Albuquerque Events

Held over three consecutive weekends in June, the prestigious Chamber Music Albuquerque presents the annual June Music Festival. First held in 1942, the popular concert series presents a programme of outstanding chamber music performances by choirs and musicians from all over the world. There is also a free lecture programme which is usually held before each concert.

Agricultural-oriented three-week festival with games, rodeos, farm animals and amusement rides.

World music and culture converge in Albuquerque with events including concerts, dance classes, films and food and craft stalls, all celebrating cultures from around the globe. A programme of workshops and free afternoon activities keep younger visitors entertained.

The annual Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival is a show that has become synonymous with autumn in Albuquerque. It offers 75,000 visitors the opportunity to view and possibly buy the works of more than 280 fine artists and craftsmen from all over the country. The festival tent is a spectacle in itself being three stories high and 122m (400 ft) long. The festival lasts for two weekends and celebrates outstanding arts and crafts along with fabulous entertainment, artist demonstrations, kids' activities, great food and fun for the entire family.

During the nine-day event in October, the skies are ablaze with colour as hundreds of balloons take to the sky in what is one of the largest balloon festivals in the world. The event kicks off each morning with the spectacular Mass Ascension as the sky fills with balloon after balloon, each with a distinctive pattern and colour. Special shows, events and exhibitions take place throughout each day and visitors always enjoy the incredible sight of the Balloon Glows which take place each evening. Having grown from a small festival with just 13 balloons in 1972, the event is now something of a pilgrimage for many balloon enthusiasts that each year attracts visitors and exhibitors from all over the world.

The Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival Holiday Show features the work of more than 200 fine artists and craftsmen from all over the US. The show is one of the largest in the state and attracts more than 20,000 visitors. Participants are selected from hundreds of applicants from across the country. The festival highlights a great variety of handcrafted items not found anywhere else. Creativity and uniqueness abound in pottery, paintings, jewellery, woodworking, clothing, and handcrafts of all kinds. Especially for the kids, a 'Holiday Creation Station' is held in its own exhibit hall.

Celebrates the return of the cranes.

Thousands of luminarias line the streets, paths and rooftops.

Creativity is in bloom at Albuquerque's first major art event of the year, the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival Spring Show. The juried show features the work of more than 225 fine artists and craftsmen from all over the US, and is one of the largest in the state, attracting more than 30,000 visitors every year. Participants are selected from hundreds of applicants from across the country. The show features artists' demonstrations, food sampling, kids' activities and fun for the entire family.

Held each year in 'The Pit' at the University of New Mexico Arena, the Gathering of Nations is one of the biggest celebrations of Native American culture anywhere in the world and each year it attracts thousands of visitors. Visitors to the event can enjoy a packed schedule that includes traditional song and dance performances, storytelling, cultural shows, historic displays, food and drinks tents and a large Indian Trader's Market.

Celebration of Mexican heritage, with music concerts, mariachis, parades and great food.