Once upon a time, the Balloon Fiesta was exclusively an early 1987morning event. That all changed in 1987, with the event’s fi rst Balloon evening Glow. Nighttime balloon displays were nothing new in events now in Albuquerque – they’d been held on Christmas Eve often attract more guests to since 1979 – but had never been part of the Balloon Balloon Fiesta Park than the famed morning Fiesta. mass ascensions and extend the color and magic of Scott Appelman came up with the idea of doing a ballooning into the night. And it’s not just Albuquerque. balloon glow at the Balloon Fiesta to celebrate the 75th Balloon Glows are now part of almost every balloon anniversary of New Mexico statehood – and the rest, event in the world. as they say, is history. It was such a hit that today, What’s the story behind the invention of the there are three Balloon Fiesta balloon glows, plus two Balloon Glow? Well, it involved a not entirely sober more featuring exclusively special shape balloons. The night at a northern New Mexico resort, and the creativity of balloonists around the country who enhanced the concept. Learn more from the 1987, 1988, 1996, and 2009 Balloon Fiesta programs in the Collectors Corner on the Balloon Fiesta website, balloonfi esta.com. By 1988, the Balloon Fiesta had grown to 600 balloons, including an 1988increasing number of special shapes. These balloons – including The G-R-R-E-A-T Tony and Earforce One (better known as Mickey Mouse) – were crowd-pleasers every bit as popular as the Bees and Darth Vadar are today, with crowds packed onto their launch sites. The event now also featured an all-female skydiving team, the Misty Blues, which jumped on alternate weekends from the Army Golden Knights. It was obvious the Balloon Glow, started the previous year, was there to stay. People loved the option of a nighttime event. But one event, the gas balloon race, was headed for hiatus. Only one gas balloon “competed” in 1988, and was promptly awarded third place (much to the annoyance of pilot George Hahn.) When gas ballooning returned to the Balloon Fiesta, it would be in a much diff erent form – and it would be there to stay. there to stay. ® 124 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta