ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – When you think of New Mexico, you probably think of two things: hot air balloons and chile.

Folks may remember that a red chile ristra balloon flew in past Balloon Fiestas. Now, the pilot who owns the balloon knows it belongs in New Mexico, and he’s ready to sell it to whoever wants to take all the red chiles sky-high once again.

“When you stand it up, people are just in awe. They’re just going, ‘I can’t believe something that is shaped like, that is that big can, can physically stand up and fly,’” said Michel Shrum, owner of the red child ristra balloon. 

Shrum knows a balloon this special does not belong in storage.

“The last time I, I flew it or got flown,” said Shrum. “Believe it or not, IT was at the Chile Festival in Pueblo, Colorado two years ago, September.” 

Shrum bought the 128-foot, 800-pound red chile ristra balloon back in 2000 when it was just 3 years old and flew it all over the country.

“It’s probably flown in about 20 of the states,” Shrum said. 

He took those 56 inflatable red chiles across the world, but foreigners didn’t fully appreciate it.

“When we went to France, they thought it was a string of grapes. So it was, that was interesting,” said Shrum. 

After 25 years of flying, Shrum says it’s time for him to stay on the ground, but he knows the ristra’s story is only just taking off.

“There is a lot of life left in that balloon,” Shrum said. “Because the chile fabric of the chiles is sewn on the actual structural part of the balloon. It protects it from the sunlight. So it looks like it’s brand-new fabric. It just came off the roll that day.” 

Shrum listed the balloon on Facebook Marketplace for just $20,000, a smoking hot deal for a balloon this special.

“This balloon in 1997 cost $109,000 to have built, OK? So if you put that in today’s money on inflation, to rebuild that same balloon, you’re probably looking at a quarter million dollars,” said Shrum. 

Shrum says it will be a bittersweet goodbye. While anyone can purchase the balloon, he hopes it finds a home with the real chile lovers.

“It should be owned and flown in New Mexico,” said Shrum. “But if somebody just is going to put out the money and buy it then, then it’s up to them to make, to make their name in the sport with it.” 

Shrum says potential buyers should know it takes at least a dozen people to inflate the massive balloon.