Largest Balloon Festival

October 11, 2008

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Profile America — Saturday, October 11th. One of the most amazing sights can be seen this weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico — the windup of the weeklong International Balloon Fiesta, the largest balloon convention in the world. The gatherings started in 1972 and have grown in popularity each succeeding year. Some 700 multicolored hot air balloons will take part in a mass ascension just after 7 a.m. each day. While the words “awe inspiring” are overused, in this case, they apply, as the huge balloons rise into the clear desert air, giving photographers and spectators alike a thrill. There are nearly 4,400 lighter-than-air craft across the U.S., including hot air balloons and blimps. You can find these and more facts about America from the U.S. Census Bureau online at <www.census.gov>.

Sources: Chase's Calendar of Events 2008, p. 495
Statistical Abstract of the United States 2008, t. 1050
http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2008edition.html