PHO T O B Y KIM VE S LE Y First Balloon Fiesta Park South of Alameda Blvd. and north of Osuna Rd., east of the North Diversion Channel The Balloon Fiesta’s fi rst long-term, semi-permanent WHAT: 15th – 24th Albuquerque International home became available with the closing of the City of Balloon Fiesta Albuquerque’s Los Angeles Landfi ll (named for the WHERE: First Balloon Fiesta Park, south of main street to the south which is now Paseo del Norte). Alameda Rd. and east of the North Diversion The event was held there for ten of its most inventive Channel years which included the addition of evening Balloon WHEN: October 1986 - October 1995 Glows, the Special Shape Rodeo, and the fi rst offi cially- NUMBER OF BALLOONS: 477-600 sanctioned Dawn Patrol fl ights. This fi eld also played NEW EVENTS: Balloon Glow, Special host to the fi rst Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett Shape Rodeo and Glowdeo, Dawn Patrol, (world distance gas ballooning championship) held in America’s Challenge Gas Balloon Race, Coupe the U.S. since 1933, and the fi rst America’s Challenge Aéronautique Gordon Bennett (1993) gas balloon distance race. But while the original Balloon WHY IT HAD TO MOVE: No room for Fiesta Park made history, as a balloonport it had expansion, unsuitable for permanent shortcomings. The launch site, permanent parking, and development infrastructure were crammed into just 77 acres – about WHAT’S THERE NOW: Vacant most of the the size of the grassed area of the current fi eld – with no year, South RV Parking during Balloon Fiesta room for expansion. Though the fi eld worked for Balloon Fiesta operations, its past as a landfi ll made permanent development impractical. The fi rst Balloon Fiesta Park was an important step forward and a great interim solution, but not a suitable permanent home for a world- class event. OFFICIAL PROGRAM 131