AND TO TAKE SHORTER SHOWERS. IT’S VERY RARE, ALMOST UNHEARD OF EVEN TO FIND ANY QUEER PEOPLE IN BALLOONING. AND WE’RE REALLY HOPING THAT’LL CHANGE. WE’RE CELEBRATING PRIDE MONTH IN ALBUQUERQUE’S PRIDE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS ARE NOW LOOKING TO THE SKIES WHEN IT COMES TO CELEBRATING THIS YEAR, CREATING A FIRST OF ITS KIND EVENT FEATURING A KNOWN NEW MEXICO ATTRACTION. HERE’S ANDRES VALLE. HOT AIR BALLOONS HAVE BEEN PART OF NEW MEXICO’S HISTORY FOR YEARS NOW, AND ORGANIZERS ARE NOW PUSHING TO GET THE BALLOONING COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS THE QUEER COMMUNITY, TOGETHER AT THIS YEAR’S PRIDE FESTIVAL FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, KCRA ALBUQUERQUE’S ALWAYS BEEN A VERY DIVERSE CITY. IT’S A MELTING POT OF SORTS, AND THERE’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN A QUEER COMMUNITY HERE. THE BALLOONING COMMUNITY HERE HAS HAS REMAINED PRETTY UNCHANGED IN TERMS OF ITS DEMOGRAPHICS. BALLOONIST BRYCE RILEY HAS BEEN TAKING TO OUR SKIES FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS NOW. HE’S TRYING TO BUILD A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY AND BALLOONING COMMUNITY. AT THIS YEAR’S PRIDE FESTIVAL BY INVITING BOTH COMMUNITIES OUT TO THE VERY FIRST EVER PRIDE BALLOON GLOW. WE HAVE 20 BALLOONS THAT ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENT, INCLUDING SOME RADIO CONTROL BALLOONS. A HANDFUL OF US ARE ACTUALLY MEMBERS OF THE QUEER COMMUNITY. AND THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF ALLIES. THERE’S PLENTY OF QUEER PEOPLE IN ALBUQUERQUE THAT WOULD REALLY LOVE TO GET INTO BALLOONING. EVERYONE IS INVITED TO BALLOON FIESTA PARK TO WATCH AS 20 BALLOONS STAND UP AND GLOW. RILEY ALSO WANTS YOU TO GET INVOLVED. INVITE THEM TO FEEL COMFORTABLE AROUND US AND, YOU KNOW, GET INVOLVED WITH BALLOONING IF THEY WANT TO. IF THEY WANT TO LEARN. THERE’S AN OPEN DOOR FOR HERE. THE EVENT IS FAMILY FRIENDLY. THERE’LL BE LIVE MUSIC, FOOD TRUCKS AND VENDORS AT THE EVENT. AND FOR COLLECTORS, EVEN A SPECIAL BALLOON PIN LIKE THIS BEING HANDED OUT, WE’LL START TO SEE THIS NEXT GENERATION STEP UP AND AND BE THE CHANGE THAT THEY WANT TO SEE TO TO MAKE BALLOONING FEEL MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALBUQUERQUE’S ACTUAL DEMOGRAPHICS, WHICH IS COLORFUL, A FIRST STEP TO LIFT OUR COMMUNITY INTO GREATER INCLUSIVITY. ANDRES VALLE KOAT ACTION SEVEN NEWS. THE BALLOON GLOW IS FREE. IT STARTS FRIDAY NIGHT AT SEVEN AT BALLOON FIESTA PARK. WEATHER PERMIT