This week on What's Up Wednesday, Tickets, Eclipse Glasses and Magnets. It's a busy week, so let's get right to the (Balloon Fiesta) Stuff!
This Friday, April 5 is the 6 months-to-go mark for the start of the 2024 Balloon Fiesta and that means tickets go on sale for nearly every aspect of the event. Starting at 9am MDT, tickets for the Gondola Club, Chaser's Club, Glamping, Camp 505, Concierge Program, Park and Ride and General Admission go on sale. While General Admission tickets never sell out, the other areas do have limits. So here are some tips for getting exactly the tickets you want on Friday.
Go to this site now.
https://balloonfiesta.com/Purchase-Tickets
Bookmark it or add it to your favorites. Read all about the various tickets available and make a list of the sessions that you are interested in. Have your list handy so you can quickly select your preferences. I also like using Auto-Fill from my browser to help fill in my personal information including credit card, but that's a personal choice. Then set your alarm for 8:45 am MDT so you can be on the ticket page and ready to go when the clock strikes 9.
There is going to be a new option this year. Purchase Protection or ticket "insurance". For an extra fee, you can add this protection to your ticket purchase. This option will refund the cost of your tickets in certain qualified unforeseen circumstances. It will NOT provide coverage for cancellation of any Balloon Fiesta session due to weather or other safety reason. In the event of a "raincheck session" your ticket will become reactivated as a General Admission ticket, valid for any remaining session during the 2024 Balloon Fiesta. You can read about what is and is not covered by going to https://www.purchaseprotection.com/terms. Again, this coverage is totally optional, is provided and administered by a third party and is not operated by Balloon Fiesta or our ticket agency Ticket Spice.
By the way, Music Fiesta tickets won't go on sale for another couple of months, when we're ready to release the lineup.
Remember if all you need are General Admission tickets there is no need to purchase those on Friday. And stay tuned to What's Up Wednesday for information on how you can obtain General Admission Tickets at a discount.
One more thing on tickets. We're adding a NM Day on Oct 7. New Mexico residents get free general admission to Balloon Fiesta at the gate on the Monday of the event. Stay tuned to WUW and our website BalloonFiesta.com for more details.
After Ticket Friday, there's Eclipse Monday. April 8th is the day a solar eclipse of the sun occurs over the entire United States. While many of you will be in the totality area of the country, those of us in Albuquerque will still experience it. The eclipse will last about two and a half hours peaking at 12:30 with about 70% of the sun covered by the moon. No matter where in the US you are experiencing the astronomical phenomena, you'll want those approved solar glasses to take a peek at the sun. And in honor of Balloon Fiesta's birthday on April 8th, we're giving away solar eclipse glasses to anyone who stops by our Gift Shop at 4401 Alameda Blvd NE. And they are FREE!. Because our Gift Shop is closed on the weekend, we have provided these same glasses to the Balloon Museum to give away. They are just up the street from us. There's no excuse not to pick up a few pairs for your viewing experience. While we have a good supply, they are available only while supplies last.
Last week we introduced you to the 2024 keychains. This week we're revealing the 2024 magnet collection. Five different designs grace this year's collection. The designs are the Bumper Sticker, Event, Charm, 2024 Year and double-sided foil.
The bumper sticker is just what you'd expect, a replica of the actual bumper sticker just 3 inches in width.
The Event design features the logo you'll see on a lot of products this year, featuring the Embrace The Sky logo and colors.
The 2024 Year designs features a couple of special shapes with an ornament like 0 in the 2024.
The charm magnet is always a popular design with Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta creating the bar from which 3 special shape balloons hang like charms.
Finally the foil design is another popular one. This two-sided magnet features the Embrace the Sky theme and logo on one side, with the official Balloon Fiesta Logo on the other side. You'll want the entire collection for your refrigerator and a few spares to keep on hand for those last minute gifts.
As always, thanks for your support of Balloon Fiesta and Balloon Fiesta Stuff.