Balloon Fiesta 2027 Shirts: Dates and Trademark Rules

The 55th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta runs Saturday, Oct. 2 through Sunday, Oct. 10, 2027, at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, according to the organizer's published future dates. It is the biggest shirt week of the year in New Mexico: family trips, pilot and chase crews, church groups, office outings, and visitors who want something to wear at a 5 a.m. launch. It is also an event whose organizer protects its names. This guide covers the 2027 dates, which Fiesta names the organizer lists as trademarks, how the vendor process works, and the Albuquerque shops that print DTF transfers locally.

Balloon Fiesta dates, 2026 to 2030

The organizer, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Inc. (AIBF), publishes future dates in its FAQ. Each run starts on a Saturday and ends on the second Sunday after.

One note for anyone printing dates on a shirt: as of Oct. 29, 2026, one line on the Balloon Fiesta homepage reads Oct. 2-11, 2027, while the headline and the FAQ both say Oct. 2-10. The FAQ table matches the Saturday-to-Sunday pattern of every other year, so Oct. 2-10 is the safer date. Recheck it before a print run.

The organizer describes the Fiesta as the largest ballooning event on Earth, with more than 500 balloons, and says crowds at some events exceed 80,000 people. The park covers 360 acres north of Alameda Boulevard, about a mile west of I-25. The first Fiesta was held in 1972.

The sessions people make shirts for

The 2026 schedule lists Dawn Patrol, Mass Ascension, Balloon Glows, the Special Shape Rodeo, gas balloon races, Music Fiesta, and a Saturday night Night Magic Glow followed by the AfterGlow fireworks show. The 2027 session-by-session schedule had not been published as of Oct. 29, 2026.

Several of those session names are trademarks, which matters for what goes on the front of a shirt. See the next section.

What the Balloon Fiesta organizer says it owns

AIBF's website terms state that Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Balloon Glow, and Special Shape Rodeo are trademarks of Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Inc. The organizer's 2025 Concession Handbook goes further. It gives a partial list of AIBF trademarks that includes:

• Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (registered)
• Balloon Fiesta (registered)
• The Big One (registered)
• Mass Ascension
• Balloon Glow
• Special Shape Rodeo
• Special Shape Glowdeo
• Night Magic Glow
• AfterGlow
• Music Fiesta
• America's Challenge
• New Mexico Challenge

The same handbook says no items bearing AIBF trademarks, names, or logos may be manufactured or sold without prior written authorization from AIBF. It also says the words "official" and "licensed" may not appear on products or signs carrying an AIBF mark unless the merchandise is authorized through a written license from AIBF with fees paid. The handbook was written for concessionaires at the park, but the trademarks themselves apply wherever a shirt is sold.

For a print shop, that puts these off limits on shirts sold without permission:

• Balloon Fiesta or Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, with or without the year or edition number
• Session names on the list above, such as Mass Ascension or Night Magic Glow
• The Fiesta logo and the annual event artwork
• The words official or licensed on anything that suggests a Fiesta connection

This is general information, not legal advice. If a customer wants a Fiesta mark on a shirt they plan to sell, the answer is written permission from AIBF.

Shirt ideas that stay clear of the marks

Albuquerque, hot air balloons, sunrise over the Sandia Mountains, and October in New Mexico are not owned by anyone. Designs a shop can print for a crowd that is there for the Fiesta:

• Albuquerque skyline with balloons, with the city name and the year
• "October in Albuquerque" or "ABQ 2027" with a balloon silhouette
• Crew shirts: a pilot's own balloon name and registration, "Chase Crew," and the crew members' names on the back
• Family trip shirts: last name, "Up Before Dawn," and a single balloon
• Desert sunrise palettes: red, orange, and turquoise over a mountain line

Personal shirts for a family or a balloon crew that are not sold are a different case from merchandise sold to the public, but the safest approach is the same: leave the Fiesta's names and logo off the design.

Selling at the Fiesta: the vendor process

AIBF runs an electronic application process for merchandise concessions and a separate one for artisans. For the 2026 event, merchandise applications opened March 1, closed April 15, selections were announced May 15, and paperwork was due June 15. Merchandise concessionaires need liability insurance of $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate, and each booth needs its own application. The 2027 dates had not been posted as of Oct. 29, 2026; expect a similar spring window.

When to order Balloon Fiesta shirts

Shirts for an early-October event are usually ordered in August and September, and a customer who waits until the last week puts the shop in rush territory. A practical schedule for 2027:

• By Aug. 1, 2027: lock designs and sizes for crews and family groups
• By Sept. 1, 2027: order blanks, especially long sleeves and hoodies, since dawn launches are cold
• Mid-September: order DTF transfers or gang sheets, leaving time for a reprint
• The week before Oct. 2: press and deliver

Dawn temperatures are why hoodies sell at the Fiesta. DTF prints on cotton fleece and on cotton-poly blends; check the press settings for each fabric before running a hoodie order.

Albuquerque shops that print DTF transfers

Printing locally removes shipping time from the schedule. DTF Database lists these Albuquerque-area shops that sell DTF transfers or DTF printing:

• Chili Transfers, Albuquerque: DTF and UV DTF transfers, an online gang sheet builder, DTF ink, film, powder, and printers
• ASI Custom, Albuquerque: wholesale DTF transfers and gang sheets
• Fully Exposed Graphics, Albuquerque: DTF transfers, gang sheets, contract screen printing
• 9 Mile Tees, Albuquerque: DTF heat transfers, gang sheets, fast-turnaround screen printing
• Rio Rancho T-Shirts, Rio Rancho: DTF heat transfers and screen printing

The full list, including shops in Los Lunas and across the metro, is on the Albuquerque DTF transfers page. For a guide to sizing a gang sheet for a mixed crew order, see the gang sheet calculator.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2027 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta?

The organizer's FAQ lists the 55th Balloon Fiesta as Oct. 2-10, 2027, at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque. One line on the homepage said Oct. 2-11 as of Oct. 29, 2026, so check the organizer's site before printing dates on shirts.

Can I print "Balloon Fiesta" on shirts I sell?

Not without permission. AIBF lists Balloon Fiesta and Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta as registered trademarks, and its concession handbook says items bearing its marks may not be made or sold without prior written authorization from AIBF.

Is "Mass Ascension" trademarked?

AIBF lists Mass Ascension among its trademarks in its 2025 Concession Handbook, along with Balloon Glow, Special Shape Rodeo, Night Magic Glow, AfterGlow, and Music Fiesta. Treat those session names the same way as the Fiesta name itself.

What can I put on a Balloon Fiesta shirt instead?

Albuquerque, the year, hot air balloons, sunrise over the mountains, and crew or family names are all open. A design like "ABQ 2027" with a balloon silhouette says where the shirt is from without using any of the organizer's names.

Where can I get DTF transfers printed in Albuquerque?

DTF Database lists Chili Transfers, ASI Custom, Fully Exposed Graphics, 9 Mile Tees, and other Albuquerque-area shops that print DTF transfers or gang sheets. The Albuquerque city page lists all of them with contact details.

Related guides

Other event guides that cover dates and trademark rules: Kentucky Derby 2027 shirts, Fiesta San Antonio 2027 shirts, and Army-Navy Game shirts.