By Marty Mayfield
KRTN Multi-Media
The 2026 International Santa Fe Trail Balloon Rally kicked off Friday morning July 3rd from the old La Mesa Airfield in south Raton with 16 balloons taking to the beautiful blue skies of Northeastern New Mexico.
It seemed like a slow start to the festivities as spectators milled around and found the pancakes and sausage provided by the Raton Elks Lodge before the balloons filled with air and heated up for flight. During the pilot’s briefing pilots were instructed about the no landing zones around the field and then heard a very positive weather report and the words rang out lets go fly.
Balloonist are still in need of crew members, so make the trip out Saturday and Sunday morning for the closeup work on the balloons.
Stay tuned for more photos and information about the next two days of the 2026 balloon rally. On Saturday the Raton Fire and Emergency Services along with Raton Public Service will have a very big US Flag flying over the airfield in honor of the 250th Birthday.
Day two of the 2026 International Santa Fe Trail balloon rally flooded the old La Mesa Airfield with lots of spectators. Unfortunately the wind put a damper on the festivities as the 20×30 ft flag posted by the Raton Fire and Emergency Services and Raton Public Service Company lifted high into the air and never did lay limp to let balloonist inflate and fly. Many spectators not only enjoyed the camaraderie and the pancakes and sausage provided by the Raton Elks Lodge.
Day three of the rally was a chamber of commerce morning bringing very light winds and a beautiful sunrise to the old La Mesa Airfield in south Raton Sunday July 5th. Sunday was competition day as the balloon meister Dave Aley piloting Twisted Logic took off first and set out a target for the other balloons to try and hit as they flew over.
The class of 1976 held their 50th class reunion in Raton this weekend with a few of the class members getting a balloon ride to highlight their reunion experience. Class mate Mark Honeyfield noted that they had a really good turn out with many first timers coming back to Raton for the reunion.
The Elks Lodge was unable to provide breakfast this morning so the Raton High and Raton Middle School Cheer teams under the new leadership of Mia Maestas, Tricia Mascarenas and Racheal Sandoval stepped up and had a fund raising bake sale and the goods they brought were oh so simply scrumptious. Does this mean that something new is on for next year? The Elks provide the pancakes and sausage while the Cheer teams bring desert?
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