 Begun in 1972 with just 13 balloons, this world-famous annual event involves hundreds of hot air balloons filling the New Mexico sky for one colorful week in October. It is the most photographed event in the world and features uniquely shaped balloons as well as the "Dawn Patrol," balloons piloted at night with special lighting and navigation techniques.
Some of the regular events at the Fiesta include Mass Ascension, where all of the balloons launch in two waves, guided by traffic cops nicknamed "Zebras" because of their black and white shirts; The Fiesta Challenge where participants try to drop markers on targets from the air; America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race, a long distance race reaching as far as Canada or the eastern U.S. coast; and The Flight of the Nations Mass Ascension where international balloonists launch one at a time to their country's national anthem.
| 
