ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — A fleet of hot air balloons rose into a clear desert sky Saturday to kick off a colorful mass ascension at the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated.

After a brief weather delay, the balloons flew into the air amid cries of joy and were carried away by a gentle breeze. Propane burners roared and hundreds of balloons – from traditional baubles to cartoon characters – rose to splash the sky with color.

“The mass ascension is just magical, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in the world,” said Paul Kluzak of Phoenix. He’s been here twice before, arriving this year with a foot-tall hat that resembled a hot air balloon and a camera around his neck. “Seeing them all at once is just really, really cool.”

Companion Heather Kluzak said words could hardly express the excitement of the event.

“We just want to be a part of it,” she said. “It’s fun to be out in the field” where the balloons inflate and fly off.

This year’s Fiesta features 106 balloons in special shapes, 16 of which will make their Fiesta debut. This includes Mazu, which is modeled after the sea goddess of the same name and is deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture and tradition.

Typically, cool morning temperatures at dawn can help pilots stay in the air longer or carry more weight. But on opening day, the morning air was unusually warm and many spectators stripped down to their T-shirts.

In a city that recorded the hottest temperatures this year with 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.8 degrees Celsius) on Monday, morning low and afternoon high temperatures are expected to be on days above average National Weather Service.

Things are also getting hotter around the world. It’s probably this year will end up being the warmest Humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported at the beginning of September.

When the mornings are cool, less fuel is typically needed to get the balloons up. Fiesta veterans explain that it involves creating lift by heating the air inside the envelope to temperatures higher than the outside temperature.

Still, balloon rides are available year-round in many places, including in the bubbling Phoenix area, where there has been quite a bit of it Record temperatures in the last few months.

Troy Bradley, an experienced balloon pilot who has been flying for decades, shrugged off Albuquerque’s warmer weather.

“From a viewer perspective, these aren’t really problems,” he said. “I don’t see any difference except that they won’t freeze in the early hours of the morning.”