What Happens at the Balloon Fiesta?
Beginning each day at sunrise with a mass ascension of literally hundreds of balloons, the days see varied events on terra firma, as well as balloonists engaging in friendly competitions. Each night culminates in a glowing ascension of the balloons – spine-tinglingly illuminated by their own fires and lighting up the night sky. Aside from the glorious technicolour of the dawn ascension and the pure enchantment of the night time balloon glow, there is plenty in the hours between to keep the visitor entertained, and it’s far more boisterous than the hushed, awed admiration of the dawn and dusk spectacles. Try checking out the Tumbleweed Drop – and forget any ideas about feather-light tumbleweeds wheeling lonesomely down Route 66. This is all about balloonists swooping down to grab all manner of plant life and then dropping it from the sky in an effort to hit a designated target. Popular also is the Key Grab competition, where balloons (and their pilots) dance crazily in flight, dipping,
