By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper
Photos by Roberto E. Rosales
Fourth Street got a lift Monday night. Los Ranchos de Albuquerque lined the original Route 66 with glowing Globitos to toast the highway’s 100th birthday, and nobody had to set a 4 a.m. alarm to see them.
The Globito Glow in the Village ran along Fourth Street, from Schulte Road to Pueblo Solano Road. Mayor Lawrence Rael and the Los Ranchos Economic Development Board hosted the free event for the Route 66 Centennial.
Globitos are 20-foot-tall, remote-controlled scale models of hot air balloons. Expert operators fly them, and each has a working burner.
Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper
Why 66 balloons? Do the math. Board Director Magda Martinez-Baca said the glow showed off “a tight-knit community, vibrant local businesses, and a deep connection to our history.”
Visitors also found kids’ activity stations, live music, beer gardens, food trucks, and local shops and restaurants that stayed open for the evening.