Albuquerque Lantern Fest

Such a wonderful event! Love that ABQ has some cool & fun family events like this!!Go early with some chairs or lounger so you have a spot to relax. Grab some dinner and s'more goodies and roasting stick so you don't have to pay for them inside. One thing I would recommend buying inside is a personal fire pit. I think it was new this year 2019 and the lantern will float much better (chance of not ruining it) if you have hot air to fill it up quickly. You won't get a chance at the public fire pit for that. There's enough spaces to squeeze in for marshmallows though The beauty of thousands of floating lanterns in the night sky is like walking into a dream. Don't miss it!! (And buy tickets early on sale or go get them on Groupon. More than 1/2 off on Groupon deal!!

This has got to be one of the coolest things I've ever experienced in Albuquerque. The event takes place at the Sandia Speedway, the views are epic, the atmosphere is so laid back, it's like the ultimate campout.... with hundreds of your Duke City neighbors. Ticket prices include a lantern, marker, lighter and s'mores kit with each adult ticket purchased, and a small gift with each kid's ticket purchased (ours was a flashlight) - you are free to bring food and drinks. (no hard sided cooler, glass bottles, or alcohol allowed, and, no tailgating permitted).They have fire pits set up throughout the open area, so just pick one to gather around and prepare to chill. Don't be greedy, leave some room for others to join you. You're allowed to bring blankets, chairs (bring a jacket to tackle the evening chill). There are vendors there selling food, drinks, and more. Princesses walking around, live music.At sundown, they start lighting the firepits, and give everyone easy instructions to prep your lanterns, enjoy your s'mores and get ready to launch at the same time. It is so exciting, and watching these lanterns go up all at the same time, truly magical. Music. Laughter. Lights. Joy. Unity. It's something to see.Ingress is a piece of cake. Egress, now that's a different story. Consider carpooling, or ubering, because getting out of this place is a pain in the donkey....make sure you hit the restrooms before you leave, because once you get stuck in the line to get out, you're gonna be there a whiiiile.

AMAZING!! Such a great experience. There was live music, food, and so much FIRE!. I do wish there had been more cover. Standing out in the middle of the desert under the sun was a lot. They also missed a prime opportunity to make a ton of money. There was no alcohol sold! The food stands also ran out of most of the food early on. The best part of course was the launch. More than a thousand lanterns floating up. Strangers helping get one anothers lanterns lit and sending them off. While listening to you "raise me up" over rhe speakers. It was amazing! If you want to have a very unique experience this is it!At the end they had fire spinners and a big party after the launch.

A bucket list item for sure. I had bought my ticket about a month ahead of time using a discount code, so it was only $30. I couldn't find anyone else to go with me, and especially not at the last minute. I saw one of my other friends was going (she's been to 4 of them) and tagged along with her family. As we waited for it to get dark enough, we had Subway (brought it in), s'mores (lantern kits and s'mores are provided), laughter, some t-shirt booths, face painting for the kids, and girls dressed as Disney princesses to take pictures with. The lanterns are a little hard to get up at first (got to have that magic touch ;) ). But, when we got them up? You know that scene in Tangled where the lanterns float and they look into each other's eyes and sing "at last I see the light", that's pretty much how it looked like. It was a little emotional to be honest. The location is a little out of the way, so there was quite the traffic jam trying to get out, but I can say that I got to experience lantern fest :D

What a special and momentous evening. We met amazing people and seeing the lanterns take off was breathtaking. Next time we will have to practice our lantern lighting techniques, it wasn't as easy as it looks.

This is a must see event. It is absolutely beautiful and has become a tradition for my friends and I. This year was my third time attending the festival and the lanterns have amazed me each time. This event typically takes place at the end of October or beginning of November. Be sure to take chairs to sit on and jackets/blankets to keep warm. Your ticket covers the cost of admission and you will be provided with a lantern, lighter, marker, and a smore kit (chocolate, marshmallows, a roasting stick, and graham crackers). There are food trucks at the venue, but they do not offer an extensive menu. I highly recommend taking your own food, as the food was not very good in my opinion. If you are going with a big group I recommend arriving early to reserve a fire pit. Be aware that cell phone service (from multiple carriers) was not available/reliable. The lantern ascension will not begin until it is completely dark and the wind conditions have been approved by fire marshalls. Close to sundown they will play live music, but entertainment is very limited during the daytime. There are, however, kid oriented activities, such as face painting, a jump house, etc. The only reason I rated this event as a 4 instead of a 5 is because of the venue. The venue is located outside of the city off of a two lane road. Leaving the venue is a nightmare, to say the least. Traffic is directed upon arrival, but not when exiting, so I highly recommend carpooling. In the future, I hope that this event is hosted by a venue better equipped for heavy traffic and emergency exits.

First time attending this festival and it was amazing seeing all the lanterns take flight. Was disappointed with the activities and food stands that was offered though. Only 2 jumpers for the kids, 2 food stands and one beer stand. Supposedly 4000 people and only 2 food stands? Would love it if they would of invited some food trucks since they had plenty of room. Overall it was an fun experience.