Picture it: dozens of hot air balloons tethered in a field outside of Taos, New Mexico, burners crackling in the morning quiet. Then, at a signal, they all take off, turning the sky into a canvas of color.

Hundreds of hot-air balloon pilots and thousands of enthusiasts descend on Taos each year to take part in the Annual Balloon Rally, a sight you won't soon forget as dozens of balloons of all colors and configuration rise in a mass ascent into the desert sky. This year's event is scheduled for Oct. 24 to 26, with a mini-ascension scheduled for invited pilots, the traditional Dawn Patrol, tethered rides for schoolchildren, picnics and evening events celebrating the sport.

Here's a video from the 2006 event: