All things ballooning
Favorite and Least Favorite Balloon Events
This is the official balloon rally discussion...The idea being that this is a place to post stories of recent events, favorites, pros and cons of each, things you like, things you want to share, etc. It'll hopefully also be a resource for others to review rallies and events they attend so the rest of us can sit around and be jealous that we didn't go. I'll kick this sucka off with my faves (in no particular order):
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (uh, ya think?): A few things about this event....when the flying is good, it's DAMN good. And when the flying is iffy, you'll probably want to wear a diaper. That said, it's a bangin good time, a full-blast 9-day party. 100K people on the field most mornings, a buttload of balloons, good food (good to eat, not good for you) and an attitude amongst the pilots of PURE excitement. I know people who plan their entire year around this event. And I miss the hell out of living in Albuquerque for those 9 days, because that city comes ALIVE that week. The event treats you well, they have some great giveaways (I-pods kick ass) and there is no shortage of good times and typically fabulous weather (unless you went last year). A few tips: Carry a grip of fuel (I take 50 gallons on EVERY flight), be prepared to party, PLAN YOUR FLIGHTS WELL, and whatever you do, don't go to El Pinto, no matter what anyone says. They are BAD. I lived there for 26 years, and ate there OFTEN. I'd take every one of those meals back in a heartbeat. Visit Santa Fe, hike Tent Rocks, ride the tram and go ballooning.
Red Rock Balloon Rally: It's a crapshoot with the flying on this one, I've participated for 12 years and typically spend half my time on the ground because of bad weather...but when you get in the air, it makes it worthwhile. It's a GREAT place to fly, and quite a thrill to get in and out of those rocks. We stay at the El Rancho hotel every year...the El Rancho is the most crap hotel, but it has great ambiance and the coolest lobby ever. They stopped us from drinking in the lobby in recent years, but we used to have bombin card games and drinking contests before they got all Big Brother on us. However, despite the occasional cigarette butt between the sheets of your bed, the flying makes this one worthwhile. Oh, and their breakfast on Sunday AM rocks! Them sending us home without propane SUCKS!!
Bluff, Utah: We fly in the Valley of the Gods, about 40ish miles from Monument Valley on one day, and the other two we fly in Bluff, which is also pretty amazing. It's a tiny, one restaurant town with probably the most friendly people. The whole group tailgates each morning, Moab is about 2 hours away and Monument Valley is about 45 minutes away. I really can't say enough about this rally, it's sick. This one is in high competition for being my favorite.
Angel Fire, NM: Angel Fire is great because the weather is almost always perfect. Since 1995 we've had 2 days where we didn't fly, and both were because of fog. Others flew those days, but we usually rent a bad-ass cabin in the hills, so we'd just head back there for a nice long day of relaxing. We're missing it for the first time in 12 years this year, and that makes me sad. But we'll likely go back next year.
Honorable Mention: Snowmass Balloon Festival: I did Snowmass for the first time last year, and the weather was AWFUL! But the accommodations are sweet (a condo next to a ski lift in the Rockies, wood burning fireplace, etc) and it was just me and Daisy last year, so....uh.....well, anyway, we LOVE that rally!
Upcoming Excitement...
Festival de Montgolfieres: We've been dying to do the Festival de Montgolfieres in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu near Montreal in Canada, and we're going this year! I've heard amazing things, and we can't wait to go. I CAN wait to have to pay for the gas, it's a LONG way from Denver.
Boise River Festival: I hear this rally is tight. Never been, want to go, so anyone who has been there PLEASE post so I can figure out how I'm gonna talk the girlie into another long drive next year.
One of the Iowa Rallies: My Boss is from Iowa, and Justin Voss told me I need to go there, so I think I'm going to listen to him...maybe Indianola? I don't know...but I'd like to know more about them and I'm sure others would too.
Letchworth State Park in NY: I hear this rally is bangin as well, and I saw some pictures of it so now I want to go. This would be a good one to post on, and Keith Sproul has some badass shots on his page of this event.
Amarillo Invitational Balloon Rally: I saw the pictures of this one, and it's not horribly far....we may look into this.
Chihuahua, Mexico: Anyone have some thoughts on this?
So now it's all yours...post away with rally reviews, thoughts and comments!!!
Chris Liberti
Denver, Colorado
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (uh, ya think?): A few things about this event....when the flying is good, it's DAMN good. And when the flying is iffy, you'll probably want to wear a diaper. That said, it's a bangin good time, a full-blast 9-day party. 100K people on the field most mornings, a buttload of balloons, good food (good to eat, not good for you) and an attitude amongst the pilots of PURE excitement. I know people who plan their entire year around this event. And I miss the hell out of living in Albuquerque for those 9 days, because that city comes ALIVE that week. The event treats you well, they have some great giveaways (I-pods kick ass) and there is no shortage of good times and typically fabulous weather (unless you went last year). A few tips: Carry a grip of fuel (I take 50 gallons on EVERY flight), be prepared to party, PLAN YOUR FLIGHTS WELL, and whatever you do, don't go to El Pinto, no matter what anyone says. They are BAD. I lived there for 26 years, and ate there OFTEN. I'd take every one of those meals back in a heartbeat. Visit Santa Fe, hike Tent Rocks, ride the tram and go ballooning.
Red Rock Balloon Rally: It's a crapshoot with the flying on this one, I've participated for 12 years and typically spend half my time on the ground because of bad weather...but when you get in the air, it makes it worthwhile. It's a GREAT place to fly, and quite a thrill to get in and out of those rocks. We stay at the El Rancho hotel every year...the El Rancho is the most crap hotel, but it has great ambiance and the coolest lobby ever. They stopped us from drinking in the lobby in recent years, but we used to have bombin card games and drinking contests before they got all Big Brother on us. However, despite the occasional cigarette butt between the sheets of your bed, the flying makes this one worthwhile. Oh, and their breakfast on Sunday AM rocks! Them sending us home without propane SUCKS!!
Bluff, Utah: We fly in the Valley of the Gods, about 40ish miles from Monument Valley on one day, and the other two we fly in Bluff, which is also pretty amazing. It's a tiny, one restaurant town with probably the most friendly people. The whole group tailgates each morning, Moab is about 2 hours away and Monument Valley is about 45 minutes away. I really can't say enough about this rally, it's sick. This one is in high competition for being my favorite.
Angel Fire, NM: Angel Fire is great because the weather is almost always perfect. Since 1995 we've had 2 days where we didn't fly, and both were because of fog. Others flew those days, but we usually rent a bad-ass cabin in the hills, so we'd just head back there for a nice long day of relaxing. We're missing it for the first time in 12 years this year, and that makes me sad. But we'll likely go back next year.
Honorable Mention: Snowmass Balloon Festival: I did Snowmass for the first time last year, and the weather was AWFUL! But the accommodations are sweet (a condo next to a ski lift in the Rockies, wood burning fireplace, etc) and it was just me and Daisy last year, so....uh.....well, anyway, we LOVE that rally!
Upcoming Excitement...
Festival de Montgolfieres: We've been dying to do the Festival de Montgolfieres in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu near Montreal in Canada, and we're going this year! I've heard amazing things, and we can't wait to go. I CAN wait to have to pay for the gas, it's a LONG way from Denver.
Boise River Festival: I hear this rally is tight. Never been, want to go, so anyone who has been there PLEASE post so I can figure out how I'm gonna talk the girlie into another long drive next year.
One of the Iowa Rallies: My Boss is from Iowa, and Justin Voss told me I need to go there, so I think I'm going to listen to him...maybe Indianola? I don't know...but I'd like to know more about them and I'm sure others would too.
Letchworth State Park in NY: I hear this rally is bangin as well, and I saw some pictures of it so now I want to go. This would be a good one to post on, and Keith Sproul has some badass shots on his page of this event.
Amarillo Invitational Balloon Rally: I saw the pictures of this one, and it's not horribly far....we may look into this.
Chihuahua, Mexico: Anyone have some thoughts on this?
So now it's all yours...post away with rally reviews, thoughts and comments!!!
Chris Liberti
Denver, Colorado
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mike Collins on -
Chris you don't want to miss Chihuahua, Mexico it's a great time last year was my first time but I will be going back again this year. Great food and lot's of Carta Blanca beer. Mostly elevator rides real light winds but all power lines are above ground and there are lots of them. We all caravan into Mexico together with an escort it's around 400 miles from Albuquerque. Hope you can make it.
Mike
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Permalink Reply by Neil Freedman on -
Mr Liberti
Chihuahua's 'Fiesta Del Globos' is one rally not to miss...Good show-up money, Holiday Inn Express rooms, propane after each flight or glow, pilot and crew breakfast and dinner at the site, college-age bi-lingual chase crews, a couple hundred thousand friendly people for 33 balloons, and the worlds greatest Sotol Tequila party..Chihuahua Rocks!!! See you in November...neil freedman..ABQ
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Permalink Reply by Kong on
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Chris, Boise is not to be missed. Scott and Laurie Spencer do a great job of catering to their guests and making sure everyone is having fun. It is near the top of my Northwest list but my favorite has to be The Walla Walla Balloon Stampede. Could be that Walla Walla is my home town and I have been at 32 of 33 events held each year on Mothers day weekend. The amenities are not anything near what Scott and Laurie offer in Boise but the flying over the wide open wheat fields in all their green spring glory is unbeatable.
Another rally in the Northwest that offer some truly great flying is Albany Oregon. Last weekend of August is the annual time slot and what makes it so fun is all the crops have been cut and the valley is wide open. Oregon's Willamette valley is only 40 miles wide and 120 miles long and the average field size is a few hundred acres so you have to brush up on your short field landing skills.
Perhaps you can coax Anna in to an even longer drive for some fun Northwest flying.
Soft Landings
Kong
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Permalink Reply by Miles & Charlie Kaplanides on -
Ok Chris - So which ones don't you like?
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Permalink Reply by Chris Liberti on
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It's good to see a new post here....
So, Miles.....which ones do I not like? Well....
I'm not a huge fan of the rally in Las Cruces, NM, but that has more to do with my being there for the only real solid stints of bad weather than the actual flying. 3 years, one flight. Had a hard time finding anything to do down there as well.
I absolutely abhor the rallies in Phoenix, AZ....Thunderbird and the Chandler festival (Arizona balloon fest, or whatever they call it). The Chandler fest is poorly organized and flaky, and what sucks is it's a great place to fly, so the lack of organization really rips people off of the ability to have a good time. T-bird is really just an airshow and balloons are an afterthought. They don't do much for the balloonists, really...propane and hotel for the outta-towners, but they otherwise kinda ignore you. It was a better event when it was housed in Scottsdale.
I have a love-hate relationship with Taos. It's expensive to get in (and that's now that I'm off of my 11 year tenure on the wait list...no joke) and they flying weather is iffy, but it's Taos and it's a tradition. However, it's also a 5 hour drive now, and for a 2 day rally that is 2 weeks after fiesta? ouch.
I have a hard time not liking a rally, but that's usually because I compare it to other things I could be doing instead. Like working. When you look at that kind of comparison, it's easy to find the good in things. Add a balloon to the mix, and I'm a happy guy.
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Chase on
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Chris,
I've never been to the Boise festival, however I have spent a good amount of time there...great area all around! Boise is the cleanest city I have ever been to, hands down! If you go, let me know and I will give you detailed directions to the BEST Mexican food anywhere north of Mexico...and maybe can get some local crew for you, too!
Dawn
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Dawn, if you guys come to Fiesta in '09 (and you really, really REALLY should) I'll point YOU in the direction of the best mexican food north of the border! And it's not El Pinto as you can see from the original post. They are BAD. I think we may do Boise next year, my balloon is from there and it told me that it'd like to visit home and see how things have changed. Looking at some midwest rallies too...didn't realize it was within a day drive from CO. Damn.
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I'll take you up on your offer of Mexican food...do they have real Mexicans making the food and a few more playing Mexican music with violins? One of these years you will need to come to PA to fly and I will introduce you to scrapple, shoo fly pie, chow chow salad, whoopie pies, cheese steaks and soft pretzels (and maybe NY water bagels if you are nice to me!)
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Permalink Reply by Nicole Seekell on -
Jackson Hot Air Jubilee in Jackson Michigan......
Fun competitions, great people and volunteers, always a blast whether you fly or not. And always a few surprises...
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Permalink Reply by Lizzie on
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Hi,
No comments either way as ABQ is the only one I've been to in the US (it was amazing!, but if you want a really good and well-kept list of balloon events all over the world, check out www.balloonevents.org
So far it's the only one I've found to be kept updated regularly! It's a bit lacking in Aussie festivals though - don't you guys have them over there??!!
Lizzie
England
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Permalink Reply by Colin Graham on -
This year marked my first at these events:
Colorado Springs (good stuff)
Reno Nevada- very well organized, well done event
Snowmass, Colorado (good weather first two days, great AWESOME rocky mtn scenery)
Antelope Island, Utah- not a whole lot going on except for flying but if you like adventurous, swallow your gut flying this is the place... beautiful.
2007 also marked my 2nd year at the Mancos, CO event ... HIGHLY reccomend it to anyone considering going, great perks, great people and awesome flying.
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Permalink Reply by "WEE" JOHN on -
HAVE TO SAY THAT SOCORRO IS A FUN RALLY. THE FLYING ISNT ALWAYS THE BEST BUT MIKE SURE MAKES IT A FUN ONE. I ALSO LOVE DEMING. IT IS HOT AS HECK BUT IT IS A GOOD LITTLE RALLY. CHAMA, DURANGO, AND PAGOSA SPRINGS ARE FUN TOO. BUT OF COURSE GALLUP IS AT THE TOP OF MY LIST.
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