NMSU to debut hot air balloon this fall

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — New Mexico State University will take to the skies this fall with a hot air balloon at Balloon Fiesta.

NMSU collaborated with Rainbow Ryders to bring to life an idea that founder Scott Appelman had. The balloon is a timely tribute to Appelman who passed away earlier this month.

“Scott was so great to work with on this project, and our hearts are with his family and the team at Rainbow Ryders. We’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with Scott’s team, and we’ll be thinking of him when we introduce the Aggie community to our balloon next month,” said Justin Bannister, NMSU’s associate vice president for marketing and communications.

The crimson, white and turquoise will make its first public appearance September 26. The balloon will glow during a pep rally that evening in the tailgate lot east of Aggie Memorial Stadium. The balloon will also be on display throughout the day September 28 ahead of the Aggies’ football game against UNM. You can see it between the stadium and the Pan American Center.

“We’re so excited to introduce this balloon to our community,” Bannister said. “There’s an incredible amount of Aggie pride, not just in Las Cruces, but across our entire region. Including this balloon to our game day festivities and other events around the Southwest is going to provide energy and enthusiasm to current and future Aggies far beyond our campus.” 

Damian Kirson, general manager and pilot at Rainbow Ryders, said production took around four months to complete. The balloon is 90,000 cubic feet in volume, measuring 85 feet tall and 58 feet wide when fully inflated. 

“The sewing process depends a lot on the amount of fabric and stock that the manufacturer has. Typically, a balloon takes about three to six months to produce fully,” Kirson said.

You can actually vote for the name now through September 3 here at this link. They will announce the chosen name September 4 on all NMSU’s social media platforms.