Festival Description: Held annually the first weekend of December in Gallup, New Mexico, 200 balloons from across the Southwest and around the world fly the ancient canyon walls or Red Rock State Park.
Frequently described as a balloonist's paradise, a highly prized invitation to this event offers pilots the opportunity to compete for fine Native American Arts and crafts.
You'll want to have your camera ready as these rainbow colored giants come to life. The Red Rocks are the cemented sands of a fossilized beach, colored by dissolved iron seeping down from more recent volcanic activity, worn smooth by Anasazi residents who carved hand and to holds in the walls to reach the mesa tops.
Now, adventure-seeking balloonists soar above the magnificent canyons where movie producers once filmed Western epics. This is the only ballooning event where spectators are encouraged to become active participants by joining balloon chase crews.
The Red Rock Balloon Rally partners with many area service organizations to help provide funding for local service activities.
