The sky over Albuquerque has gotten considerably more crowded this week, and considerably stranger. The 54th ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, running Oct. 3-11, added 13 brand-new special-shape balloons to its fleet this year, including a panda, a parrot, a sea turtle and an inflatable diamond ring.
According to the Albuquerque Journal, the new arrivals include Finley the Turtle, Gus and Rock from the United Kingdom; Eva, Agape (a red heart balloon from Colorado) and Johnny Panda from the United States; Falcon Ozi, Walrus, Blue Jay and Cotorro Tiberio from Brazil; and Diamond, shaped like a diamond ring, from North Macedonia. The festival also flew 16 smaller, remote-controlled "globitos," including a spider pig and a baby dinosaur.
This year's theme, "The Scenic Route," marks the centennial of Route 66, and organizers planned for more than 500 hot air balloons in total over the festival's nine days, according to a press release from presenting sponsor ExxonMobil. Local coverage has described the special-shapes gathering this year, which includes returning favorites like Astro the Alien and Humpty Dumpty alongside the 13 newcomers, as the largest such lineup the festival has ever assembled, though that count has not been independently verified by a records body.
Opening day drew a clear, still fall morning and more than 500 balloons into the air at once; seven balloons made hard landings, but state police reported no major injuries. The Special Shape Rodeo, when the custom-built balloons fly together and inflate on the ground for close-up viewing, has been one of the festival's signature draws since it began decades ago as a sideshow to the more traditional round balloons.
The fiesta runs through Sunday, with mass ascensions and evening "balloon glow" events still on the schedule. Organizers say next year's 55th edition is already being planned, with pilots from new countries expected to apply for a spot in what has become one of the most recognizable gatherings in American ballooning.