Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park

This was well done. I didn’t realize how much this has become a sport!

Have to hand it to these guys, their shuttle option for the annual festival was excellent! Showed up at the remote lot with pre-​purchased ticket in hand, got in line, 20 minutes later on a bus to go up to the park.
Once we got near the park, traffic was HEAVY. Bus waited a bit and then their dispatcher came on and said that ABQPD was blocking southbound traffic to allow the shuttles to drive on the wrong side of the road into the park. All in all, took about 45 minutes from arrival to parking lot to drop off at the park. Would definitely recommend that to anyone in the future.
Food options were abundant but still seemed to not be enough for the crowds. Walking down the strip of food trucks, there were CONSTANT long lines at least 100 deep. Porta-​potties were limited to small clusters and always seemed to be out of TP. For such a large festival and grounds it seems that investing in a more permanent fixture would be ideal.
All in all, enjoyed our time and glad we crossed it off our bucket list.

Mass ascension early at sunrise, 600+ balloons. If you go, go big, Gondola Club tickets get you VIP parking, front row seating and VIP tent, extravagant gourmet buffet, open bar that pours as fast as you can drink with no lines, binoculars, souvenirs, courtesy shuttles to and from parking and all over the fiesta grounds! They really have this well organized, but the Gondola Club is the way to go! You can walk out on the field among all the balloons as they inflate and launch, you can get virtually as close as you want! Amazing experience!

Great space for a wonderful fiesta. The field makes it easy to access the balloons and get up and close for pictures. While, the pavement provides great space for venders.
My only complaint is the long distance between the parking and the venue. I was aware of this because someone in our group struggled with the walk. I noticed there was a complimentary shuttle, but no one with information.
Would definitely recommend coming here.

Balloon Fiesta Park is one of the biggest outdoor venues in Albuquerque. There are tons of events hosted here, and they can be pretty awesome.
We were here most recently for Freedom 4^th, but that’s not the first event we’ve attended at this location.
The parking lot is paved (mostly) and the park itself is a combination of grass and pavement. It can be really hot, and there isn’t a lot of shade in the park. Most events set up tents, but if you’re unfortunate enough to be attending one that doesnt, bring your own.
The bathroom situation here makes me crazy. They have portapotties, and a trailer that houses bathroom stalls. The stalls in this bathroom are CRAZY tiny, and there are only 3 – 4 of them. I wish they would put permanent facilities here, because portapotties are gross, and there’s no way to wash your hands. The trailer does have a sink, but every time I’ve been in there; no soap. Yuck.

Would have been five-​star except that they aren’t quite organized to handle the crowds afforded by the Fiesta… typical state fair-​type food and fare, but awesome ballooning!!!

Great for large outdoor events. Owned by the city of Albuquerque and available for rent for different events as long as they don’t conflict with balloon happenings. The parking leaves a lot to be desired. There’s plenty of it, it’s just not very «easy in — easy out» and can take up to an hour to park during Balloon Fiesta. Overall it’s a nice venue.

Okay, I guess I could’ve seen this one coming. I put up a business listing for the PARK, not the FIESTA, because plenty of great events and festival occur at the Park. People reviewed the Fiesta. Naturally. FYI, there’s a Fiesta page, guys. Search again.
Balloon Fiesta PARK isn’t much of a park, it’s more of a field. There are few facilities, no playgrounds, so don’t come here expecting fun for the kids unless there’s an event. There are some baseball fields, the weekends pack ‘em. The circular paved road often doubles as a track for marathons and fun runs. Like most of the city, there aren’t many trees, so the best seasons to attend events are spring and fall. Great views of the Sandias and the adjacent Balloon Museum (also has a biz page, yo) give some support to an otherwise character-​less plot of overwatered grass.

The grass on the field is the best!!! I gotta do a shout out to the City of Albuquerque and the maintenance staff of the Balloon Fiesta park that’s some of the best grass I’ve ever laid on in any park bar none! This evening we choose to lay on the field and watch the clouds go by as the crowd cleared. Thank you!

We came to Albuquerque, New Mexico to celebrate my birthday with the express purpose of visiting for the Annual Balloon Fiesta! This was a really fun trip and I have to hand it to the organizers (SBC Events), after 42 years and counting, these folks have narrowed it down to a science in planning & implementing this grand-​scale event.
ABQ really comes alive during this time of year, and you will see tons of visitors descend upon this New Mexican city, yet it will never feel like a crowded NYC train cart (thank God!). This is a well-​oiled machine, and you will have an easy-​going, thrilling time at Balloon Park Fiesta!
Hotels offer discounted rates during the fiesta (I think it is about 2 weeks long), and the organizers of the event have set up extremely convenient «Park & Ride» options for those without a car, and even those with cars. You can avoid potential congestion on the roadways if you choose this route, as sitting in heavy traffic while on vaca is never one’s idea of fun. So, although we had a rental car, we got tickets for the Park & Ride option and everything went without a hitch. There are several pick-​up and drop-​off locations, ours was at Cliff’s Amusement Park as it was the closest to the hotel we were staying at (Fairfield Inn ABQ Sunport — highly recommended, BTW). Tickets were less than $ 15 per adult I believe, and they begin their pick-​up as early as 4:30am for the Dawn Patrol takeoff, and they will drop you back off at your designated parking location, around 11AM-​ish.
The park itself is large and beautiful, offering an arresting view of the Sandia Mountains. The lawn is massive enough to accommodate hundreds of hot air balloons and visitors strolling and milling about as the balloons take off. There are picnic tables for sitting (and standing apparently), and the park is flanked by pop-​up stores during the Fiesta. In these shops you will find all manner of souvenir items, but most importantly, you can buy yourself a blanket which you will need especially if you arrive before sunrise! We got here before 5am, and it was freeeeeeeeezing! We had no other choice but to buy a blanket.
I would give the event 5 stars, but I think they really should have a heating station or heating cubbyholes for folks to get some relief from the cold without having to purchase blankets. (If all else fails, dress in layers as they instruct you to do so on their event website!) Also, the bathroom situation is kind of lacking. The lines were incredibly long, so I had to be resourceful and leave the park to use the port-​a-​potty (I utterly hate those things!!!), though, the rule is if you leave the park, you’re not allowed to come back in. Thankfully, the security guard was nice to me!
Overall, ABQ Balloon Fiesta Park is a stunning place where you can have the time of your life during the Fiesta and there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world (at least not to this scale). The «Mass Ascension» was my favorite part! A beautiful array of balloons, colors, and designs all lifting up and way into the sky. ’twas magical!

Lots of fun! I wish there were more trash cans available tho.
The balloons are such a sight to see! We came all the way from Texas to see them and it’s totally worth it. definitely be sure to wear plenty of warm clothing!

Fiesta is definitely a unique experience. The mass ascension is a must see. I dislike crowds, so this was a «once in a lifetime» event, but it was an incredible sight and an experience one has to be there to grasp.

What, no reviews of Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta Park? I cant be the first one. …