Pin Trading Connects Guests at ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta®

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — For more than five decades, custom lapel pins featuring beloved special shapes, intricate designs and vivid colors have played an integral role in celebrating and enhancing the ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® experience. Interest in these commemorative keepsakes continues to grow each year, bringing together pilots, local guests and international visitors at Balloon Fiesta Park.

This year’s pin trading event is Saturday, Oct. 10, at 11 a.m. at the Group Tour Tent at the north end of Main Street.

This year’s official Balloon Fiesta pins are engraved with ExxonMobil Balloon Fiesta® Official AIBF© 2026, managed by Balloon Fiesta and designed by Plano Pin Company. Highly anticipated 2026 pins include the 2026 event pin with “The Scenic Route” theme, the Route 66 Mass Ascension pin, the 2026 special shapes pin and the mystery pin pack. Plano Pin Company has a vendor booth at the event where visitors can purchase official special shape pins as well as various other pins from previous years – popular collectibles often sell out quickly.

Beyond the designs themselves, organizers emphasize that the global community behind the hobby is what makes the tradition so memorable.

“Pin trading is really the heart and soul of the community aspect here at Balloon Fiesta,” said Lisa Mulder, Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta Director of Merchandise. “While everyone loves adding a new or rare pin to their collection, the real magic happens in the connections people make on the field. It turns our launch field into a neighborhood where lifelong friendships are made.”

To view official 2026 Balloon Fiesta pins prior to the event, visit balloonfiestastuff.com/collections/2026-pins or the Official Merchandise Tent on the south end of the field during Balloon Fiesta.

To view decades of historical festival pins and learn more about collector culture, explore the official Balloon Fiesta Pin Archive at balloonfiesta.com/collectors-corner/pins-archive.

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About the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Inc.

The ExxonMobil Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta® is an annual festival of hot air balloons that takes place every October in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. It is the largest gathering of balloons and balloonists in the world. For details on events, schedule, and entertainment, visit our website, BalloonFiesta.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, or TikTok.