Dispatch watch
Dispatch watch · Do calls to police go up during Balloon Fiesta?
This year, no. Burqueños called police about as often as any other week. But at night, police stops dropped by two-thirds.
Business
Ledger investigates · Balloon Fiesta month is the Sunport's busiest, four years running
Last October about 2,200 more people a day came through the airport than in September. It was still a smaller October than the year before, and this summer is down again.
Opinion
Opinion · This is the 54th Balloon Fiesta. Why does traffic still suck?
By a UNM traffic planner's math, one Fiesta session needs more than three freeway lanes running straight into the park and back out. Most of the fixes went to cars anyway. The one that skips the road, a Rail Runner stop, was cut in 2019.
Culture
A Balloon Fiesta ticket costs $20 this year, up from $15.
Parking is another $20 a car, cash only. The Fiesta runs Oct. 3 to 11, and New Mexico residents get in free on Oct. 5.