Celebrating A Decade of Partnership with the World’s Largest Balloon Festival

Consider us blown away! The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta starts this weekend, celebrating 54 years of drawing hundreds of balloons, pilots, and spectators to New Mexico. Underway since 1972, the fiesta is the largest and most popular balloon festival internationally. This year’s theme is dedicated to the Scenic Route 66 centennial and marks a decade of Ideum’s partnership with the Balloon Fiesta. 

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Hot Air Balloon Target Competition

Why is Albuquerque the best place on Earth to fly a hot air balloon? In 2016, Ideum collaborated with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta to design an interactive hot air balloon game for visitors of all ages to find out for themselves. The Hot Air Balloon Target Competition, played on Ideum’s 65” Platform touch table, allows up to 6 players to navigate the game at a time. Inspired by the “Albuquerque Box”, the local pattern of winds combined with the city’s altitude blow players in different directions as they try to guide their balloons towards Balloon Fiesta Park. Whichever player manages to drop their baggie closest to the target’s center takes the top score. 

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Weather or Not to Fly 

We loved working with the Balloon Fiesta so much that in 2024, Ideum and the fiesta created another game called Weather or Not to Fly. This installation was designed for late elementary to middle schoolers, allowing them to choose both the temperature and elevation for their flight simulation. Throughout the game users can test how their selected weather settings affect the balloon’s flight. The simulator also includes optional random weather events, such as a rainstorm, to be triggered while trying to find the ideal flight zone. In the instance that the weather conditions selected are not safe to fly in, the hot air balloon will animate to alert the user. 

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Staying Anchored in the Clouds Annually

Working alongside an institution like the Balloon Fiesta, which continually celebrates and uplifts the spirit of Albuquerque and New Mexico, has been a privilege for Ideum. We look forward to participating in this beloved tradition for years to come. But, you don’t have to wait all year to experience the magic and history of ballooning in New Mexico either. When the festival wraps, guests can visit two of our other interactive exhibits year-round at the Weather Lab in the Anderson-Abruzzo Balloon Museum.