Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a yearly hot air balloon festival that takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico, during early October. The Balloon Fiesta is a nine-day event occurring in the first full week of October, and has over 500 hot air balloons each year far from its beginnings of merely 13 balloons in 1972. The event is the largest balloon festival in the world, followed by the Grand Est Mondial Air in France, and the León International Balloon Festival in Mexico.
Late night scene at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
The nose of an inflatable half-scale model of a NASA F/A-18 in front of the NASA Aeronautics exhibit
Big Green Cat, 2007 Fiesta
Close encounter among two balloons, 2007 Fiesta
Albuquerque, also known as ABQ, Burque, and the Duke City, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque by Santa Fe de Nuevo México governor Francisco Cuervo y Valdés, and named in honor of Francisco Fernández de la Cueva, 10th Duke of Alburquerque and Viceroy of New Spain, it served as an outpost on El Camino Real linking Mexico City to the northernmost territories of New Spain.
Image: Abqdowntown
Image: Sandia Peak Tramway Car by Anna Cummings Photography
Image: Albuquerque Alvarado Transportation Building
Image: San Felipe de Neri Church Albuquerque
