A hot air balloon pilot reaches for his burner during the Great Reno Balloon Race Preview Day on Thursday, September 7, 2017. Balloons stage at Rancho San Rafael Regional Park just a few miles north of downtown Reno, Nevada, and the three day event officially kicks off on Friday, September 8.
The Great Reno Balloon Race is the largest free hot-air ballooning event in the world. An average of 120,000 spectators attend the event each year.