will have to mention this to Mr. Pickle. We like free and/or cheap. :-)

Lee Ann

I was also wondering if there is any sort of "site map" for the balloon launches that shows where each balloon is (showing site number and balloon name/description). I know the Fiesta web site has a way to look up individual balloons but you either have to know the balloon name/description or the pilot's name to look it up. The Fiesta folks know by now where each balloon is supposed to be, so I wondered if there is a map that shows all of them, by site, so I can figure out ahead of time where I might want to go?

And does anyone know what the weather conditions are that prevent the balloons from going up? In other words, is a 10 mph wind too windy?

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/Pilots/launchsites.php

This tells you launch sites but you need to plug in some info.

Are you looking for a particular pilot/balloon?



I'll bump a thread I started last night that gave some info on down time. I'm looking forward to checking out some of the suggestions.