By Francisco Peyret
The León Festival Internacional del Globo—FIG (International Balloon Festival) is one of the world’s three largest ballooning events. Attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors over the four-day festival, along with some 200 hot air balloon teams from all over the world, it is one of the Bajio region’s most significant tourist attractions. This festival brings international media coverage for Leon, the state of Guanajuato, and Mexico.
Abraham Rocha, FIG general director, told us how this came about. He said that the festival is 20 years old this year, but there have been 21 festivals. In the first year, two events took place. The festival’s evolution is based on trial and error, and after 20 years, its path is well-established.
Rocha explained that 20 years ago, some associations and business chambers dedicated to tourism promotion, such as the Hotel Association and the Office of Congresses and Conventions, shared a small office. One day Luis Ernesto Ayala came in. At the time, he was the municipal president of León. Now a federal deputy, he told the group he had passed through Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he could not find a hotel room because a balloon festival was underway. «I’ll leave it at this,» the former municipal president commented. The Albuquerque Festival is 50 years old this year.
A group of businessmen and civic leaders took on the task of investigating the possibility of organizing a similar festival in León. The original organizers learned that Guanajuato already had a history with balloons. Although there is controversy over where the first hot air balloon in Mexico took flight, many recognize Don Benito León Acosta from Guanajuato as the pioneer of ballooning in Mexico. In 1842, he flew a balloon he had built, thus engraving his name in history as the first Mexican aeronaut.
Rocha continued, «We took it upon ourselves to investigate, and it happens that in the Parque Metropolitano in León, where our festival is still held, there is a climatic phenomenon known as the ‘drawer effect,’ which occurs thanks to a geographical combination of mountains, valleys, and water. This produces a phenomenon that allows balloons to fly longer in the same place.»
Rocha said that the festival started with 27 balloons. In 2008 it grew to 50, and by the time of the bicentennial, they reached 200 balloons: 200 years of independence, 200 balloons. «Attendance, participation, and economic benefit have grown by 2,000 %. Now we are extending our activities to entertainment events. We do a light and sound show for families called Magical Nights,» he said.
A private association produces the International Balloon Festival. The municipal and state tourism offices also help with promotion, transportation of guests and logistics, road issues, security, and other things necessary to carry out an event of this magnitude. Sixty percent of the attendees come from other states and countries, and the festival expects some 450,000 people this year. The economic benefit is estimated at some 500 million pesos. However, for this year’s festival, organizers are coordinating the event to tie in with the Buen Fin and the weekend bridge on November 20, so they hope to break all records.
To complement the festival activities this year, the organizers will present Tiësto, a legendary DJ, and Martín Garrix, the number one-ranked DJ in the world. Each day will feature light and sound shows with guest artists.
The event will take place this weekend, from November 18 to 21, at the Parque Metropolitano de León (Prol. Blvd. Adolfo López Mateos Nte. S/N, El Palote, 37130). Get your tickets at vivefig.mx.
