Four Corners Balloon Rally wraps up Sunday

John R. Moses, Farmington Daily Times
·2 min read

FARMINGTON – Hot air balloons began dotting local skies in the early mornings starting Friday as the Four Corners Balloon Rally got underway.

The daily morning ascension events at Lake Farmington and a balloon glow at San Juan College Friday brought crowds to those venues this weekend, and the last balloon glow was scheduled at Justis Park Saturday.

An early-bird crowd turned out Saturday morning, some bringing their own doughnuts and coffee, as hot air balloons took to the skies around 7:30 a.m.

An appreciative crowd comes in for a closer look as hot air balloons glowed in front of the Henderson Fine Arts Center at the San Juan College campus Sept 23, part of the Four Corners Balloon Rally.
An appreciative crowd comes in for a closer look as hot air balloons glowed in front of the Henderson Fine Arts Center at the San Juan College campus Sept 23, part of the Four Corners Balloon Rally.

The final ascension event at Lake Farmington is planned early Sunday. Go to fourcornersballoonrally.com for more information.

Balloons, some pausing to skim the lake’s surface, went aloft and drifted toward Farmington Saturday, some landing in the area around (in at least one case on one of the greens of) San Juan Country Club. A couple of balloons set down in the vicinity of Piedra Vista High School and the BLM headquarters on Hood Mesa.

A colorful balloon glow lit up a parking at San Juan College Friday night and attracted a robust crowd, many of whom got a close-up view of what it takes to unpack and inflate the large and colorful balloon envelopes.

Kayakers watch as this colorful balloon takes a long skim across part of Lake Farmignton before taking to the air Sept. 24 during the Four Corners Balloon Rally.
Kayakers watch as this colorful balloon takes a long skim across part of Lake Farmignton before taking to the air Sept. 24 during the Four Corners Balloon Rally.

A second event is planned at 6 p.m. Saturday with a balloon glow at Justis Park, 1101 Fairgrounds Road in Farmington. A performance by the Canadian rock band The Guess Who will follow at 8 p.m. next door at Ricketts Park. The group has registered 14 top 40 singles and is best known for its hits "American Woman," "No Sugar Tonight," "No Time" and "These Eyes."

Tickets for the concert are $10 and $20 and can be purchased online at fmtn.org. Call 505-599-1148.

The city-sponsored event replaces the Farmington Invitational Balloon Festival, an event that ended about 20 years ago.

This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Four Corners Balloon Rally fills the morning sky