Every October, nearly a million people head to the high desert of central New Mexico for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta where some 600 hot air balloons and their pilots come together for the world’s largest hot air balloon event. The epic show draws so many people and the display is so stunning, that it’s been called the most photographed event on the planet. An estimated 25+ million photos are taken over the nine day event. Albuquerque is a year-round destination for outdoor activities, and you can see hot air balloons take off there most mornings during the year. But visiting in early October is an experience like no other. In 2024, the event takes place between October 5 and 13.