Years ago, I had a friend who had this event on her priority list. This is a thrilling annual…read moreevent and, if you can survive the truly hellish attempts at parking, I think this is a must-see spectacle. It's the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade but with fire and the most chaotic up-close experience possible. I don't know it all seems to work without mayhem but it does. It's a viscerally invigorating time. If you arrive asleep, you will leave astounded by the blazing profusion of colors and flames and quiet ascension of balloons reaching into the sky. In other words, unlike that famous parade, you are in the mix and a part of it all. It's a whirlwind of the human spirit. The morning session is the ascent of the balloons. The silent takeoffs into the blue sky are like bubbles in boiling water and so serenely soothing to watch. The evening session are the balloons posing brightly at ground level all lit up from inside by the flames that keep them inflated. They are gigantic night lights adorning the large field. The fiesta has a large contingent of food stalls from the proverbial funnel cakes to Japanese ramen. There are souvenirs for sale and music to be heard. Families make this an annual tradition and I understand. People visit from around the world. My friend and I lost touch too long ago but I hope she made it here. She would have loved it.

This event has been on my travel bucket list for years, and we finally made it happen in 2025! We…read morewere incredibly lucky with the weather since our visit was short, from late Thursday night to Sunday. We dedicated Friday morning to the Balloon Fiesta, and aside from the drone show being canceled, everything went perfectly. Getting there was easy using the Park & Ride from Coronado Mall. You do have to wake up early since the buses start running at 4 a.m., and we arrived about 25 minutes later. Once there, we found plenty of carnival and fair-style food. Some highlights were the green chili cheese curds, Frito pie, and an Indian food vendor serving delicious chicken marsala burritos. We walked around while waiting for Dawn Patrol, and by 7 a.m., the sky was alive with color. The first to launch were the Rainbow Riders which are massive balloons carrying over 20 passengers each. Soon after, the sky filled with hundreds of vibrant balloons, including the fun "special shapes" from the rodeo lineup. Everywhere we looked, there was something new to admire, there are over 500 balloons in total! We also learned about Albuquerque's unique wind pattern known as the Albuquerque Box, which allows pilots to take off, fly south, and then, by changing altitude, catch a return wind that brings them back to the launch site. It's the only place in the world where this phenomenon happens, making it ideal for hot air ballooning. Seeing the Balloon Fiesta in person was absolutely magical, it is a breathtaking experience that everyone should witness at least once.

This was the second year that I have attended this event. Last year I had a blast and I'd been…read morelooking forward to going again this year. Since it was Memorial Day weekend there were lots of events to choose from. My friends all opted for the wine festival, and I reluctantly agreed to go with them instead of attending Blues & Brews alone. Fortunately, the weather was bad and it started raining while I was driving to the wine festival. I decided last minute to go here instead, and I have no regrets! I hadn't bought tickets yet, which I knew was a mistake because they were $45 at the door. I arrived at 2:30 PM and walked past an EXTREMELY long line of non-VIP ticket holders waiting for doors to open at 3PM. I was wondering if I should even bother while waiting in line to buy tickets, when an angel in the form of a scalper offered me a ticket for $30. I was a little nervous as I walked to the front, hoping the ticket would work.(I have a very strong goody-two-shoes streak that doesn't like it when I do scary things like buy tickets from random people.) Not only did it work, it was VIP! That meant I got to walk ahead of a line that literally went out the east doors of the casino, and get directly into the event. I HIGHLY recommend getting the VIP tickets (in advance) because it gets very crowded when they let everyone in. Last year, I didn't get to try all the beers because they were running out at the end and I hadn't been VIP. This year, I didn't notice as many vendors running out early. It seemed like there were less people this year, maybe because of all the other events that were going on simultaneously. So the deal is, you get a little souvenir glass (this event has plastic which makes me sad) that you can fill with a couple ounces of beer as many times as possible in 3 hours (4 if you're VIP). I also received tickets for alcohol samples which were for some flavored vodka and tequila. I didn't use mine because as an almost old person I have learned my lesson about drinking 50 samples of beer and then topping it off with hard alcohol. There was food available to purchase, but really, ain't nobody got time for that! I had to get my sample on! There were a good selection of breweries, mostly from Colorado and New Mexico but there were others there too. One trend I am not super excited about is how popular IPAs are now. Several places brought multiple IPAs and no Stouts or Porters which left me disappointed. IPAs taste like pennies. Yuck! I went back to the same few places that provided the darker beers multiple times. Marble had their Oatmeal Stout there, Left Hand had their Nitro Milk Stout which is one of my favorites. I also had a good one from Ponderosa. I had several samples of the Java Stout from Santa Fe Brewing. It was grand! If you're a hoarder like me, and like swag, there was plenty. I grabbed stickers, buttons, coasters, and bottle caps from most the vendors where I sampled. I also bought a sugar skull bag for $10 from Bloody Maria's to carry my stash in. Another pro this year was the music. They actually played some blues. Another bonus, there seemed to be a lot of friendly people there. I went by myself and even though I ran into my aunt and uncle there, I met some new people and ran into some old friends. On one trip to the bathroom I noticed a roller derby table where they were trying to recruit new players. I was attracted to the sugar skull swag (I'm obsessed) and inebriated enough to not be afraid to ask dumb questions like, "Do I have to know how to skate to join roller derby?" Well guess what? NO! You don't have to know, they teach you! I will be giving it a go next week! This is one of my favorite annual events in Albuquerque, I will definitely be getting tickets again next year. I left feeling happy, with a ton a loot, with new friends, and with a carpet burn on my elbow. Hoping to leave without that one next year!

Great time! Only wish there were more local breweries. There was a lot of national brandsread more

Summer fest is back on, 2022 finally, a little normality…read more Recommend parking at the lomas and university parking lot and ride the bus rather then spend time trying to find a parking spot. Lots of things going on. Kids jumpers even. You name it you got it here. While hot it is great to be out. Everything us free

Okay, but not impressed! I expected more concessions, art and more things for kids to do! Was okay…read morefor adults, but really not impressed! Good day to get out and walk! Nice that they had a lot of water areas!

This annual event is a fun way to sample goods from local businesses. We have a lot of great local…read morecoffee roasters/brewers as well as chocolatiers! We split a bomboloni from Cafe Chica and picked up some whole beans from Oval Dogs and had a ton of samples from other businesses as well. There were a couple dozen food trucks available plus several local breweries and wineries for when people needed a break from sugar and caffeine. Despite the cold, windy weather, I had a good time.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND: **4-stars given because I don't fancy chocolate or coffee but wanted to be at…read morethis event. Would've given 5-stars if I sampled product** Mostly outdoor event and so many people! Yay! First time I have been to the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival and it was better than I had imagined! It was so much more than just chocolate and coffee at the 2-day event. Great atmosphere to spend a few hours, lots of free samples and show specials. There was a vast amount of bakers, chocolatiers, bread makers, coffee roasters, candy makers, popcorn, tea and other delicacies to get your taste buds tingling inside the Expo. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of bee vendors selling honey products. Honey goes well with coffee, tea and baking products In addition, the streets were lined with more vendors, food trucks, wineries, breweries and live music with attendees dancing and having a wonderful experience on Main Street at the fairgrounds. Will I return? Absolutely yes. See you next year!

A spectacle of color and culture! So many interesting things to see and do. It was pretty…read moreincredible to see all the different dancers in their regalia from around the world. We saw the Grand Entrance which was an awesome opportunity to see all the dancers at the same time. Plus there werr some interesting spot light dancers who showcased a few of the different types of dance. There are a few etiquette rules it is important to remember, but you get a reminder sheet when you enter. This is an absolutely unique Albuquerque experience which I highly recommend.

I give it a five star for the performances but a one star for the food vendor. We had to wait 45…read moreminutes for our Indian Taco that had very little meat. Our nephew who ordered his taco seconds before us got it in 5 minutes while we had to complain that we didn't get ours. I will never buy food here again if we decide to come back. We talked to a native person who said the same. Don't waste your time in line getting food. Enjoy the show instead. New Mexico Gathering of Nations, are you listening? I hope so.

we had such fun playing dress up, swinging on giant swings, hanging with friends... and painting…read moreeach others boobs was the BEST!! I hope in future versions, there is a bit better lighting for the entertainers (the stilt singers were a bit lost in the darkness), a bit better layout might be good, definitely more booths would be awesome (I might even host one if I had enough notice), and more options than Skarsgard's cider, which isn't my favorite (I'm a ciderophile since I don't drink beer) would move it from good to GREAT!!! thank you all for doing something so magically delicious for us freaks.

Come one come all to the Danger Carnival! Twinkling lights at a distance will lead you to the most…read morefascinating event around, the best five (or more) of your dollars you will ever spend. I enjoyed the heck out of this event. There was just the right mix of curious booths, outsize rides, and amazing shows to make the night. Everyone was laid back, some costumed some not, and there was plenty of good cider to be had. I hope this year was a success - to improve a little for next year I suggest a few more people at the cider sales, a few more sideshows (make it easier to find out how to volunteer/set up a booth- I'd be interested), and maybe some carnival treats (we had cotton candy, and apple bobbing - how bout caramel apples or some traditional meat on a stick?) Thanks for the fascinating evening!

I have a Grande pass, which means I get into all 3 events, including free parking at Expo NM. Each…read moreshow has its own personality, the artists are awesome and from all over the country. My walls are full of work from the artists at these events. So grateful we have an event like this in Albuquerque! Go support!

It all depends on which art show you attend. In 2018, a few months after moving to New Mexico, we…read moreattended an art show at Expo New Mexico (1 star). The art show was a huge disappointment. First, we had to pay $5 for parking and then there was an entrance fee of $10 per person. We weren't used to paying for either but figured it would be fun. It wasn't. There were so few artists that we were finished in about twenty minutes. Most of the art was Southwestern. There was no variety. I had expected to see art from around the country. I guess living in Seattle spoiled me. I didn't purchase anything. Fast forward to 2022. I saw an ad for the Balloon Fiesta Arts and Crafts show at Sandia Casino (3 stars). They were featuring art from 22 states so despite the $13 entrance fee we decided to give it a try. Parking was free. This art show was much better. Although there was plenty of Southwestern art, there was also art from other regions. It was still small compared to what we were used to. We were there for about an hour and a half. I did purchase a painting and a pair of earrings. We were disappointed in the food area. We were looking for fair food such as elephant ears, fresh squeezed lemonade, funnel cakes, etc. All we could find was Mexican food, hamburgers, soda, and overpriced beer so after the show we headed to Five Star Burgers for lunch instead. I was also disappointed in the on-line ticket purchasing process. I tried to purchase tickets on-line, but it required a cell phone number. I don't have a cell phone. Nowhere did it explain that I would receive a QR code on my phone and would need to have the phone with me to enter the show. I thought that I would be receiving e-tickets that I could print out. Also, I wasn't aware that I could purchase tickets at the event. This should have been explained up front. Rio Grande Festivals should take some lessons from the art shows in the Seattle area. The Pacific Northwest Arts Fair, Salmon Days Festival, and the University Street Fair are huge with artists from all over the country. There are no entry fees, and parking is free. I imagine artists are charged more for booth space, but if people don't have to spend money just to get in, then more people will attend and purchase from the artists. We used to spend a minimum of four hours at each of these fairs. I like New Mexico, but I do miss the art shows and festivals in Washington state.

Absolute worst wine festival that I have ever attended! Not worth the money! My husband and I…read morewent to it and after two hours had not even tasted a single wine! Over-crowded with no control on lines or crowd! We finally gave up and left, having tasted not even one wine! Even worse is that the company running and the staff working it do not care about anything other than bringing in money! Horrible! We will never waste money on this event again!

Always a fun day at the wine festival. This year we got their just after noon time. The lines were…read moreshorter. Thankfully, because three hours later they were fairly long. I like that you can buy your tickets online and they will scan the barcode off your smartphone. It helps if you are a traveler like me and don't have access to a printer. Plus, why needless use paper? So good job on saving a tree! New Mexico wines are not Napa Valley wines, so don't expect similarities. However, many are quite good and at one of these events I can easily drop $100 to $150 buying bottles to take home. The food this year was better, but the wait can be long. Tables near the food area flip frequently, so in less than 10 minutes you should be able to find a seat. The tables on the other hand are filthy. It would be nice if you had someone clean them periodically.

It's definitely worth taking your kids of all ages. There is something for everyone. Lots of…read moreanimals, exhibits, food, and music. Nothing is cheap but it is a good experience. It helps if you figure out what you want to do ahead of time so you know the times when various performances will be held. Park and ride is the way to go.

I've been to a few state fairs previously but this was my first time at the New Mexico State Fair…read moreand I was somewhat excited to see what it had to offer. Overall, I thought the fair was a bit unorganized. It was held at EXPO on San Pedro/Lomas and it was hard to figure out which Gate to enter without having to circle around that large block of area. It would have been nicer if the organizers let us know the proper gates that would be convenient to attend. Also, parking was a bit confusing. There was no sign, whatsoever. You park and just walk around towards the center to find the area to purchase tickets/enter the area..but I wish there were more organizations of handicapped accessible parking and/or even a golf card ride to the entrance (in case you have someone senior/less accessible with you attending as well). Second, prices were pretty high. I understand it's a State Fair so there would naturally be an upcharge. But the regular ticket price of $15 and (if you park close to the fiar of $10) to start is actually quite high. Granted, anyone should take advantage of special admission day that can help bring the prices down to $1-2...that could help a bit. Prices of the vendors in there are..obviously very high. $5 for a bottle of soda, $8 for a cup of elote, $12 for Aqua fresca..and, frank,y $10++ for an entree. I don't think these were extremely high prices..but for...regular fare food quality..I'm not sure if I like to pay that much. I can't imagine how much a family who comes here would pay for members of the family...especially if you have kids and need to feed them food+entertain them with rides! Third, there were some nice shows/music around. I really enjoyed the sea lion shows and thought they were cute. But walking around..I also felt bad for some animals in some camped exhibition/van spage...like monkeys...etc. I honestly feel bad for them being captured/monetized that way. I can't imagine how bad their living conditions may be..unfortunately. Overall, I was glad I attended the state fair in NM finally. But...unless someone new in state who had never been to a fair would like to go..I can't imagine myself wanting to go again any time soon.