Balloons Everywhere

Story

Balloons take to the sky in the mass accession during the 2009 Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta.

What is really interesting about the mass accession is that the balloons–all 550 of them–take off at the same time. To be sure, “at the same time” means within a short period of time, and in practical terms, they take off row by row, with perhaps 20 in a row. Still, it is an extraordinary sight to see so many take off together.

As the dawn lights and the sun takes to the sky so do hundreds of balloons of every shape, size, color and style imaginable. The sight is absolutely incredible to behold and everywhere you look their colors fill the sky.

And they just kept taking off. One by one, two by two, ten by ten and then the launching area was empty. Just a few stragglers here and there that for whatever reason failed to launch, but up the sky… now that was a different story entirely.

The fiesta happens every year, and is a “must do” event in Albuquerque.

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Halcyon Sandias is also from the Albuquerque, New Mexico area.