A magical spectacle is held every year in the city made popular by the incredible drama series –‘Breaking Bad’, and you need to know how stunning this is.

From a small gathering of 13 balloons in 1972, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has grown to become hands-down the largest balloon event in the world. Held each year during the first week in October, the Balloon Fiesta hosts hundreds of balloons and over 1,000 pilots.

Albuquerque happens to have the best climatic conditions required for ballooning – owing to it’s cool morning and evening temperatures. The city also has a phenomenon known as the “Albuquerque Box,” a combination of weather patterns and geography that results in balloonists having great control over their balloons. All in all, Albuquerque is a great place to launch a balloon-or hundreds of balloons.

The festival is book-ended by two weekends in October with balloon die-hards centered around the Albuquerque vicinity for the entire event. With tickets , you can walk up to balloons moments before they take off, truly a privilege you’ll come to appreciate when you see one take off up close for the first time.

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta‘s creative and visual celebration of flight is not to be missed, and offers just as much wonder for spectator as participant. It’s a fitting tribute to humankind’s fascination with flight, which took its maiden voyage in France with the Montgolfier brothers pioneering balloon flight in 1783, preceding the Wright Brothers by well over a hundred years! Human imagination is just not meant to be bound to the Earth, free your mind and reach for the skies.

(Photo Credits: Art Gimbel)