New Mexico

International fiesta fills New Mexico's sky with colorful hot air balloons

Published

1 year ago

October 4, 2024

International fiesta fills New Mexico's sky with colorful hot air balloons

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of the most photographed events in the world is set to kick off Saturday with a mass ascension of color for the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated. Propane burners roar and hundreds of the uniquely shaped balloons speckle the sky with vibrant colors.

Everyone usually bundles up in layers to protect against a morning chill that helps pilots stay in the air longer, but this year’s fiesta could be the warmest on record, organizers say.

Morning lows and afternoon highs are expected to be above average for days in a city that on Monday recorded its hottest temperature this late in the year, at 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.8 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.

Globally, things have been trending hotter too. It’s likely this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported in early September.

While past fiestas have had a warm day here or there, spokesman Tom Garrity said the prediction for prolonged heat is rare.

For pilots, it could mean less time aloft or carrying less weight in their baskets.

Typically, when the mornings are cool, less fuel is needed to get the balloons to rise. Fiesta veterans explain it’s all about generating lift by heating the air inside the envelope to temperatures greater than what’s on the outside.

“With cooler weather, pilots are able to fly for longer duration,” Garrity said. “But when you have warmer temperatures, it just means that you pop up, you go up a little bit and you come back down. So just some shorter flights.”

Still, ballooning happens year-round in many places, including in the Phoenix area, which has seen its share of record-breaking temperatures over recent months.

“These are really non-issues from a spectator’s standpoint,” said Troy Bradley, an accomplished balloon pilot who has been flying for decades. “I don’t see any difference other than they won’t be freezing in the pre-dawn hours.”

Even the fiesta’s official meteorologist has joked about the possibility of wearing shorts this year.

This year’s fiesta also features 106 balloons in special shapes, 16 of which will be making their fiesta debut. That includes Mazu, modeled after the sea goddess of the same name who is deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture and traditions.

Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press

Source link

Click to comment

New Mexico

Natt’s 17 lead Sam Houston over New Mexico State in Conference USA Tournament 69-61

Published

2 hours ago

March 12, 2026

Press Room

Natt’s 17 lead Sam Houston over New Mexico State in Conference USA Tournament 69-61

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Kashie Natt had 17 points and 16 rebounds in No. 2 seed Sam Houston’s 69-61 win against 10th-seeded New Mexico State on Wednesday night in the Conference USA Tournament.

Sam Houston (22-10) plays the winner between No. 3 seed Western Kentucky and sixth-seeded Kennesaw State in the semifinals Friday.

Jacobe Coleman scored 15 points, going 5 of 12 from the floor, including 2 for 4 from 3-point range, and 3 for 4 from the free-throw line for the Bearkats. Veljko Ilic shot 5 of 11 from the field and 3 of 9 from the free-throw line to finish with 13 points, while adding six rebounds.

Jemel Jones led the Aggies (16-16) in scoring, finishing with 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks. New Mexico State also got 10 points and seven rebounds from Jae’Coby Osborne. Elijah Elliott finished with eight points.

Sam Houston took the lead for good with 18:36 to go in the first half. The score was 37-26 at halftime, with Natt racking up nine points. Sam Houston was outscored by New Mexico State in the second half by three points, with Jacob Walker scoring a team-high 10 points after intermission.

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Source link

New Mexico

Route 66 stamps will make their debut later this year

Published

14 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Route 66 stamps will make their debut later this year

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The U.S. Postal Service is commemorating the centennial anniversary of Route 66 with a set of eight stamps.

The stamps feature eight different photographs from each state that Route 66 runs through. For New Mexico, a photo shows a old Grants Cafe sign.

Greg Breeding, an art director for USPS, designed the stamps and stamp pane using existing photographs by David J. Schwartz.

The stamps will make their debut at the National Postal Forum, also known as the NPF, at the Phoenix Convention Center on May 5. The event will be free and open to the public.

Route 66 was established on Nov. 11, 1926. It originally stretched about 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles. Dubbed “The Mother Road” by author John Steinbeck, Route 66 became a national symbol of freedom and adventure.

News of the stamps is being shared online with the hashtag #Route66Stamps.