Rachel Habing | FEATURES EDITOR
Hundreds of thousands of people go to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta each year, myself included. This year was great for hot air balloon lovers because balloons flew every morning of the Fiesta.
“He’s Back” featuring Per Lindstrand.
As someone who goes to the Balloon Fiesta every year, one of the best parts is seeing the new balloons. New favorites for this year were a ginormous seahorse and a piranha-like fish eating a finger. There was also a balloon featuring a man’s face and the words “He’s Back,” but very few people knew who the man was. When I asked a crew member of the balloon, he explained that the man was Per Lindstrand, a Swedish aeronautical engineer and pilot.
The Balloon Fiesta is also known for the multitude of food and souvenir tents along the main road. My personal favorites this year were Mac’s burritos and Tom Thumb donuts.
Junior Abi Mayo said, “I go to the Balloon Fiesta every year and was really disappointed when the glow got cancelled.” Yes, it’s true. The Special Shapes Glodeo was cancelled due to inclement weather, as was this year’s gas balloon race. Another problem with the Balloon Fiesta is the traffic caused by the overwhelmingly large crowds trying to get to one place at the same time.
New seahorse balloon delights Balloon Fiesta spectators this year. Photos by Rachel Habing.
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