AIBF Merchandise,
THEN AND NOW BY TOM MCCONNELL AND LISA MULDER, FOR THE AIBF HERITAGE COMMITTEE
M
ost everyone knows the Balloon Fiesta is held the first full week in October, but those aren’t the only red-letter days Balloon Fiesta fans circle on their calendars. Every year, collectors eagerly await the days that year’s Balloon Fiesta collectibles go on sale. Over the years, the Balloon Fiesta has licensed an eclectic and creative series of products, some of which are now worth serious money. From 1972 to 1975, Sid Cutter made almost all Sid Cutter of the decisions affecting Balloon Fiesta, including the promotional and pilot invitations, balloon crew issues, merchandise items that would help coordination with the local Federal defray the expense of conducting the Aviation Agency, airport, police, first four Balloon Fiestas. (This was garbage collection, launch site issues, in addition to all the other decisions and basically everything else.) about running the actual balloon Sid also made up the rules for event, sponsorships, food, other the show (which he called, first, The vendors, spectators, volunteers, International Balloon Festival & Rally, traffic, safety and security, balloon
58
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® 2021 Official Program
then The Albuquerque International CoyoteRoadrunner Balloon Fiesta, and finally the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta or AIBF), how prizes would be awarded, who would serve as launch, scoring and safety officials, competition rules, all the details. In 1976, the decisionmaking transferred from Sid to, first, a Mayor’s Committee, and then a not-for-profit corporation (AIBF, Inc.). Since then, this mostly volunteer, private (i.e. non-governmental) corporation has made all the decisions, some of which have worked out well, and some not so well. The good decisions have been expanded and modernized, while the not-so-good ones have disappeared into the dust bin of history. Early on, the volunteer Board of Directors, plus a very small number of paid employees, produced the calendar, programs, pins and patches, shirts, caps, and other promotional
