Tens of thousands of people traveled to St. Louis this week to witness The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race.

The event dates back to 1973, a year after the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The actual race on Saturday was canceled because of rain.

But on Friday, thousands watched in amazement as the tall balloons inflated as the sun disappeared below the horizon.

In all, 50 pilots spend the day inflating their colorful hot air balloons.

Scott and Cynthia Wooge have been married for 40 years, and have spent more than 30 of those flying.

They return to St. Louis every year to fly, and to watch people's faces as they experience the magic of the balloons for the first time.

"A friend of mine said one time, life is about the stories you can tell," Scott Wooge said.

"Ballooning has offered us a whole bunch of good stories," he added.

The Great Forest Park Balloon Glow and Race is not just a St. Louis tradition, but it is also a piece of American history.

In 2000, it was inducted into the permanent collection of the Library of Congress as part of celebrations of the institute's bicentennial.