This event occurs
annually, every
autumn, in
Albuquerque,
New Mexico. It is the largest gathering of hot air
balloonists in the
United States and, possibly,
the world. It's held on an extremely large field next to the
General Mills plant on the
outskirts of town, usually for about a
week. During this time there is a mass flight every
morning, beginning with the
Dawn Patrol , a few
contests, and a special shapes flight.
Nearly everyone has seen pictures of a
balloon meet but, like many things, it's
completely different when you see it in
real life. To be surrounded by a dazzling
array of over a thousand large, colorful objects floating in mid-air is utterly
enchanting, and
something you won't get anywhere else. (Not
legally, anyway.)
Many
vendors also appear there, forming a linear collection of stalls such as you would find at a
county fair. Sitting in the
sun most of the
morning, (or
working if you're a member of a
balloon crew) can make a glass of freshly-squeezed
lemonade taste like
nectar of the gods.
People come from all over the world to participate in and watch this event. Many of them are especially enraptured by the special shapes.
Balloons with
unorthodox forms that diverge from the normal
bulb shape. Many of these are just
bloated,
flying,
advertisements (kinda like the ones at the
Macy's Day parade without strings), such as the
Winston cigarette pack or the
Pepsi can. They can get pretty
wild.
Add a
trip there to your
list of things to do before you die.