ALBUQUERQUE INVITES COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT BALLOON FIESTA PILOT SAFETY

Albuquerque is gearing up for the upcoming International Balloon Fiesta (AIBF) and has launched the 2021 X Marks the Spot landowner recognition program to aid balloonist safety and community involvement. The Albuquerque Hispano Chamber of Commerce, Associated Contractors of New Mexico, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, and the City of Albuquerque’s City Council Balloon Task Force have asked local residents to place a large “X” on their property to signal the location as a welcome area for balloonists to land. Landowners who participate in the program will be entered to win gift baskets designed to support local businesses.

The X Marks the Spot program was well-received during the last Balloon Fiesta with landings spurring new friendships between pilots and community members. Sam Parks, the Director of Operations for the AIBF, cited safe landing spots as an essential element of the Balloon Fiesta and expects the program to continue in the future. Pilots will carry cards to collect landowner information upon landing which will then be submitted each day for the gift basket drawing. A community service award will also be issued at the end of the AIBF to a landowner who is an exemplary patron dedicated to enhancing community involvement and safety.