Mexico kicks off hot air balloon fest with 500,000 visitors anticipated

Hundreds of exotic hot air balloons bloomed in the sky over central Mexico as the International Balloon Fair 2017 kicked off in Leon in Guanajuato State Friday, marking the 16th edition of Latin America's biggest rally.

Residents and tourists from around the world lined up the streets to witness the start of the festival, which will run till Nov. 20.

A clear sky and favorable winds gave wings to pilots of around 200 balloons from 15 countries to climb steadily over a small lake, whose azure waters reflected back the spectacle, adding to the color.

The balloons came in fantastic forms delighting children, and even adults, with teddies, a whale, a castle, a cat, a dinosaur, a crocodile and more. Guadalupe Flores, a student, admired a motorcycle-shaped one, with a volume of 9,000 cubic meters and weighing a staggering 560 kg.

"It is the first time I (have) come here, it's a lot of fun... and I recommend it to everyone," Flores told Xinhua.

The 2017 fair is dedicated to the victims of two major earthquakes which struck Mexico in September and killed more than 300 people.

"Through the flight of these balloons, is reborn the strength and spirit of our nation, a nation that dreams big and flies high as the balloons do," Hector Lopez, mayor of Leon, at the inauguration.

Daniel Sandoval, a volunteer at the fair for five years, said Leon has the perfect climate and atmospheric conditions, attracting the best pilots in the world year after year. The festival has made the city one of the most important world spots for hot air balloons, he said.

The first edition in 2002 began with just 20 balloons. "This has now reached 200 and we will keep growing," he promised.

As the streets and rooftops filled with people admiring the aerial ballet, the event also threw in music festivals and a variety of shows.

Over 500,000 people are expected to visit the state during the fair, the Guanajuato tourism office said.