Albuquerque International Balloon Festival

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest international event hosted in the United States each year. For almost four decades, the first or second week of October has heralded the spectacular moving picture show of multicolored hot air balloons drifting through the cool autumn air.

From its humble origins in the 1970s in a mall parking lot with only 15 hot air balloons, the Balloon Fiesta has progressively evolved to become the world's largest ballooning festival. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed events on the planet, with almost 600 brightly colored balloons launched each year. Laser light shows, pyrotechnics, live band performances, and interactive education round out the charm of Balloon Fiesta and ensure that there is something for everyone to do or see.

Location: Albuquerque, USA
Time: Early October