FESTIVAL

ALBUQUERQUE INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a festival of hot air ballons. The Festival basically consists of a lot of hot air balloons (it has arround 750 ballons) filling the sky. It's the largest hot air balloon festival in the world and approximately 100.000 spectators watch it every year.

In the festival, there are also special events or things: the Special Shape Rodeo (there are different types of balloons, like one in the shape of a cow or a baby), the Balloon Glows (it takes place at night, and all the balloons shine), the Fiesta Challenge (a game where balloonists attempt to drop a marker closest to a target), the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race (where special long-distance gas balloons are inflated and then launched.The winner of the race is the balloon that travels the farthest), the Fight of the Nations Mass Ascension (where balloonists from each nation launch, one at a time, to their national anthem and waving their nation's flag)...

Where does it takes place? It takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA). In a big field where the people can relax and have a great time looking at the beautiful sky full of baloons.

When? Every year, during the early October and it's quite long: it lasts nine days!

Why? This festival started in 1972, because of the 50th birthday celebration for a Radio in New Mexico (770 KOB Radio). The manager of the Radio asked Sid Cutter (the first man to own a hot air ballon in New Mexico) if they could use his balloon as part of the festivities. He agreed, but then they wanted to have as much hot air balloons as they could, so they tried it. In the end, 13 balloons attented to the party and 20.000 people went to the celebration. In fact, they also did a competition of hot air balloons in the celebration (it was like a race).
The next year, the Fiesta became and international event because of the competition. They saw that the race was a good idea, so they decided to do the first World Hot Air Balloon Championship. Then, the next year, they did it again, and again, and again... until now (they are still doing it).

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