The International Balloon Fiesta
Mass Ascension - Wednesday, October 8, Part 1

The International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, NM, USA is the largest balloon festival in the world.
The 2008 Balloon Fiesta was the 37th annual festival in Albuquerque.

Sunrise from the Fiesta grounds. We had to get up very early for the Mass Ascension. We just followed the traffic without knowing where we were, so we were disoriented when we walked into the Fiesta grounds. It was nearly pitch black when we arrived. After we were on the grounds for a while we turned around and could see the vendor booths and a mountain behind which the sun was rising.

This is a picture of two of the grounds crew of the Darth Vader balloon.

This is another picture of two of the grounds crew of the Darth Vader balloon.

Balloons are first laid out on the ground. Then the gondola (the basket) is attached. Then a fan is started, and the air is blown into the balloon. This is what you are seeing in the picture above. You can't see the fans, but that's what is happening. After it is determined that enough air is in the balloon, the burner is pointed into the balloon. As the air in the balloon is heated up, the balloon rises from the ground. When there is enough lift, the balloon is released.

One of the crew (to the left) holding open the balloon for the fan. This balloon is named Travelin Lite and is from Champaign, IL.

Balloons filling up: Re/Max (Albuquerque, NM), IMTS (Columbia, MO), and another balloon.

The Farmer Pig balloon (Sao Paolo, Brazil) filling up with air. It is one of the special shapes. Notice the ear of corn in its pocket.

This balloon was brought from Vreden, Germany. It is a strawberry.

Here you see the balloon being heated up.

Two Warsteiner Beer balloons from Germany.

(1) State Farm (Bloomington, IN), (2) Pepsi Supercan (Sioux Falls, SD), (3) Change of Pace (Weatherford, TX) in the air, (4) Cutie Dink (Corrales, NM) being filled on the ground (red balloon).

(1) Good Neighbor Pharmacy (Temecula, CA), (2) the Ladybug (from Highlands Ranch, CO), (3) S S Rollo Fitzpug (Danville, IL), (4) I'm Bananas II (Albuquerque, NM).

(1) Silver Star (Bountiful, UT), (2) Humpty Dumpty (Louisville, KY), (3) Howard Johnson balloon, (4) Midnight Blues (Ogden, UT), (5) unknown, (6) 1Down8-2Go (Albuquerque, NM) is on the ground being filled with air.

Here you can see balloons laid out on the ground, one being filled up (Tequila Rose - Arvada, CO), and one being launched (Alien Inflation - Albuquerque, NM).

(1) 1Down8-2Go (Albuquerque, NM), (2) unknown, (3) Pakas Daytripper (Albuquerque, NM), (4) Midnight Blues (Ogden, UT), (5) Pneuballoon (Wilnsdorf, Germany), (6) AT&T (Prospect, KY).

(1) Scarlett O'Aira (Centennial, CO), (2) Windspirit (Seale, AL), (3) unknown, (4) Pneuballoon (Wilnsdorf, Germany) being launched, (5) unknown.

Multiple balloons. The building in the distance with the glass front is the Balloon Museum.
On the right is the State Farm balloon (Bloomington, IN). I can't find a picture of the one on the left.

(1) Kaleidoscope (Albuquerque, NM), (2) Merlin's Dragon Magic (Edgewood, NM), (3) Koshare Gallup (Gallup, NM), (4) Nizhoni Gallup (Gallup, NM), (5) Big Byrd (Albuquerque, NM), (6) El Loco (Lyons, CO), (7) Hot Shot (Roswell, NM)