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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has officially claimed another victim. The 49th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has been postponed until October 2-10, 2021, which means the 50th event fiesta will now be pushed back until 2022. The decision was made Monday by the all-volunteer Balloon Fiesta board of directors. Matt Guthrie, president of the board, said in a statement, “The safety of our pilots, guests, sponsors, staff and volunteers has always been our top concern and in the wake of COVID-19 and its continued impacts, we must stay dedicated to upholding that commitment.” People who already made reservations...

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - A Rio Rancho woman discovered money falling from a Wells Fargo Bank balloon during Monday’s mass ascension and thought it was a bank promotion. She soon found out the money wasn’t free. “I told them, ‘Oh! You have to go out their and look. I just found 50 bucks, the Wells Fargo balloon is throwing out cash.'” Kathy Bustamante said. It was a complete surprise as Bustamante and a co-worker watched the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta mass ascension from outside their work on Alameda Boulevard. Then she noticed something fall from the balloon basket. “All of a...

Fall has officially begun in New Mexico.

Four hot air balloon crashes have occurred in separate incidents Tuesday morning, the fourth day of Albuquerque's International Balloon Fiesta. One crash happened in Rio Rancho at about 8:30 a.m. Two retaining walls were hit in the Loma Vista area just north of High Resort Ball Field. Three people were in the gondola. No one was ejected, but one female passenger was transported to University of New Mexico Hospital with a fractured leg. The second crash occurred at around 8:45 a.m. near Kim and Saratoga avenues. The balloon hit a two-story house, then crashed in an arroyo. Two women were...

Two women, including one who is 6 months pregnant, hurt near Kim and Saratoga. Two women have been taken to the hospital with injuries following a new hot-air balloon crash around 9 this morning in Rio Rancho, KOB-TV is reporting. One of the women, who is 37, is six months pregnant, and the other is 27, Eyewitness News 4 reported. Two others also were hurt when the large balloon they were riding in struck the roof of a home near Kim and Saratoga then traveled on to a second house where they knocked over that home's air-conditioning unit, KOB-TV reported.

A morning of drizzle almost stopped the deluge of balloons from flying at the first mass ascension of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. But as dawn broke, the clouds began to part. Spectators warily put down their umbrellas, rain slickers and improvised cardboard hats in anticipation. And cheers rose from the crowd as the first full balloon lifted slightly - bearing the city's name and tricentennial logo into the gray sky, with an enormous U.S. flag hanging below. Crowds continued to cheer for each balloon as it lifted off. Within minutes of the first, colorful canopies filled the sky and...