Red Rock Balloon Rally History By Peter Procopio The Red Rock Balloon Rally, New Mexico’s Premier Balloon Event celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. What began as a friendly competition between Gallup pilots and our pilot friends from Farmington, New Mexico, became one of the most recognizable and celebrated balloon rallies in the world. The first Red Rock Balloon rally was held in December of 1981, with about 25 balloons in attendance. But, did you know that two years before this, about 15 balloons participated in an unofficial event held just east of the hogback. Feedback from participating pilots and the efforts of four Gallup pilots and their friends, resulted in the beginning of our now famous event. Planning and fund raising, remarkably, occurred over just a two month period in the fall of 1981. This was also the year of Gallup’s Centennial celebration.
36 December 2021
