Save The Date
Join us October 1-9, 2022, for the 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, powered by ExxonMobil, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Start your planning for the festivities which all start on Saturday, October 1, and include the magical Mass Ascension! The 50th event schedule is now available on www.balloonfiesta.com. 


Balloon Fiesta Insider
We’re several weeks into 2022, and eagerly anticipating the 50th Balloon Fiesta scheduled to take place in October! As we continue to look ahead to this year’s event, below are some key dates, over the next few months, to keep in mind:
  • January 31, 2022 – Concessionaire applications open. More information can be found here.
  • January 31, 2022 - Entertainment applications open. More information can be found here.
  • February 7, 2022 – Pilot applications open. More information can be found here.
  • April 1, 2022 – General admission and hospitality programs go on sale. More information can be found here.
Merchandise Update
Balloon Fiesta’s online Gift Shop has a new look! And, we appreciate your patience as we have transitioned to a new point-of-sale and online system over the past few weeks. As part of this process, if you had an account with our old system, you should have received an email to activate your new account. 
 
Additionally, beginning on January 19, we will be hosting an in-person “Misfit” Sale. These items are from past year’s inventory and there aren’t enough of each item to carry forward into the new year. Stop by Balloon Fiesta’s Gift Shop, located at 4401 Alameda Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM, 87113 to browse this Balloon Fiesta merchandise that has been deeply discounted. This sale will take place during the normal Balloon Fiesta’s Gift Shop hours (Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.) and will run through January 31, 2022. To shop other items, visit https://balloonfiestastuff.com.
Inside the Basket
Al Tetreault has been a Balloon Fiesta Board of Directors member since 1991, and is Balloon Fiesta’s Board of Directors’ newly elected President.

In this month’s Inside the Basket, read more about Al’s proudest moment during his time with Balloon Fiesta, his favorite event memory and his top tips for first-time guests. 
January in Ballooning
On January 24, 2008, Irish pilot Pauline Baker set the altititude world record for AX-03 type balloons. Baker took flight in Mondovi, Italy, reaching a height of 4,272 meters before decending and landing less than half a mile from where she took off. Read more about this accomplishment, here: https://www.fai.org/news/10-years-ago-today-balloonist-pauline-baker-set-two-fai-world-records-her-impressive-4272m  
January Photo-of-the-Month
We have received some beautiful pictures of past years' events, submitted through Balloon Fiesta's social media! Below is the photo chosen for January. Thank you to Twitter user Catherine Bocanegra!
Do you have a Balloon Fiesta photo that you’re proud of? Share your favorite Balloon Fiesta image on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and tag our page for a chance to be featured in next month’s newsletter!
Read all about it
Check out the latest media coverage about Balloon Fiesta
Sponsor Spotlight
ExxonMobil is one of the world’s largest publicly traded energy producers and chemical manufacturers, helping meet the world’s growing energy needs safely and responsibly. The company has been a sponsor of Balloon Fiesta since 2019 and now, as the presenting sponsor, will further support Balloon Fiesta for the next three years. Through their involvement, the ExxonMobil team has been able to support the communities where their employees live and work, as well as connecting with Balloon Fiesta guests in New Mexico and beyond. We thank them for their continued support! 

Follow ExxonMobil in New Mexico on Facebook and LinkedIn at @ExxonMobilNewMexico
For a complete list of Balloon Fiesta sponsors, click here.
Find Us Online
 Official e-newsletter of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, powered by ExxonMobil.