- Introduction: International Balloon Fiesta Weekend
- Review: Courtyard Marriott – Amarillo Downtown
- Review: Ember’s Steakhouse – Amarillo
- Review: Holiday Inn & Suites – Albuquerque North
- Review: Day 1, Evening Session – International Balloon Fiesta
- Review: Day 2, Morning Session – International Balloon Fiesta
- Review: Monroe’s New Mexican Food
(I will not be covering the vendors because there were so many)
I left the hotel around 1630 so that I could grab food and then drive to the park for the Evening Session. In particular, I wanted to see the Twilight Twinkle Glow. Twilight Twinkle Glow is when all of the balloons are inflated and at coordinated times, all of the pilots light their burners.
Parking
Balloon Fiesta Park is located 5.5 miles from the Holiday Inn. On a regular day, the drive is less than 15 minutes. On this Saturday evening, the drive took 75 minutes.
The Balloon Fiesta website stated that parking would be $10, but when I arrived at the parking booth, I was flatly told $15. Note: The website was changed Monday, 16 October to reflect the $15 parking rate.
Entrance
After parking, I made my way to the gate. Adults were $10, while children under 12 are free. Given the amount of people entering the park, I assumed security would be stringent. Sadly, it was not. People were asked if they had any weapons or other illegal items. What??? Additionally, if something appeared to be a diaper bag, it was not checked. I assume these were volunteers that did not know what to look for. It definitely made me uneasy entering the event with these lax security measures in place. The Balloon Fiesta needs to do a better job in this area at future events.
Balloons
There were 261 balloons at the Twilight Twinkle Glow. Have a look…
Final Word
The Twilight Twinkle Glow was awesome. I did not like how long it took for parking and lack of security at the entrance to the event. All in all, I would not hesitate to visit this event in the future.
