Balloon Fiesta celebrations land at multiple local breweries and taprooms

As any Albuquerque resident knows, the first week of October belongs to the Balloon Fiesta. The morning skyline is dotted with those familiar (and some not-so-familiar) floating shapes, balloon-themed merchandise dominates the shelves of every corner store and coffee shop in town, and the tourists, well, they are everywhere.

Whether you choose to take part in the celebrations or hunker down in your house just to avoid the traffic, Fiesta is one of our claims to fame, and there is never a shortage of things to do during that 10-day stretch.

Stoutmeister sat down with co-owner/marketing director Shelby Chant from Steel Bender Brewyard, which is back to hosting Balloons & Brews after a hiatus during the pandemic. 

“When we opened at this location, we knew we wanted to do something unique, and community-driven, around Balloon Fiesta,” Chant said. “We

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