Interactive timeline

Celebrating 50 years of ballooning
1972

1st Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • April 8, 1972
  • 19 registered balloons
  • 13 hot air balloons participated
  • Balloonmeisters: Sid Cutter, Don Draper
  • 10,000 people attended
  • Held at the Coronado Mall Parking Lot

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1972 in pictures

1973

2nd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • First World Hot Air Balloon Championship
  • Champion: Dennis Floden, “Captain Phogg,”
  • 32 International Competitors and 6 Local Balloons
  • Balloonmeister: Ed Yost
  • World’s largest hot air balloon mass ascension to date – 126 balloons!
  • Albuqueruqe becomes the hot air balloon capital of the world
  • Held at the NM State Fairgrounds

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1973 in pictures

1974

3rd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Sid Cutter
  • Held at the NM State Fairgrounds

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1974 in pictures

1975

4th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Sid Cutter
  • Event moves from February to October
  • Held at Simms Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1975 in pictures

1976

5th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Bob Ruppenthal
  • AIBF Incorporates as a non-profit
  • Held at Simms Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1976 in pictures

1977

6th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Doug March
  • Held at Simms Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1977 in pictures

1978

7th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Doug March
  • First Key Grab Competition
  • Held at Simms Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1978 in pictures

1979

8th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Mark Wilson
  • First time the number of balloons tops 300
  • Held at Simms Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1979 in pictures

1980

9th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • 305 hot air balloons
  • Assistant Balloonmeister: Ron Caldwell
  • First appearance of parachutists
  • Held at Simms Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1980 in pictures

1981

10th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Paul Enz
  • First gas balloon race
  • Held at Cutter Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1981 in pictures

1982

11th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterin: Charlotte Kinney
  • Held at Cutter Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1982 in pictures

1983

12th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterin: Neida Courtney
  • Held at Cutter Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1983 in pictures

1984

13th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterins: Charlotte Kinney, Neida Courtney
  • Park N Ride begins
  • Held at Cutter Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1984 in pictures

1985

14th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Doug Gallagher
  • Held at Cutter Field

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1985 in pictures

1986

15th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: George Hahn
  • Fiesta Park launch site had snow the last day
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1986 in pictures

1987

16th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: George Hahn
  • First Balloon Glow
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1987 in pictures

1988

17th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: John C. Davis IV
  • 600 hot air balloons
  • Last Fiesta Gas Balloon Race
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1988 in pictures

1989

18th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: John C. Davis IV
  • First Special Shapes Rodeo with 28 special shape balloons
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1989 in pictures

1990

19th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Dick Butterfield
  • 35 special shape balloons
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1990 in pictures

1991

20th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Dick Butterfield
  • 62 special shapes from 8 countries
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1991 in pictures

1992

21st Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Harry Season
  • Largest special shape rodeo with 108 balloons
  • Kodak becomes title sponsor

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1992 in pictures

1993

22nd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Harry Season
  • Special Shape Rodeo added a third flight on Thursday morning
  • 37th Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1993 in pictures

1994

23rd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Rodney May
  • 8th World Gas Balloon Gas Championship
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1994 in pictures

1995

24th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Rodney May
  • First America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Richard Abruzzo / Co-Pilot David Melton, USA
  • Held at “Old” Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1995 in pictures

1996

25th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterin: Patricia Brake
  • First Dawn Patrol Show
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot David Levin / Co-Pilot Alan Levin, USA\n• First year at New Balloon Fiesta Park

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1996 in pictures

1997

26th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterin: Patricia Brake
  • First Flight of Nations
  • First Night Magic Glow
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Richard Abruzzo / Co-Pilot Jacob Traub, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1997 in pictures

1998

27th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Allen Rector
  • First year special shapes-only balloons to launch Thursday and Friday mornings
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Troy Bradley / Co-Pilot Tami Stevenson, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1998 in pictures

1999

28th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • 903 Hot Air Balloons
  • Balloonmeister; Steve Yazzie
  • 43rd Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race
  • America’s Challenge not held

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

1999 in pictures

2000

29th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Steve Yazzie
  • October 7, AIBF launched 329 hot air balloons in one hour, a Guiness world record!
  • 1019 Balloons Registered, A Launch Record!
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot David Levin / Co-Pilot Alan Levin, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2000 in pictures

2001

30th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Wally Book
  • Balloon Fiesta Park launch field is completely grassed
  • President’s Compound RV Lot available to the public
  • NM Challenge Event
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Peter Cuneo / Barbara Fricke, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2001 in pictures

2002

31st Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Wally Book
  • Admission raised to $5, parking $5
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Richard Abruzzo / Co-Pilot Gary Johnson, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2002 in pictures

2003

32nd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Gary King
  • First year of the Gondola Club
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Richard Abruzzo / Co-Pilot Carol Rhymer Davis, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2003 in pictures

2004

33rd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Gary King
  • First Fiesta Challenge
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Richard Abruzzo / Co-Pilot Gary Johnson, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2004 in pictures

2005

34th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • 49th Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race
  • First Heritage Pin honoree – Sid Cutter
  • Albuquerque Aloft begins
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Janet Folkes / Co-Pilot Bill Arras, UK / USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2005 in pictures

2006

35th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterin: Cheryl Leté
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Andy Cayton / Co-Pilot Stuart Enloe, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2006 in pictures

2007

36th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterin: Cheryl Leté
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Andy Cayton / Co-Pilot Stuart Enloe, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2007 in pictures

2008

37th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeisterin: Cheryl Leté
  • 52nd Gordon Bennett Gas Balloon Race
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Mark Sullivan / Co-Pilot Cheri White, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2008 in pictures

2009

38th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Chuck Raskob
  • Chaser’s Club created
  • America’s Challenge cancelled due to high winds

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2009 in pictures

2010

39th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Chuck Raskob
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Barbara Fricke / Co-Pilot Peter Cuneo, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2010 in pictures

2011

40th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Neida Courtney Bueno
  • Founder Sid Cutter passes away
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot David Hempleman / Co-Pilot Jonathan Mason, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2011 in pictures

2012

41st Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Neida Courtney Bueno
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Mark Sullivan / Co-Pilot Cheri White, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2012 in pictures

2013

42nd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Sam Parks, Balloonmeister
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Peter Cuneo / Co-Pilot Barbara Fricke, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2013 in pictures

2014

43rd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Sam Parks
  • First Music Fiesta
  • Sid Cutter Pavilion opens
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Anulfo González / Co-Pillot Angel Aguirre, Spain

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2014 in pictures

2015

44th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Sam Parks
  • Canon becomes title sponsor
  • America’s Challenge canceled due to weather conditions

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2015 in pictures

2016

45th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Sam Parks
  • 1st Place BFA US Women’s World Championships: Cheri White from Texas
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Peter Cuneo / Co-Pilot Barbara Fricke, USA

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2016 in pictures

2017

46th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Sam Parks
  • Balloon Fiesta Live! premieres
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge Pilot: Nicolas Tièche / Laurent Schiboz, Switzerland

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2017 in pictures

2018

47th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Henry Rosenbaum
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Noah Forden / Co-Pilot Bert Padelt

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2018 in pictures

2019

48th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Henry Rosenbaum
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Andy Cayton / Co-Pilot Krzysztof Zapart, USA / Poland

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2019 in pictures

2020

Balloon Fiesta Siesta

Balloon Fiesta Siesta Live! Edition lifts spirits around the world

2021

49th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

  • Balloonmeister: Henry Rosenbaum
  • 1st Place America’s Challenge: Pilot Noah Forden / Co-Pilot Bert Padelt

Promotional items

Pilots and Balloons

2021 in pictures