Attending the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta is on many travelers bucket lists. Camping on the Fiesta grounds is on even more RVers bucket lists. If attending the Balloon Fiesta or trying to book one of the coveted RV spots on the Fiesta grounds feels too overwhelming to you, we have suggestions for first-timers to attend the Fiesta with the least amount of stress.
Where should I camp?
For many RVers, camping on the grounds of Balloon Fiesta park is a bucket list item. If you’re going to try to secure reservations on site, you have to book early and be prepared to spend a lot of money. Reservations typically open in January for the following October and prices for dry camping start at $40 per night and sites with water and electric hookups start at $95 per night. We were super envious of those RVers who were camped on the bluff overlooking the main balloon launch field, until we realized those sites are $250 a night! Way too rich for our blood!
In general, you can expect any RV park within driving distance of Albuquerque to jack up their prices during the run of the Balloon Fiesta. We ended up camping about an hour north of Albuquerque at an Army Corp of Engineers campground for $20 per night. Ultimately, you will have to decide if the convenience of being closer to the Fiesta grounds is worth the increased cost. For us, it wasn’t.
When should I attend?
Tickets to the Balloon Fiesta are for either a half-day morning or half-day evening session. We originally planned to attend one of the evening sessions, but it got canceled due to weather. After attending the Sunday morning mass ascension, we HIGHLY recommend you plan to attend one of the weekend morning mass ascensions. Yes, it was incredibly painful to get up at 3:30 AM in order to get to the Fiesta field in time for the launch, but it was absolutely worth the exhaustion we felt later that day. The Mass Ascension is truly one of the most magnificent experiences we’ve ever had in our lives. Hundreds and hundreds of balloons; inflating on the field, in the process of launching, and floating over Albuquerque. We didn’t even know where to look!
Another consideration for deciding when to attend is the possibility that the day’s flights might be canceled due to inclement weather. We originally planned to attend the evening glow session on the first Saturday of the Fiesta, but it was canceled. Your tickets are honored at any following session, but if you don’t give yourself a few extra days of wiggle room in your travel schedule, you might be hard pressed to return to the Fiesta. We were so glad we were able to return the next morning to see the mass ascension. A few people we chatted with in line were not going to be able to return on another occasion and we felt so sad for them!
TL;DR Buy tickets for the first weekend morning session to see the Mass Ascension and give yourself a few days extra in order to be able to attend a makeup session if your ticketed session gets canceled.
Pre-dawn drone show, dawn over the Sangre di Christo Mountains, the Sunday Morning Mass Ascension
How should I get to Balloon Fiesta Park?
Buy a Ticket that includes a Park and Ride shuttle from Cottonwood Mall. Do not even attempt to park on the Fiesta grounds. No seriously. Don’t. We were so impressed with the well scheduled school bus shuttles to and from the Fiesta grounds. Shout out to all the local school bus drivers getting up super early to shuttle attendees to and from the grounds! All the streets surrounding the grounds are changed to one way or closed and navigating to and from the park to pay an additional $20 to park and walk a long way did not look like fun. The bus shuttles were frequent and well worth the small additional ticket price.
Important note: If your Balloon Fiesta session is canceled due to weather, you will need to buy another shuttle only ticket to attend another day’s event. Still worth it. Trust us.
What should I plan to eat and drink at Balloon Fiesta Park?
Walking the grounds of the park reminded us of attending the Washington State Fair. The majority of the food available is fair style foods at marked up prices. Since morning session attendees want food too, there are plenty of options for breakfast burritos, coffee, and donuts. If you want to eat something that is not fair food, you will need to pack it in yourself. Also note that there are no water bottling filling stations anywhere on park grounds, so if you don’t want to purchase overpriced water like we had to, plan to pack in your own!
Should I bring in lawn chairs?
We would say that most of the people in attendance had brought their lawn chairs with them. We brought a blanket to lay on the ground and one to cover us as well (the desert is cold when the sun is down!) and we were quite glad we hadn’t brought chairs. Once the balloons started inflating, everyone stood up and it would have been impossible to see anything sitting in a chair. If you have mobility issues, you may find it necessary to bring a chair, but if you are able to get up from the ground and able to stand for an hour or two, you won’t need to bring a chair.
What should I wear?
Layers, layers, layers. The temperature swing before and after the sun is over the horizon is substantial. If you attend the AM session, you will want to start the morning with a jacket, hat, and gloves and by the time the balloons are all in the sky, you’ll be fine to shed those extra layers. If you attend the PM session, the afternoon desert sun is at its hottest in the 4:00 hour so you won’t want those extra layers, but by the time the sun goes down and the Twinkle Glow session starts, you’ll want the extra insulation. Basically, plan to have clothes appropriate to all four seasons when you attend the Fiesta.
What else do I need to know?
Be prepared to stand in line. Want food? Stand in line. Want souvenirs from the official Balloon Fiesta shop? Stand in line. Use one of the porta potties? Stand in line. Waiting to get on the shuttle to come and go from the Fiesta park. Stand in line.
Pack your patience. The crowds can be large and overwhelming. Remember that everyone is there to see the same gorgeous spectacle.
The Balloon Fiesta Museum is an easy walk at the end of the grounds, but does require an additional ticket for entry.
You’ll have to leave your pet back at your RV, sorry!
If you’ve never put the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta on your travel bucket list, we absolutely recommend that you do! October is a beautiful month in New Mexico and the Fiesta is a destination worthy of the drive! Did this post make you put the Fiesta on your list? Have you been before and have other suggestions for first-time attendees; share them in the comments!
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