During the last couple weeks as I prepared the posts for the website, I went through all my photos several times. It was hard choosing which to share. I realized how few of the fun “shapes” balloons I shared and decided I had to add one last post about the Balloon Fiesta dedicated to those amazing fun-to-look-at balloons.

Where I can, I’ll share the name of the balloon. The one limitation of the app for the Fiesta is that the search tool only works if you have the name of the balloon or pilot. Or if you know the balloon number. A great improvement would be to be able to search by a description. For example, if there was a cat balloon named George, you’d never find it putting in the word cat in the search tool.

In other words, I don’t know the name of many of the balloons.

Note About the Photos

One note that can also be a tip should you attend the Fiesta. Because most of Mass Ascension takes place in the pre-dawn and just after dawn hours, photography is hard. Most of my photos came out dark and I’ve had to color correct them. I’ll admit the real problem might be I don’t know how to use my camera well enough yet. Right now I set it on automatic and let it do the work.

If you want to see some really beautiful shots, last week the 2019 Balloon Fiesta announced the winners of the annual attendee photo contest. It’s worth clicking over because they are amazing.

And, if you have 15 minutes, the Fiesta’s YouTube channel where they took all the the Facebook Lives (hours and hours) information and reduced it to a video. It’s funny because I noticed many of the bits of information they included are also in my posts. They went on with the fireworks a little long in my opinion. Watch to the end and you’ll see how they end the Fiesta with the Balloonists’ Prayer. At 01:13 and again at 5:13, you’ll see what a landing is supposed to look like. Haha!

Shapes Balloons: Animals

I have no idea how I got this one. The two penguin balloons came out completely in shadow. One is named Puddles and–cool side note–is from my neck of the woods, Wasilla, Alaska, which is just outside Anchorage. I couldn’t find the name of the other one.
Hot air balloon in the sky in the shape of an orange and brown owl.
Ironically, , the balloon Owlbuquerque is from Great Britain.
Light blue hot air balloon with a yellow dog on it with his tongue hanging out. Still on the ground.
Wagz was one of my favorite though not technically a shapes balloon. The other side is covered with paw prints. I heard it was a new balloon to the Fiesta and the owner had it made from a portrait of her own golden retriever.
Hot air balloon in the shape of an armadillo dressed as a cowboy on the launch field.
Tatu, the armadillo cowboy, is nearly fully inflated. The blue and red one beside it is the chicken. The one with flip-flops I wrote down was called Walking on Air but I couldn’t verify that name.

Shapes Balloons: Insects and Fish

3 hot air balloons flying in the shape of bees.
Last week, from a balloon ride you saw the Bee family getting inflated. Here they are in the sky. From left to right is Joey Bee, Joelly Bee and Lilly Bee.
Three hot air balloons in the sky. The biggest on has fish swimming all around it.
This one is like a fish tank. Notice the triangle gondola.
Green hot air balloon with big black spiders crawling on it.
Itsy Bitsy, a balloon advertising pest control.

Shapes Balloons: Mythical Creatures

Purple round hot air balloon against dark blue sky. Has wings, one eye and a horn on top.
Every time I saw this one, I sang that song to myself. You know the one… It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin’ purple people eater. Interestingly enough, none of the words were the name of this balloon. Never figured out what this one is called but find it hard to believe that any name except Purple People Eater suits it.

Shapes Balloons: People

Hot air balloon with a person's face and a black hat that goes halfway down the eyeballs.
This is, obviously, one of the Queen’s Guards but that’s not the name of balloon. Never figured out its name.
Hot air balloon on the ground that looks like an astronaut with orange suit and white helmet. Taken from just above the ground.
Cosmos I is from Texas. Obviously, this is taken from a balloon ride. Thanks again to Colleen Betzing for sharing this photo.

Shapes Balloons: Ones You’ll Recognize

Green hot air balloon with ears. In the shape of Star Wars' Yoda.
It’s Master Yoda. He’s from Belgium. I missed getting a good shot of his balloon partner, Darth Vadar.
Smokey the Bear hot air balloon with lot of other balloons in the background flying over RVs.
Only you can prevent forest fires. This was a stay at the rig day.
Hot air balloon in the sky. It is the Wells Fargo wagon. Old fashioned horse driven way, red with yellow wheels.
You cannot tell without context but the Wells Fargo balloon called Cent’r Stage (why they take the e out, I have no idea) is really big. In fact, while it inflated everyday the last Mass Ascension was the only time it flew.
Hot air shapes balloons in the shape of Looney Tunes, still on the ground, with people all around.
You might think you are seeing Looney Tunes’ Sylvester and Tweety Bird and Hanna Barbera’s Tom and Jerry. But you are not. Because of copyright laws, “Tweety” is actually named Yellow Bird. I couldn’t find names on the others.

Shape Balloons: Just for Fun & Everything Else

A red and yellow face hot air balloon.
I feel like I should know this one. Is it a superhero? Maybe a supervillian? If you know, please add it to the comments.
Hot air balloon against a blue sky. Balloon is a saxophone with eyes.
Saxon from Brazil.
White trucks and trailers on the ground with a green parrot hot air balloon dressed like a pirate.
Looks like a pirate’s companion to me. Behind it, see a black balloon covered in barbed wire? That one honors those still missing in action in wars and conflicts.
In the background are a line of inflated (but not launched) hot air balloons. In the foreground is people, ambulance and buildings
On the second of the two special shapes balloons day, the yellow flag flew. That meant no shapes balloons or any balloons took to the sky. See all the white tents along Main Street? Those are the vendor tents. I took this photo as I was leaving for the day so it’s near the entrance / exit on the north end. You can spot the backside of the blue chicken, the white bear, the pink elephant and the yellow sun with sunglasses.

Hope you enjoyed the tour of the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta over the last several weeks. Next week, we’ll get back to RV-related stuff.

Links to Other Balloon Fiesta Posts:

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