ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A flotilla of hot air balloons ascended into a clear desert sky Saturday to kick off a colorful mass ascension at the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.
The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated.
Balloons took flight to screams of delight after a brief weather delay and were spirited away by a gentle breeze. Propane burners roared and hundreds of balloons — from traditional globes to cartoonish figures — rose to speckle the sky with color.
International Balloon Fiesta
Spectators watch as hot air balloons take off Saturday during the mass ascension at the 52nd Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque, N.M.
“The mass ascension is just magical, unlike anything in the world really that I’ve seen,” said Paul Kluzak, of Phoenix. He’s come twice before and arrived this year wearing a foot-tall hat resembling a hot-air balloon, with a camera slung around his neck.