Fiesta Express Park & Ride
2009 Fiesta Express Park & Ride -- Beat the Traffic to Balloon Fiesta!
Each year the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta teams up with sponsors to help Balloon Fiesta goers avoid congested traffic and parking conditions near Balloon Fiesta Park by offering incentives to park their vehicles at one of several Albuquerque locations and take a Balloon Fiesta Express Park & Ride bus into Balloon Fiesta Park. Balloon Fiesta admission is also included! With the limited number of parking spaces at Balloon Fiesta Park it makes even more sense to park & ride!!
Remote lots:
Northeast
Hoffmantown Church located at 8888 Harper Drive NE, Park in the northeast lot only.
Cliff’s Amusement Park located 4800 Osuna Road NE near San Mateo and I-25.
Coronado Mall located at 6600 Menaul Boulevard NE, park in the southwest corner near San Pedro
West Side
Intel (southern parking lot) located on Highway 528/Rio Rancho Blvd. Enter the Park & Ride lot at either Westside Blvd. or 21st street and follow the signs.
Sagebrush Community Church located at 6440 Coors Boulevard NW, (No Park & Ride service Saturday evenings, Sunday Mornings). Sandia Area Federal Credit Union located at 6410 Coors Blvd. NW, just west of Sagebrush Community Church will provide Saturday evening and Sunday morning Park & Ride parking!
Please view our website for additional Fiesta Express Park & Ride lots as they become available!
Tickets:
In Advance (online at least 6 hours before event):
Adults (13-61) $10 (admission included)
Seniors (62 & older) $10 (admission included)
Children (6-12) $5 (free admission)
Children (5 and under) ride & admission are free.
Day of ride at Balloon Fiesta Park (online less than 6 hours before event):
Adults (13-61) $15 (admission included)
Seniors (62 & older) $10 (admission included)
Children (6-12) $5 (free Park admission)
Children (5 and under) ride & admission are free.
If Rail Runner service is provided there will be a charge in addition to the prices listed above.
Park & Ride service will not be available on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday morning sessions. However crowds and traffic are usually lighter on these days and parking spaces should be plentiful.
Weekend Morning Sessions:
Buses start at 4:30 am from remote lots. Last buses leaves remote lots at 7:00 am.
First bus leaves Balloon Fiesta Park at 8:30 am. Last bus leaves Balloon Fiesta Park at 11:30am (unless there are lines remaining).
The shortest return lines are between 10:30am and 11:00 am.
Weekday Morning Sessions (Thursday, Friday; October 8 & 9, 2009)
Buses start at 5:00 am from remote lots. Last buses leaves remote lots at 7:00 am.
First bus leaves Balloon Fiesta Park at 8:30 am. Last bus leaves Balloon Fiesta Park at 11:00 am (unless there are lines remaining).
The shortest return lines are between 10:30 am and 11:00 am.
Afternoon Sessions: (There are no afternoon sessions on Monday, October 5; Tuesday, October 6 or Wednesday, October 7, 2009)
Buses start at 3:30 pm from remote lots. Last buses leaves remote lots at 6:30 pm.
First bus leaves Balloon Fiesta Park at 7:30 pm. Last bus leaves Balloon Fiesta Park at 9:30 pm (unless there are lines remaining).
Fiesta Express Park-N-Ride tickets will be available closer to the event at the Balloon Fiesta Gift Shop located at 4401 Alameda Blvd. NE, Monday-Friday 9am-5pm or by calling (505) 821-1000 or 1-888-422-7277.
Comments
Thanks.
Holidaycity
Marriott Pyramid and Park & Ride
The closest Park & Ride location would be Cliff's Amusement Park which is about 2.25 miles away. Go to our quick link under Park and Ride to our left on this page and go to park and ride locations. There is an interactive map where you can research this a bit further.
When you are drop off at the Fiesta Express Park and Ride you will be within the Balloon Fiesta Park. Hope you have a great Fiesta.
Fiesta Express Park & Ride and Rail Runner
I will number these so we know which question we are addressing:
1. I believe you are correct here, check out the Rail Runner schedule or call 247-1750.
2. We would prefer that you purchase your Park & Ride tickets in advance this helps us to track how many riders we will have and how many buses to allot. The Balloon Fiesta P & R ticket covers the round trip bus ride from the station and admission. Rail Runner needs to be purchased separately as they have requested, you can even do this on the train.
3. There is no fee for parking at any Rail Runner station.
Marriott Pyramid and Bus
Hi. Which bus location service is closest to the Marriott Pyramid and how far from the hotel is it?
My lung function is limited when walking, how far from the bus drop off is the park viewing area?
Any other suggestions are welcome.
Thank you.
Rail Runner ticket and Part&Ride ticket
Hello,
We are planing to be there by taking the Rail Runner from Belen to Los Rahchos. What are the tickets or admission that we should purchase online in advance?
1. Rail Runner ticket: from Belen to Los Ranchos (2 zones)
2. Park & Ride ticket OR Shuttle & Fiesta ticket: If I take a train to attend Balloon Fiesta, which one do I have to purchase before? Does the admission fee include in both of them? Do I need a ticket to take a shuttle or is it free?
3. How about the Parking fee in Belen station? Is it free or how much is it for one-day parking?
Thank you so much.
Los Ranchos Station?
I purchased a Railrunner ticket from Belen to Los Ranchos, the station recommended by Railrunner to get off at for Balloon Fiesta. I tried to purchase park and ride tickets online for the Los Ranchos station (for Sunday morning, Oct. 4), but it was not an option on the drop down menu. How can I purchase a park and ride and balloon fiesta ticket if Los Ranchos is not one of the selections? Thank you.
Park & Ride Express Tickets Purchase
Where is the link to buy tickets from the information site for Park n Ride Tickets purchased before the event?
Fiesta Express Park & Ride tickets are now available on-line!
Park-N-Ride
Can you purchase park-N-ride tickets online and have sent to you or do you purchase when you board the bus or whatever? I can see where you get the book of tickets but not the parking.
Purchasing Park & Ride Tickets On-line
Yes, you can purchase Fiesta Express Park & Ride tickets on-line. Go to the www.balloonfiesta.com homepage to Guest Guide to Fiesta Express Park & Ride. Follow the prompts, selecting which location you would like to use and what session you would like to attend. After you purchase your tickets you print them out and bring them with you. When you get to the Balloon Park your ticket will be scanned. And if you purchase in advance you can save $5 on the adult tickets. The P & R ticket covers your bus ride and entrance to the Balloon Park. We hope you have a great time!
first time visitor
Do you buy different tickets for morning and afternoon session? Also, if I get discounted tickets online, will tix print out, or do I pick them up somewhere? thank you
Purchasing Park & Ride Tickets On-line
Yes, you will need to purchase a separate ticket for the morning and afternoon sessions. If you purchase your tickets on-line you will need to print them out and bring them with you. When you get to the Balloon Park your ticket will be scanned at the entry gate. We hope you have a great time at the Balloon Fiesta.
Visiting Group
I have a group from The Netherlands visiting the US for a conference and we would like to attend the balloon fiesta on Sunday, 4 Oct. What is the best way to purchase tickets for foreigners and large groups?
v/r
~Betsy
Visiting Group from the Netherlands
You can purchase your tickets on-line. Go to our website at www.balloonfiesta.com and go to quick link on the upper lift side of the homepage. When you purchase your tickets be sure to print them off and bring them with you. Hope you all have a great conference and a wonderful time at the Balloon Fiesta! Thank you for your question.
Park and Ride
Do you have any tips for new visitors to the Fiesta to make their visit hassle-free and enjoyable?
Thanks.
ABQ Ride / Public Transit?
Do any of these Park & Ride lots connect to ABQ Ride? I was hoping to take public transit to and from Old Town in between morning and afternoon sessions. I won't have access to a car during the day, so I'll need use public transportation.
park and ride site near the airport
We will be staying near the airport. Are there any park and ride sites in that part of town?
Parking & Admission Tickets
A little confused about tickets...Park & Ride tickets include admission. Can you get the 5-pack admission tickets with park & ride included? Thanks!
New Visitors to Balloon Fiesta
Learn more about ABQ at this link:
http://www.balloonfiesta.com/content/frequently-asked-questions
We hope you have a great time!
ABQ Transit to the Fiesta Express Park & Ride
Thank you for your question. I would recommend calling the Albuquerque information number by dailing 311. If you are out of state I would recommend doing an on-line search at CABQ Transit which would get you to the schedule.
Thanks again!
Albuquerque Airport and Fiesta Express Park & Ride
The closest Park & Ride lot would be Coronado Center their address is 6600 Menaul NE, Albuquerque. Check out our interactive Fiesta Express Park & Ride map and enter your hotel address on the various P & R locations. This will give you directions, maps and an idea of which of our Fiesta Express Park & Ride locations that will be the best suited for you. We hope you have a great trip and Balloon Fiesta!
5 Pack Park & Ride Tickets
We do not have five pack Fiesta Express Park & Ride ticket packages. You could purchase individual Bus Only tickets to accompany your five pack entry tickets and they are $5.00 in the Balloon Fiesta gift shop. Call them at 505-821-1000 Monday through Friday from 8:00AM to 5:00PM and ask for the gift shop.
Thanks for your quesiton.
park and ride tickets on site
Can you show up at a park 'n ride location and buy the tickets as you board the bus?
Park and Ride
Who is handling the shuttle service to and from the Park and Ride locations this year?
Park & Ride Parking Fee?
I've read all your FAQs, and I understand that the Park & Ride ticket includes bus fare and entry into the Balloon Fiesta -- but is there an additional fee for parking a car in the remote lot where I catch the bus? If so, how much? Thanks.
Park and Ride
If you Park and Ride do you pay for parking and admission for each person in the car or can you purchase one $10 ticket and then use the $5.00 ticket for others in the car that ride the bus to the park?
One last question on this topic
So I am best off to purchase a book of tickets when we get to the gate and get the $5.00 off. or can we then buy just the number of tickets we need? There are only two of us. We plan to do the opening and then the evening of either Saturday or Sunday. So that is why I am tring to be as informed as possible so as to not over buy tickets.
Morning and Afternoon Sessions
i purchased tickets for morning session and afternoon session. After morning session is over do we have to leave the park grounds and return back for afternoon session, how will that work?
Chasers Club
Hi there!
I plan to buy the P&R ticket in conjunction with the Chasers Club. How does it work? If P&R is $10 (which includes admission), how much more will I pay for Chasers Club. Or do I have to buy them separately? Could I buy Chasers Club online?
Thanks.
Park & Ride Tickets on Site
Yes, you can purchase P & R tickets at the remote sites, all but the Rail Runner site which requires a on-line pre-purchase ticket. The remote sites will have credit card machines so we will not be taking any cash there. If you chose to use cash you can ride the bus in and purchase a ticket at the Fiesta Express Park & Ride ticket booths. Hope you have a great time.
Tickets
If I purchase the tickets for the morning Mass Assention on Oct 3rd and want to go back to the Glow at night I have to repurchase tickets for that correct?
Park & Ride
Each person will need to purchase a Park & Ride ticket which will include the bus ride to and from the Balloon Fiesta Park and admission to the Balloon Park. If adults purchase their tickets in advance they can save $5. If an adult purchases tickets the day of the event it will be $15. Seniors (62 & older) are always $10 and children (6-12) are always $5 and children under 5 are free. If you have bought gate admission tickets from the Balloon Fiesta gift shop you can purchase a bus ride only ticket for $5 (all within the group pay for a bus ride, except children under 5).
Morning and Evening Sessions
Good question. Yes, you would need to purchase tickets for each individual session. One can stay at the Balloon Park between sessions if they desire but almost everyone leaves to take a nap!
Fiesta Express Park & Ride and Chasers Club
The Chasers Club tickets are $20 and this includes a patio area, a food item and soft drink. You can purchase alcohol drinks for an additional fee. Yes, you can buy on-line too go to the home page and look for the quick link.
Tickets
Yes, you are correct in that each session requires a ticket purchase. Hope you have fun!
Rail Runner schedule is posted at Rail Runner web site!
It is now posted, however, it appears a bit confusing as to how to get tickets.
Looks like you have to purchase a train ticket AND a combo bus shuttle/park entry ticket, correct?
Why not just one packaged ticket that includes train, bus shuttle, and entry park?
Park & Ride Buses
The Balloon Fiesta contracts with several local bus companies and a couple of school districts. We have both regular and ADA buses to provide quality service to all of our guests.
Parking at the Park & Ride Locations
There is no fee to park your vehicle at the Fiesta Express Park & Ride locations. The remote sites have been generously donated to Balloon Fiesta to use for the Park & Ride service. Hope you have a great Balloon Fiesta.
Rail Runner and Fiesta Express Park & Ride
Thank you for your question; it is a good one. The Balloon Fiesta would love to have just one ticket for you to purchase but we do not have the authority to do so. The Rail Runner would prefer to sell their tickets on the train in their normal manner.
The Balloon Fiesta would like to encourage our guests to buy the Park & Ride ticket portion of the trip in avance to help us track the number of buses we will need at the various locations (we have twice daily reports of the on-line sales). The Balloon Fiesta will load the Fiesta Express pre-purchase ticket holders first at the Los Ranchos/Journal Center station. Plus, adults that purchase tickets in advance will save $5!
The Fiesta Express Park & Ride tickets for the Los Ranchos/Journal Center location is scheduled to go live end of business Monday, September 21st. Please check back soon!
How much room is on the buses?
Rail Runner
I'm trying to get the shuttle bus and park entry from Los Ranchos station.
The only option I see is "Rail Runner Belen."
I will be getting on the train at Albuquerque, and the short ride to Los Ranchos is actually free if I purchase online at Rail Runner's web site.
How do I get the shuttle bus and park entry ticket from Los Ranchos?
Small wagons on buses
Hello, we can not have anything in the aisle of the bus because of safety. We really would prefer not to take up a seat for a wagon. Can you bring a stroller that can be folded and placed behind the back row of seats? As you can see we are trying to be accommodating but we have to limit the amount of extras that take up room on the buses. We do rent wagons at the field for your use I believe they are $10. I hope this helps.
Balloon Fiesta and Rail Runner
Hello there, we are hoping to be on-line by the end of business today Tuesday, September 22. You will be able to purchase your Balloon Fiesta Express and admission to the Balloon Fiesta there. Or you can come into our gift shop at 4401 Alameda NE, Albuquerque to buy them there. One more option is to call our gift shop at 821-1000 and order the tickets to be mailed to you.
Bus Only Ticket
We do have bus only tickets for this reason! You can purchase them at our gift shop, at the Park & Ride lots or at Balloon Fiesta Park when you get off the bus. The bus only tickets are $5. Hope this helps.
Mixing Business With Balloon Fiesta
I couldn't think of a better way to have fun on a business trip than attending Balloon Fiesta. The Rail Runner does have a station in Santa Fe which would be a fun way to get here. The train from Santa Fe would leave at 4:58AM arriving at the Los Ranchos/Journal Center station at 6:20 AM. We will have buses there for the quick trip into Balloon Fiesta Park. Please note that you may not see the Dawn Patrol but you will be in great shape to see the Mass Ascensions.
You can also drive from Santa Fe by heading south on I-25 then taking the Tramway exit. At this point the officers will direct you into the Balloon Park. Hard to say how long this would take on event day but if you got an early start you could easily do it. The mantra is the earlier the start the better and this goes for all ballooning events.
Check out the schedule of events on our web site which should help you in your decision. Whichever way you travel we hope you have a great Balloon Fiesta.
Small wagons on buses
Park and Ride tickets
I notice that park and ride tickets also incude admission. But we purchased our event tickets months ago. Is there a discounted park and ride ticket that does not include the admission. We would really like to take advantage of this.
Business Travel
I'm traveling on business and will be located in Santa Fe during the Balloon Fiesta. Is there a train station or travel from Santa Fe to attend? I have a rental car, but wondered how difficult it would be getting there, and with parking. Please advise of the best transportation method. traveling
Rail Runner Albuquerque to Los Ranchos
Hello, I will be riding Rail Runner from downtown ABQ to the Los Ranchos station.
After I select "adult," it then asks to "select train time." Nothing seems to come up when I select the pull down menu.
Rail Runner from ABQ to Los Ranchos
Hello, thank you for the question. We are working out the kinks. Please check back today.