The mass balloon ascension is the big draw for the festival, it’s what attracts the most people. But each evening there is a second event, the “glow.” Rather than heading into the skies, the balloons are tethered down. Lit from within by propane in bursts, the vibrant balloon envelopes shimmer against the dark sky.
While we were waiting for the glow to begin we watched the Sandia Mountains turn a peach red as the sun set.
Typically, hundreds of balloons are lit up making for a magical fantasy land. Sunday night, when I attended, there was a strong wind. As a result, only a dozen or so balloons were lit from within. They were beautiful but lacked the impact of a football field size area glowing.
All was not lost. After the glow, there was an impressive aerial drone show followed by fireworks.