Food vendors return to Balloon Fiesta

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Food vendors returned to the Balloon Fiesta Park for the fireworks display, but the list was short compared to prior years.

A Balloon Fiesta Park official said the short vendor list is a strategical move for sales success by cutting down the competition, only seven vendors set up shop.

"The pandemic hurt a lot of folks in a lot of ways. A lot of restaurants and especially guys who do events, I know a lot of guys that this is all they do is events,” said Rex Thompson, Owner of Rex’s Hamburgers.

That includes Kirk Kanesta with Mike Casada’s Funnel Cakes, he said concession events keep the economic flow going strong.

"This is like our livelihood, this is what we do most of the year. Like we go around, we do different events,” said Kanesta.

Busy Bee Frozen Custard owner, Ross Bird, is happy for the chance of long lines at his truck.

"Last year when COVID hit, there was nothing, so we had to set up on the side of the road, and we did very well the public supported us," said Bird. "It’s nice to have smiling faces coming up here and kids pointing and looking and wanting a picture in front of our logo. And we just enjoy that."