NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexicans are used to burning “old man gloom” to ash at summer’s end, but now that icon may go up with flames as a new special shape hot air balloon.
It’s a big collaboration between two cities to take Zozobra to new heights. “With Albuquerque, everyone always wonders if the cow is going to fly because it’s a very big and hard balloon to fly and I think this is going to be equally as difficult to fly,” said Executive Director of Tourism Santa Fe , Randy Randall. “If people start wondering if the Zozobra is going to fly, that’s good for us because at least they’re thinking about Santa Fe. They’re thinking about the balloon.”
The $300,000 Zozobra balloon is now being built in the United Kingdom with hopes to have it standing for the 100th Zozobra burning in August and to fly it at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Fiesta in October.
Alongside the high price to build the more than 100-foot-tall special shape balloon, maintaining it could cost thousands more. Randall said they are working the numbers on how much annual operating costs could be. The city of Albuquerque is using at least $50,000 on the balloon in 2024, while Santa Fe is pitching in $125,000 in lodgers tax for the project.