Photo by Steven St. JohnTribune

Tribune

Blake Townsend of Wisconsin watches a liftoff nearby while crewing for the balloon Kay's WindDancer today at Balloon Fiesta Park. Thousands of people turned out for the opening ceremonies this morning and the first mass ascension of this year's Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

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Mariachis dressed in white greeted visitors with traditional New Mexico music at the gates of the 36th Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta today, spicing up a picture-perfect opening day for the annual event.

Weather reports had suggested winds might keep the balloons grounded, but the morning dawned calm, clear and crisp.

The Dawn Patrol balloons began going up shortly after 6:30 a.m. Then the ground filled with inflating and rising balloons.

More than 700 balloons are expected to participate in the fiesta, which runs for nine consecutive days.

As thousands of visitors streamed past the mariachis they encountered rows of white tents filled with food, art and souvenirs. The crowds bustled and buzzed with a contagious excitement that seemed to electrify the brisk morning air.

Bill and Sue Johnson found themselves at the balloon fiesta for the first time by chance, stopping on their way back from a cross-country drive to their home in Florida.

"We've always wanted to come out here, but we never seemed to find the time for it," said Bill Johnson, 66.

The couple discovered it was balloon fiesta time when they had difficulty finding a hotel, they said. But they didn't seem disappointed about the unexpected delay in returning home.

"It is a happy coincidence," Sue Johnson, 64, added with a smile. "A very happy coincidence."

Others came to the balloon fiesta with a more definite purpose.

Theresa Hindsman, 28, said she came with one thing on her mind: "To see the Darth Vader balloon."

Hindsman, of Albuquerque, said she's been waiting for a Star Wars design to come out for a long time, and is nearly satisfied with the new special shape balloon.

"Can't they make one that looks like Anakin?" Hindsman asked mischievously.

The Darth Vader balloon from Belgium was expected to be a highlight of this year's fiesta. It lifted off around 6:45 a.m., an evil-looking black helmet in the sky.

Hindsman and her friends joined the crowd in counting down the seconds until the inflating balloons all lit their burners at once, flashing across the field in glowing pinks, yellows and blues. Their screams of delight filled the air as the first balloons floated effortlessly into the air.

Several balloon pilots said they were feeling good about this year's fiesta, as the morning shaped up to be perfect flying weather.

Max Mitchell, 55, of Champaign, Ill., flies the balloons Felix the Cat and Traveling Light. He said it's always exciting to come to Albuquerque because of "the box," a phenomenon in which low-level winds blow southward while higher-level currents run north.

When the box is in effect, a balloonist can often land near where it takes off, with a long journey in between.

"You always have concerns when the winds get going, but you just have to look at it day to day," Mitchell said.

James Daniel, 46, said he has been working on chase crews for 20 years. This year, he's helping pilot Robert Raper land his balloons Midlife Crisis and Independence.

"We're old hats at it, but it's fun," Daniel said. "The people are wonderful."

Samantha Neale, 27, of Denver was at the balloon fiesta celebrating her birthday with her parents and sister. She was last here when she was 3, she said.

"I think it's awesome that I came back for my birthday," Neale said. "I love that I was part of this before I could even remember it."