Overview

• The nine-day fiesta begins Saturday with roughly 900,000 attendees expected, 543 registered pilots and 102 special-shaped balloons.
• Law enforcement detailed a layered posture that includes tactical units, SWAT, K-9s, horse-mounted patrols, undercover officers and tech to detect weapons and deter drones.
• Attendees must pass through metal detectors with no weapons allowed, gates open at 4:30 a.m. Saturday, and new express, bag and stroller lanes aim to speed entry.
• Balloon Fiesta Park upgrades for 2025 include a high-speed fiber optic loop, 46 new power pedestals on vendor row, permanent restrooms and about 700 additional parking spaces.
• A planned Kirtland Air Force Base flyover has been canceled due to the government shutdown, the FAA remains available to support operations, and officials urge early arrivals given I-25 construction.