Balloon Fiesta Ready for October 1-9 Launch

*ALBUQUERQUE, NM / ACCESSWIRE / September 29, 2022 / *The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, powered by ExxonMobil will launch from Balloon Fiesta Park, October 1-9, 2022. The 50th event will feature 648 balloons, 120 of these are special shapes. Pilots representing 22 countries have been invited to fly in this year's event. Eight gas balloon teams will participate in the 25^th America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race. More information about the nine-day event is available by visiting www.balloonfiesta.com.

Balloon Fiesta is already the Guinness World Record Holder for the Greatest Mass Balloon Ascent and will be attempting two world records for Greatest Balloon Ascent for Remote Control Balloons and Greatest Number of Hot Air Balloons in a Glow. The event will feature 83 remote control balloons participating in the Fiesta de los Globitos. There will be potentially 200 hot air balloons participating in several of the five scheduled balloon glows.

Here are some of the highlights for the 50^th Balloon Fiesta:

*Mass Ascensions* - Balloon Fiesta's 648 invited pilots will participate in the event's five signature morning mass ascension launches. These will include a launch of more than 500 hot air balloon pilots taking to the skies in multiple waves, with hopes of catching the infamous and unique weather phenomena called the Albuquerque Box. Balloon Fiesta's morning mass ascensions will launch both weekends (October 1-2, 8-9) and mid-week (October 5).

*Balloon Glows* - Balloon Fiesta Park lights up on five special nights for the signature Balloon Glows. Imagine walking among 200-300 hot air balloons in static display as they flicker under the evening, Albuquerque skies. One of the most popular places for selfies is in the midst of an "all burn." World record attempts will occur October 1, 2, 6, 7 and 8.

*Special Shape Balloons* - 120 special shape balloons will participate during the nine-day event. A flying frog, cow and pigs will join a host of other shapes as they resemble items of a child's toybox floating overhead. Unique events, dedicated to highlighting the special shapes will occur on Thursday, October 6 and Friday October 7. Check out these images of balloons participating in the special shape rodeo: https://balloonfiesta.com/Balloon-Glows

*Americas Challenge Gas Balloon Race* - Eight gas-filled balloons will launch on October 1 with the goal of flying the furthest distance from Albuquerque. Previous competitions tracked balloons flying to the East Coast and into Canada. Track the balloons here.

*Flight of the Nations* - Pilots representing 22 countries have been invited to fly in the 50^th Balloon Fiesta. These countries include: Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States. The October 5^th mid-week mass ascension will feature the countries in the Flight of the Nations.

*Fiesta de Los Globitos* - Balloon Fiesta's second annual remote-control balloon rally will feature 83 tethered balloons, which are scale model balloons, about 30 feet tall. The world record attempts will launch from Balloon Fiesta Park, 7:30am, October 2, 5, and 7.

"We have supported this world-renowned event since 2019 and we are extremely excited to take our relationship to new heights over the course of the next three years as the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta's Presenting Sponsor," said ExxonMobil New Mexico production manager Rick Cannon. "We would like to congratulate the Balloon Fiesta, its staff and countless volunteers, the City of Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico on the event's Golden Anniversary and convey our best wishes for its continued success for the next half century and beyond."

*About the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta*

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, powered by ExxonMobil is a festival of hot air balloons that takes place in October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It is the largest gathering of balloons and balloonists in the world. The 2019 event generated $186.82 Million into the Albuquerque and the State of New Mexico economies. For details on events, schedule, entertainment and photographs visit our website https://balloonfiesta.com/ and follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/balloonfiesta and Facebook https://facebook.com/balloonfiesta/.

*Media Contact:* Tom Garrity, The Garrity Group Public Relations, balloonfiesta@garritypr.com 505.898.8689

*Media Notes: *The Balloon Fiesta's media relations team will have a dedicated clean live stream of all events during the 50th Balloon Fiesta. It can be accessed via: https://www.twitch.tv/balloonfiesta

*Streaming Hours*

· October 1 & 2 - 5:30am-10:00am & 5:00pm-9:00pm
· October 3-5 - 5:30am-10:00am
· October 6-8 - 5:30am-10:00am & 5:00pm-9:00pm
· October 9 - 5:30am-10:00am

Photo Credit: The Garrity Group Public Relations

Photo Credit: The Garrity Group Public Relations

Photo Credit: The Garrity Group Public Relations

Photo Credit: The Garrity Group Public Relations

*SOURCE: *The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
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