We just attended the 53rd Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, New Mexico and WOW just WOW. This has been on our bucket list for years now and it finally worked with our travels. Here is what we learned and what we recommend if you are planning on attending this event in the years to come. First, let me start by saying this was one of the most magical experiences for our whole entire family. We weren’t quite expecting it to be that amazing, but it absolutely was more than we could’ve ever imagined.
Chasing Magic at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
December 4, 2025
Now, I’ll give you some tips before booking your trip to the festival. Begin by checking the dates of the festival. I would plan on going to at least 3 sessions. Every event is dependent on the weather, so I recommend attending a few different sessions to have multiple chances to see the balloons. They have morning sessions and evening sessions and have different events at each of these. It is very important to understand which events you want to see or attend before buying your tickets to these sessions. For example, the “evening glow” only happened in the evening and only happened on weekend nights NOT during theweek while we were there. Mass ascension only happens on certain mornings and can highly depend on the weather. With that said I would still recommend buying your tickets in advance online to avoid the lines at the ticket booth. But keep in mind if you do it this way they are nonrefundable. If you prefer to wait to buy your tickets at the festival the lines do move quickly as all the staff are truly amazing but get there even earlier than planned because there is no limit to entry and the number of people attending will blow your mind. Arrive early. I can not stress this enough.
Here are the sessions we attended: We attended the Sunday evening session to see the “Evening Glow!” We brought our wagon with chairs and snacks for the kids and posted up down in the infield. There was nota bad seat with over 200 balloons performing the “All Glow” you could see them all light up from any where in the infield. Make sure to also stay for the fireworks and be patient when leaving because the traffic is crazy so just be prepared to sit a while.
Then we went back early Monday morning using our “media pass” to try and catch a balloon ride. This media pass was incredible to have, and I highly recommend you apply if you are a photographer, influencer, content creator, or any type of media personnel. This pass will get you into any session for the whole festival with parking pass for free. You will have access to the media tent (bonus they and food and drinks) and you will have the opportunity to sign up to be selected for a balloon ride. This was a once-in-a-life time opportunity, and we got selected. Austin and I arrived on Monday morning at 5am to sign up for a balloon ride. (Anyone trying to go up in a balloon during this festival must have the media pass.) We were selected and paired with a pilot. Their crew came and got us and soon we were flying high. It was incredible.
Our 3rd and final session to attend was Tuesday morning where we all went back as a family and used this day to walk around and see all the balloons taking off up close. The kids went around and asked all the pilots for their trading cards which had their information on them like a baseball card. It’s so cool to have those to read later. On this morning, we did a lot of walking and even took the kids to the kids’zone for some fun. We visited some of the booths collecting pins, stickers and activity books. This was a relaxing day with no agenda but could’ve possibly been my personal favorite to just walk around and take it all in as a family. Overall, our experience felt like a dream ,and we are still pinching ourselves.
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Austin & Tara – Livin Lite Lovin Life
Meet Livin Lite Lovin Life: Austin, Tara, Rudi, Arlo, along with their cherished dogs, Gertie and Pyper. In a daring move, they bid farewell to their house and possessions in September 2020, embarking on a transformative journey across the United States. Their trusty Fifth Wheel, "Roamee," towed by the dependable "Lady," carries them through this adventure. Livin Lite Lovin Life's engaging videos offer insights into full-time RV living with children and dogs, DIY RV projects, essential tips, and the exciting moments they share as a family. With a commitment to weekly updates, they invite you to embrace a lighter, more fulfilling life and follow their path as they inspire others to chase their dreams, encouraging all to "learn to let go to gain it all!"
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