This week on What's Up Wednesday, a short and sweet update, our new 2026 Mystery Pin collection, and a few helpful reminders as Balloon Fiesta 2026 continues.
As you know, we're right in the middle of Balloon Fiesta 2026, and things are going great. Sales have been strong, and some items are already selling out. But they say good things come to those who wait, so here's a tip. Tune in to Balloon Fiesta Live! In addition to live, commercial-free coverage of the entire event, you'll find a discount code that saves you 10% on our sportswear collection. If you haven't picked up your 2026 apparel or souvenirs yet, now's the time to shop. The live broadcasts, along with more than nine years of archived shows, are all available at BalloonFiestaLive.com. They might even have a few 10th Anniversary T-shirts still available.
One item you definitely don't want to procrastinate about is the new 2026 Mystery Pin collection. There are 12 collectible pins, most featuring Special Shapes, plus the extremely limited Golden Ticket pin. Each Mystery Pin box contains two randomly selected pins, so you'll need at least six boxes to complete the collection. The challenge, of course, is that you won't know which pins are inside until you open them, and there are no returns or exchanges. If you end up with duplicates, start trading!
If you're at Balloon Fiesta, don't forget that our annual Pin Trading Day takes place Saturday, October 10, beginning at 11 a.m. in the Group Tours Tent.
The Mystery Pin boxes go on sale at 5 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, October 8. They'll be available online, at our Gift Shop, and in the new merchandise tent on the field. We'll have a special line and distribute numbers as guests arrive to help manage demand. Purchases are limited to 10 boxes per person, regardless of where you buy them. Good luck completing the set—and especially finding one of those rare Golden Ticket pins!
Last week we told you about our inventory process, and we wanted to elaborate a little on what happens after Balloon Fiesta. As soon as the merchandise tents close on the final Sunday, we'll begin packing up the remaining inventory and moving it back to our warehouse. We'll then recount everything and redistribute it to our online store and the Gift Shop. That means items that may have shown as sold out online could become available again if inventory remains. If you've had your eye on something that's currently unavailable, bookmark the page and check back every few days. The process takes a couple of weeks after Balloon Fiesta ends, and we'll keep you updated here on What's Up Wednesday.
Finally, if you placed an online order for FREE In-Store Pickup during Balloon Fiesta, please remember that pickup is at our Gift Shop at Alameda and Balloon Museum Drive, not at the on-field merchandise tent. We hold pickup orders for 30 days before they're considered a donation back to Balloon Fiesta. We'd much rather see you enjoying your purchase than leaving it behind.
Time to get back to ballooning! As always, thanks for your support of Balloon Fiesta and Balloon Fiesta Stuff. And don't forget to forward this email to your fellow Balloon Fiesta fans!