CELEBRATING 50 YEARS Noches Encantadas: Balloon Glows at Balloon Fiesta® By Kim Vesely A luminaria or farolito … is a small paper lantern (commonly a candle set in some sand inside a paper bag) which is of signifi cance in New Mexico and the broader Southwestern United States at Christmas time, especially on Christmas Eve. They are cultural hallmarks of...New Mexico, and are a part of New Mexico's distinct heritage. (From Wikipedia). nce upon a not entirely sober summer After packing the balloon away, the excited balloon night in 1979, a balloonist from El teams headed back to the bar for another toddy. Most had Paso, Fred Spite, pulled into the Angel never seen a balloon lit up at night before. At some point, Fire Country Club with his brand-new someone mused, “I bet other people might like to see this.” balloon. He went inside, where the In the next months, the group came up with the participants in the Angel Fire Balloon idea of displaying a bunch of balloons on the route of O Rally were “relaxing” after a hard day, and hollered, “I Albuquerque’s annual Luminaria Tour. To make a long want to see what my new balloon looks like!” story short, on that enchanted Christmas Eve night in Well, at that point the pilots and crews were game 1979, 19 balloons infl ated along the tour route, and people for just about anything, so they went out to the parking were blown away by the sight. As far as has been lot and helped Fred put up his balloon. In the growing determined, this was the fi rst large-scale mountain dusk, it lit up like a giant light bulb …. or, well, nighttime display of illuminated balloons – luminaria. After all, a hot air balloon is essentially a great what are now known as “balloon glows” big bag with a great big candle inside. – held anywhere. ® 136 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta