October means pumpkin fields, Halloween, leaf-peeping, and the World Series. But in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the beginning of October means a skyful of hot air balloons. The 50th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest gathering of balloonists in the world, with more than 500 hot air balloons going aloft this week. The now nine-day event got its start by launching 13 balloons from a shopping mall parking lot in 1972 to celebrate the birthday of a local radio station. It has easily become the biggest event of the year in Albuquerque, whose entire populace can view balloons in flight simply by stepping outside their homes and looking up.
Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
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A storied trail marks a century
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Jasper Dark Sky Festival
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Maldives
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Happy Holi!
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Honoring the rangers on World Ranger Day
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Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
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Colle Santa Lucia, Dolomites, Italy
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In celebration of cats
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’Chess on ice’
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The Easter Bunny’s story
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Summer solstice
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Bellissima!
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International Polar Bear Day
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Arches National Park, Utah
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Rapa Nui National Park, Easter Island, Chile
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Milky Way over Zabriskie Point, California
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Field of Light at Sensorio by Bruce Munro
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Let the holiday shopping commence
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The Guggenheim Bilbao turns 25
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Don’t look down
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International Womens Day
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A tree amid the Tetons
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Muskoxen in Dovre-Sunndalsfjella National Park, Norway
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Here we mark the price of freedom
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The crossroads of empires
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Space Week isnt over yet!
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Milford Sound/Piopiotahi rainforest in New Zealand
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Autumn’s swan song
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Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

