A Photographer’s Paradise

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest balloon festival in the world! It is also the most photographed event in the world! This annual 9 day event takes place in October and features over 500 hot air balloons each year. The hot air balloons, their pilots, and of course visitors trek from all over the globe to celebrate and enjoy this incredible event!

Don’t forget your camera because this event is truly a photographer’s paradise!

Photo Competitions

There are photography competitions that all guests of the Fiesta may enter photos into!

The Cindy Petrehn Memorial Photo Contest is the event’s official contest. Fiesta photogs can enter their best shots into 5 categories. Prizes are awarded in each of these categories with the winners (Grand Prize to Third Place) receiving various prizes from a Canon camera to an event jacket, to an event poster. Full contest details can be found HERE.

We also offer a friendly competition among guests, where all of our Fiesta guests are welcome to enter their best photos at a chance to win a $100 Gift Card to Starbucks! This is our “Flying High” Photo Competition, presented by Festival Insider Tours.

Below are some of our favorite guest photos from the past Fiestas!