'Most Magical Thing:' Arcadia Route 66 Balloon Festival Begins

Participants in the inaugural Route 66 Balloon Festival in Arcadia are lifting off the ground Friday morning, organizers say.

Starting at 7 a.m., balloon pilots and their passengers took to skies over Oklahoma.

"It's the best way to see the sunrise," Melanie Cabaniss, a hot air balloon pilot, said. "You're starting to see it a little bit in the background here, but it is so serene. We call it altitude therapy for a reason. It's just calming and peaceful and the best way to see the world around you."

As for those going to the festival who may be afraid of heights, Cabaniss said there is nothing to be afraid of.

"It's a totally different experience than, like, being on a skyscraper or something that could fall underneath you," Cabaniss said. "We go up very gradually, we try to go up, like, 100 feet a minute or less, and so it's just very peaceful and you're floating. It's nothing to be afraid of at all."

Organizers at the festival said over a dozen balloons will take flight. Admission to the festival is $15, and parking is an additional $10.