Aggie pride: NMSU hot air balloon lifts off this fall

The official New Mexico State University hot air balloon will take to the sky at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October.

The Aggie balloon, which dons NMSU's distinct crimson and white team colors, will make its first appearance at an evening pep rally on Sept. 26, in the tailgate lot located east of Aggie Memorial Stadium, 1810 E. University Ave., in Las Cruces. It also will be on display throughout the day on Sept. 28, between the Pan American Center and Aggie Memorial Stadium.

"We’re so excited to introduce this balloon to our community," Justin Bannister, NMSU’s associate vice president for marketing and communications, said in the news release. "There’s an incredible amount of Aggie pride, not just in Las Cruces, but across our entire region. Including this balloon to our game day festivities and other events around the Southwest is going to provide energy and enthusiasm to current and future Aggies far beyond our campus."

NMSU wants the Aggie community to be a part of naming the new hot air balloon, according to the news release. The public can cast a vote through Tuesday, Sept. 3, at marcomm.formstack.com/forms/help_us_name_our_balloon. The chosen name will be announced on Sept. 4 on NMSU’s social media platforms.

NMSU’s marketing and communications office collaborated with hot air balloon company, Rainbow Ryders, and Lindstrand Balloons USA, a hot air balloon manufacturer based in Illinois, to create the Aggie hot air balloon.

It took about four months to complete the hot air balloon, which is 90,000 cubic feet in volume, 85 feet tall and 58 feet wide when fully inflated, according to Damian Kirson, general manager and pilot at Rainbow Ryders.

"The sewing process depends a lot on the amount of fabric and stock that the manufacturer has," Kirson said in the news release. "Typically, a balloon takes about three to six months to produce fully."

NMSU worked closely with Rainbow Ryders' president and CEO Scott Appelman prior to his unexpected passing on Aug. 16. In July, Appelman said it was a privilege to represent another New Mexico higher education institution. Last year, Rainbow Ryders revealed Cherry on Top, the official University of New Mexico hot air balloon that was part of the 2023 Balloon Fiesta.

"We’ve got Aggies working with us that are pilots or management and we’ve got Lobos also working here," Appelman said in July, according to the news release. "So it’s been quite fun internally for us to do that, because it’s that rivalry that goes on. In the state of New Mexico, a balloon is a brilliant recruiting tool for both schools."

Bannister said the team at NMSU was saddened to learn of Appelman’s passing.

"Scott was so great to work with on this project and our hearts are with his family and the team at Rainbow Ryders," Bannister said in the news release. "We’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with Scott’s team and we’ll be thinking of him when we introduce the Aggie community to our balloon next month."