Just family and friends, a couple wearing little party hats, some balloons and a few neatly wrapped presents and a cake at the center of the table.

FORBES: The 13 Best Global Google Doodles

Fueled by Albuquerque's crisp fall climate and predictable air currents that allow balloonists to control their flights, the Balloon Fiesta attracts some 700 balloons from more than 50 countries.

CNN: 7 breathtaking ballooning adventures

Attendees recited the Pledge of Allegiance and sang the national anthem, and some children released balloons into the air.

NPR: A Look At Boston Marathon Bombing, Investigation

Some children had also tied pink balloons on the railings of a bridge by which the funeral passed on its way to the crematorium.

BBC: Tia Sharp: Private family funeral for schoolgirl held

Some friends said they were planning to release balloons in her memory.

BBC: Christina Edkins

On the main table I noticed what looked like the ragtag remains of some Physics 101 lab experiments: rusted silver balls on different inclines, distressed balloons, a stained funnel, a markered flask, a calcium-speckled Bunsen burner, iron filings and sandpaper, large magnets, and batteries that could have been bought from a Chinese immigrant on the subway.

NEWYORKER: The Region of Unlikeness