Village to host Globitos Glow on Fourth Street during Balloon Fiesta; trustees approve closures and parking plan

The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to authorize the Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque to host the Globitos Glow event on Fourth Street on Oct. 6 during Balloon Fiesta week, a family‑oriented night event featuring small tethered globito balloons, food trucks, classic cars and Fourth Street business participation.

Maria Raldi, who briefed trustees on logistics, said the street will close between Pablo Solano and Schulty from about 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with flagged crossings for residents whose access requires crossing Fourth Street. "There will be no on‑street parking in that corridor and local circulation will be detoured," Raldi said; staff described planned shuttle parking at off‑site lots, accessible drop‑off areas and digital maps for attendees.

Magda Martinez Baka, executive director of the village’s Main Street program, told trustees at least 15 Fourth Street businesses had already committed to participate, including restaurants, two wineries and specialty shops. Main Street and business owners emphasized event‑driven customer traffic as a boost to local commerce.

Trustees asked about safety and crowd control; staff said they have an approved traffic control plan aligned with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and are coordinating volunteer staffing and traffic‑control vendors. The board approved the resolution authorizing village participation and the memorandum of understanding with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

What’s next: staff will finalize parking, shuttle and volunteer plans and continue business outreach. The Village asked interested residents to sign up to volunteer for traffic management and guest assistance.