A In 2020 COVID challenged everyone. After months ANT of back and forth, the decision to postpone the actual B OR event was made in the interest of safety. Everyone T was devastated and couldn’t imagine surviving an O: VIC October without a Balloon Fiesta. The solution? Offer T a virtual Balloon Fiesta, via Balloon Fiesta Live! Windfire PHO Productions had just taken over control of Albuquerque’s community access cable channels, which set the stage, literally. Balloon Fiesta Live! set up shop in a newly renovated studio to produce 14 live streams, timed to what would have been the actual event sessions. It was quite an undertaking. Lloyd produced and anchored from the set in Albuquerque. Moyer and his cat, Ranger, joined via Zoom from his home in Louisiana. The team showed edited video highlights from past PHOTO: BOBBIE TULEY Above: The “competition cam”: Lloyd explains the Sid Cutter Memorial Task, where the target is a boat. America’s Challenge. Due to the uncertainty of how it would work, the live stream was not announced until the Friday before the 2016 event. And while the production had some technical issues, the online audience logged in by the tens of thousands. With all the knowledge and experience gained in that first “pilot” year, Lloyd and Balloon Fiesta made plans for a truly professional experience moving forward. Windfire Productions was hired to provide the technical expertise for the stream. Graphics and a show open and close were produced. A dedicated line to the internet was added to ensure the live stream would be reliable. Additional cameras and a master control room in a trailer were brought on site to handle the show and stream. Once again, the shows drew thousands. In fact, it was calculated that as many people tuned in to watch as showed up on the field that year. The next year, an additional camera was added to allow for video from the basket of a balloon. Ruth Lind, a hot air and gas balloonist and former editor of the national publication Ballooning, and Kim Vesely joined the team as reporters. Both usually work the America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Event, but with no event in 2018, they needed something to do. They proved to be a huge asset Above: Balloon Fiesta Live! pandemic edition: Lloyd in to the on-air team. Albuquerque, and Moyer in Louisiana In 2019, Balloon Fiesta Live! expanded its reach by adding a low power TV station. In addition to streaming live on Balloon Fiesta’s website, YouTube and Facebook, Balloon Fiestas. Just like during a live event, guests people with an over-the-air antenna within about 4 miles joined in, either in person or via Zoom. The team also of the Balloon Fiesta Park could now watch on their tapped into the opportunity created by the “Lifting Spirits television. This allowed RVers and hospitality tents to Around the World,” movement, where balloonists flew in install TVs to watch Balloon Fiesta Live!, instead of just their hometowns during Balloon Fiesta week to thank listening to the PA speakers. Coverage of competition got first responders. Pictures and tapes and even live video a boost by putting Lloyd and a camera crew in the middle were brought into the show of balloon flights and events of the competition field, so viewers got a close up look around the world. and listen to balloons coming into the target. At one point, Moyer and Lloyd counted down an OFFICIAL PROGRAM 243