The 46th Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is about to take over the azure skies of gorgeous Albuquerque, New Mexico, the "Land of Enchantment." Sure, there are tons of hot-air balloon festivals all over the globe, but this one is the biggest and best.

The Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 with a mere 13 balloons. This was set up at the Coronado Shopping Mall for 20,000 spectators in a roadrunner vs. coyote-style chase—one balloon in the lead as the roadrunner, while the others play the role of coyote. In 1975, the World Hot Air Balloon Championships merged with the fiesta, causing its reach and size to expand. The fiesta grew steadily in size every year until 2000, when over a thousand entrants forced officials to cap the official number of balloons participating in the race at 750. This limitation emphasized a quality-over-quantity aesthetic that has upped the ante for balloon design each year, yielding exclusively elaborate and colorful balloons for what has become the biggest balloon convention in the world.

Now, over 100,000 people come annually to check out the hundreds of rainbow-hued balloons that are on display from craftmakers around the world. Picture a connect-the-dots rainbow of mammoth balloons filling the sky, from the horizon to the stratosphere, while thousands of tiny-as-ants onlookers pepper the flats below. From the early sunrise Dawn Patrol to the evening’s “Glowdeo” parade, balloon races, and much more, this event is a spectacle of wonder for all ages. The festival is book-ended by two weekends in October with balloon die-hards holed up in Albuquerque for the entire event. In addition to showcasing the creativity of balloon creators and offering attendees sky-high rides galore (though getting a reservation takes expert timing and perseverance!), the festival also has New Mexican culture on display.

The nine-day festival takes place October 1-9, 2016. Grab tickets here.