Albuquerque, N.M. balloon festival 2018

[Red_Eagle]

Planning on camping in the Albuquerque, N.M. area to visit the 2018 Balloon Festival. Would appreciate your suggestions on area campgrounds and how they rate. We'll be camping in a 31' 5th wheel and prefer a pull-thru site with FHU. Thanks for your advice.

[Veebyes]

Google the fiesta & get swamped with info on the official website.

We did the fiesta this year, for the 3rd time. You learn a few things after a time or two. First of all, just like in times before we stayed in the huge dry camping area across Alameda Ave. $35PN. Way cheaper than sites with power. FHU onsite is not available. Don't think power & water is available either onsite.

The honey truck roams the CGs all day & into the evening as does the freshwater truck. Don't know what they charge. We have never used either one.

Things like the Fiesta sorts out the good RVs from the not so good. Battery bank capacity & freshwater tank capacity are king along with the owners ability to conserve the usage of both. Generator hours are limited & most people are very considerate in genny usage. When you are camping rally style you need to be.

Here is a biggie. NO, you do not need to make reservations. Not in the dry camping area anyway. The first Friday, Saturday, & to a degree Sunday, the CGs are full, or near full. After the Sunday flight people start to leave. Monday more leave. By Tuesday there are big holes in the camping area all over the place. Everyday more leave than come in. In the dry camping area they start accepting drive ups late every morning.

This year we arrived on Tuesday a little after 12:00 & drove right in. No check in line. Got placed in one of the rows near the front. PERFECT! We stayed 6 nights. The 6th, Sunday after the end, was no charge. Quite a few others did as well but by Monday mid morning the camping area is about deserted.

The dry camping area is the best because usually there is no need to go to the launch field. There is no need to get up at 3:00AM to deal with traffic, to deal with parking, to walk walk walk. Given the most common air currents the balloons come to you. Hundreds of them. Some land in a big area kept open in the middle of the camping area. Later in the week they even land right in the middle of the campers where there are holes left by vacated groups.

Like going to Alaska this is an event that is made for RVs

Having said all that, you really do need to go to the launch field at least once, even if just for the glow & fireworks.


Click For Full-Size Image.

Click For Full-Size Image.

Click For Full-Size Image.

[loggenrock]

Visit another CG before or after the Fiesta, but try to stay right on site during it - great experience! Early morning launches and evening activities, but during the day go explore the surrounding area. We went in 2010, hope to return! ST

[imgoin4it]

Where ever you decide to stay, do not delay in making reservations. You may be too late already.

[NMDriver]

You need to figure out what you want to see and do during the event. If you just want to see the balloons in the sky then that is possible from just about anywhere in the north valley of Albu. If you want to book a ride then you need to go to the fiesta park-I believe there is only one company offering rides from the fiesta grounds.

It is a 10 day/two weekend event and most of the fluff stuff happens on the weekends and the competition flying is during the week. Some things happen every day like the dawn patrol and something is planned each day but some of it is repeated from weekend activities.

If you want to see them fill and join in the crowd/concessions (mostly food) at the launch site you need to make reservations early for a space at the fiesta grounds or, as recommended already, get up early, pack your camera, snacks, chair/blanket, warm clothes, etc and join the traffic. There are also special buses that run from various parking lots in the city.

One option may be to stay at the Isleta Pueblo RV park and take the rail runner into town and then catch a bus. That is, if you do not care to arrive early and just want to go to the grounds after the launch.

Just google balloon fiesta to decide what you want to do.link

[eubank]

You're going to need to readjust your expectations. Upwards for the fiesta itself, but sideways for camping.

FIrst of all, gazillions of people go, making for a traffic nightmare early, early in the morning if you stay further away from the Balloon Fiesta grounds. THat is a major complicating factor, but if you want to stay further way and get up very, very early to visit the event, well, then, there are lots of RV parks in the Albuquerque area. Spaces fill up way in advance; people even stay in Santa Fe for the event.

But if you don't want to try to commute early, early in the morning, then then you might consider staying right at the Balloon Fiesta grounds in a space operated by the Balloon Fiesta. They offer either partial hookups or no hookups; a lot of these are just huge parking lots, so not organized like a campground or RV park. Look up the Balloon Fiesta website on Google to find out more. You might consider joining one of the clubs that visit the event. THey often stay for several days and get a place literally steps from the grounds.

Back in 2011 wewent back in 2011 with the Airstream Association and were parked about a hundred yards from the fiesta grounds. It was absolutely amazing. Here are some pictures:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lynneubank/albums/72157627824686494

In any event, plan early.

🙂
Lynn