Entries accepted October 4-31, celebrating the beauty of ballooning and honoring a beloved Balloon Fiesta photographer
Albuquerque, NM – The ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®, launching October 4-12, 2025, invites guests to participate in the Cindy Petrehn Memorial Photo Contest. The annual contest is a great opportunity for professional and amateur photographers to share their most remarkable photos from this year’s event. Contest submissions are open from October 4–31, 2025.
The contest honors the life and legacy of Cindy Petrehn, a licensed hot air balloon pilot, official Balloon Fiesta photographer, and member of both Women in Aviation and The Balloon Federation of America. Cindy was a beloved and integral figure in the ballooning community, capturing the beauty of the skies and the spirit of Balloon Fiesta until her passing in 2013.
Through the photo contest that bears her name, Balloon Fiesta continues her tradition of celebrating photography as an art form and as a way of sharing the wonder of ballooning with the world.
All entries must be captured during the 53rd Balloon Fiesta and submitted online with a $10 entry fee. Contest categories include:
- Faces of Fiesta
- Dawn Patrol/Balloon Glow
- Mass Ascension
- Special Shapes
- AfterGlow Fireworks
- Digital/AI Art (not eligible for the Grand Prize)
The Grand Prize winner will receive $1,000. Category winners will be awarded as follows: first place – $500, second place – a 2025 Balloon Fiesta jacket, third place – a 2025 official event poster. The Digital/AI Art category winner will receive $300.
Winners will be announced in November. Full contest details and rules are available at https://www.balloonfiesta.com/media/photos/photo-contest/.