For Labor Day Weekend, I visited friends in Colorado Springs, Colo. This was my third time in the city, but there’s still much to see and do — the natural beauty of the area is really stunning. Unique to my visit this time was attending the Labor Day Lift Off.

The annual event is held at Memorial Park, off Pikes Peak Avenue and near the shores of Prospect Lake. With iconic Pikes Peak in the background, the setting around the lake in early morning (the event begins at 7 a.m.) could not be more picturesque.

My friend and I, along with her five-month-old daughter and dog, arrived just as the mass ascension of more than 70 hot-air balloons began to lift off. It really is a beautiful sight to see and a popular event, as many families lined the shores. We didn’t stay for the rest of the day’s festivities; we took a lap around the lake and then went on to other activities. However, the weekend also includes food and drink from local vendors, skydiving demonstrations, wakeboarding exhibitions, entertainment, donut-eating competitions, a hot-air balloon glow at dusk and more.

Should you find yourself in the city for Labor Day, I highly recommend attending the lift-off, as the site is breathtaking. My pictures certainly do not do it justice.

— Kimberly Krol, editor in chief