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Some people go to the Balloon Fiesta for the colors, the shapes and the balloons. Others go to eat.
Here are the facts from the Balloon Fiesta press release:
- 42 food concessionaires
- 17 sell breakfast burritos
- 18 first time food vendors
- 24 New Mexico food sellers among the 42 including favorites Sadie’s, Blakes Lotaburger, Rex’s Hamburgers.
Pizza, sweet rolls, Churros, churros, churros. breakfast burritos. Hot chocolate by the barrel.
Donuts, donuts and donuts. Some of it is the normal variety state fair treats like fried twinkies, fried alligator and fried everything. And don’t forget the cotton candy.
And then there’s the unusual treats:
Reindeer sausage, sold by a group that drove the ALCAN highway more than 2,000 miles from Kenai, Alaska to Albuquerque for first time sales at the fiesta:
Doughnut burgers:
Frog Legs, fried of course:
And what one Fiestagoer proclaimed the “Best food I’ve had at the fiesta in 17 years”: Arepas.
A sweet, cornmeal pancake stuffed with cheese cooked by a Miami, Fla., catering company making its first trip to Albuquerque.
In the old days, I would have tried to eat one churro from each vendor. Or done an Adam Richman, Man v. Food, and eaten food from every vendor. Alas, I did not want to have to work off extra pounds of flab.
Though it would have been worth it. So far, I’ve limited by intake to mini-donuts, reindeer sausage samples and breakfast burritos, but there are three nights and three days to go.
Gallery of most of the 42 vendors from North end of the field to south with a couple repeat visits tossed in. Enjoy.
-- Email the reporter at donnf@abqjournal.com. Call the reporter at 505-823-3874
