BALLOON FIESTA PARK, ABQ

Why this room makes the map

Each October this field on the north edge of the city sends hundreds of hot air balloons up at dawn during the Balloon Fiesta, the largest balloon festival in the world. The rest of the year the city rents out the same ground for concerts and car shows, with the main stage set at the north end of the park.

About the room

The Fiesta moved to this 360-acre site west of I-25 and north of Alameda in 1996, and the launch field was fully grassed by 2002. The Anderson Abruzzo Albuquerque International Balloon Museum opened on the grounds in 2005, named for Ben Abruzzo and Maxie Anderson, two of the Double Eagle II crew who made the first balloon crossing of the Atlantic in 1978.

Before you go

Big events usually come in through the north entrance off I-25 Exit 234, while the museum and the Sid Cutter Pilots' Pavilion use the south gate off Alameda. An open field before sunrise runs cold, so bring a layer, and follow the event's own page for parking and shuttle details.

Published listings

• No current published event is attached to this room. Check back when the calendar changes.