International Santa Fe Trail Balloon Rally
Share good times, have some laughs,
and witness the unforgettable mass ascension
The
changing skies over Raton come alive with color and magic every Forth of July weekend, when the International Santa
Fe Trail Balloon Rally comes to town.
Now in its 10th year, the rally is one of Raton's most popular annual festivities, attracting more than 30 hot
air balloonists and droves of spectators from across New Mexico and around the country.
Each of the three rally days kicks off with breakfast at 5 a.m. followed by the "mass ascension," in
which scads of giant balloons are launched and then float like graceful, colored clouds above the grounds of La
Mesa Airfield. The Balloons are usually back on the ground before 9 a.m., so arrive early.
At the Balloon Glow there's a hamburger fry from 5-7 p.m., and at dusk spectators marvel as pilots fire up the
burners beneath their balloons, illuminating the area with a soft, hazy light of rainbow colors. Festivities wrap
up on the final day with breakfast at 5 a.m. and the mass ascension at 6 a.m.
If you've never witnessed the sight
of hot air balloons lifting off the ground like giant bubbles and then hanging effortlessly in the sky, mark July
4 in Raton on your calendar. You'll never forget it. La Mesa Airfield in on Hwy. 555 at the south end of Raton.
Festivities all three days are free.
For more information, call the Raton Chamber & Economic Development Council Inc. at (800) 638-6161
The
changing skies over Raton come alive with color and magic every Forth of July weekend, when the International Santa
Fe Trail Balloon Rally comes to town. 
If you've never witnessed the sight
of hot air balloons lifting off the ground like giant bubbles and then hanging effortlessly in the sky, mark July
4 in Raton on your calendar. You'll never forget it. La Mesa Airfield in on Hwy. 555 at the south end of Raton.
Festivities all three days are free.