baloon festival

blknomad wrote:
What's the chances of finding a camping spot for a couple of days in Albuquerque during the balloon rally?

why not call the parks and ask??

If you need a site to attend the Balloon Fiesta itself, they will have dry camping for $35 at the park and drive-ins are permitted, according to the woman who handles camping reservations. (I talked to her for a magazine article in 2014 and asked about last-minute camping.) There's a shuttle that runs to the launch field.

But you could call or email and ask about this year's scenario. Looks like they have a huge wait list. Lots of details on the Fiesta website.

Jgarcia@balloonfiesta.com.

It gets very cold (below freezing sometimes) there at night and early a.m. for the launches. So it's good to have warm clothes and plenty of propane for the furnace.

The fiesta is an absolutely great thing to do in an RV.

I look like you waited too late. Here is a current link. States that over 300 on the wait list as of today.

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/guest-guide/rv-information

Have you considered going with one of the RV tour companies such as Adventure Caravans. They might have space available. It is expensive but we thought it was good value as other events other than the balloons are scheduled. It is an 11 day commitment though so you do need the time to get your money's worth.

Remember if you only plan on spending a weekend, and the weather is unsuitable for the balloons to go up, you are just plain out of luck. It sure is a fun experience and one we have crossed off our bucket list.

MountainAir05 wrote:
I look like you waited too late. Here is a current link. States that over 300 on the wait list as of today.

http://www.balloonfiesta.com/guest-guide/rv-information

The Hot Air Balloons will be in Lake Havasu City, AZ. in Jan. 2017 plenty of room there. Last time, I attended there was 80 to 100 balloons not as many as NM. but still a good show.

We dry camped on the Fiesta grounds for 10 days. That's the best way to go. We also crewed for a balloon and got a long ride out of it. Great fun and they're always asking for volunteers to crew. The dry camping has a free shuttle running every 10 min. or so all day long that takes you directly to the grounds. Or..it's even close enough to walk.

We had absolutely gorgeous weather - sun, no wind/rain and definitely not cold. Every year is different so you can't count on the weather.

If I were you I'd put my name on the wait list for dry camping. Note: there are different areas with different prices. Perhaps some areas don't have a long wait list. It would be worth a try.

In the meantime, you could plan to drive up to the Sandia casino parking lot - nice view and many RVers do it.

The surrounding RV parks all the way up to Santa Fe up their prices during this time so even if you could get a site, it would be very expensive. Also, during certain times of the day, the roads are closed to the Fiesta so it's not like you can just drive in at any time. You need to plan carefully. Go to the web site for all particulars.

Good luck. It's worth it!

http://balloonfiesta.com/

Also, Cochiti Lake Corp of Engineer campground is very nice and would be a decent drive. You'd definitely need reservations right now though. http://www.rvparkreviews.com/regions/new-mexico/pena-blanca/cochiti-lake-coe

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blknomad wrote:
What's the chances of finding a camping spot for a couple of days in Albuquerque during the balloon rally?

100 percent. Let us know if you need any additional information.

At this point the big $$$ sites that are directly adjacent to the launch area at Balloon Fiesta park that do provide limited power are reserved well in advance with a huge waitlist. There are plenty of openings across the street at the city run lot which is dry camping only.

There are trucks that provide dumping service and fresh water, and generators can be use during non-quiet hours, open frame versions are not allowed. You can just drive up whenever you get in town or reserve ahead of time for $35 a night with a 3 night minimum.

There are many private RV parks in the ABQ metro area and of course their prices are inflated for the event. Several casinos are in the region that provide both hookups and dry camping options. Kirtland AFB is not far down the road should you have on base privileges.

We always stay at the dry camping lot directly across the street from Balloon Fiesta park, arriving Wednesday afternoon for 3 nights. In the morning we catch the mass ascension Special Shapes Rodeo and at night the Special Shapes Glowdeo taking place on both Thursday and Friday.

Last year we arrived three days before our reservation and had no problems getting a site in the south lot. It was better than our reserved site though further from the launch field. If you don't mind dry camping, it is definitely the way to go.