I was at Expo New Mexico with my friend to see the Michelangelo Sistine Chapel exhibit and quite liked it. I liked the fact that no matter how middle of nowhere Albuquerque seemed, it still gets some cultural events to stop by for one to see. Now, I had been to actual Vatican City in Europe almost 20 years prior..but didn't really get to enter the chapel or see Michelangelo's work (it was closed during Christmas at the time)...and, hey, some of my teenagers friend found Prada and Versace outlet/factories and the like more enticing to see..so there I was..catching up on all the important cultural aspects that I missed out seeing back then. Overall, i really liked the exhibit. Being able to see the arts upclose (vs. bending my headupward to the chapel's ceiling to see art from far away) and have captions to help understand the context helped me understand the context and appreciate the work tremendously. I also like that it was not crowded and the service by the staff there was pretty nice and awesome. The entrance itself wasn't cheap a bit less than ~$25/pp..but it's a good activity to do ~1hr or so to learn and see something new. My friend also enjoyed it. P.S. parking was a bit confusing to find. There are many different Gates for the Expo..so you kind of need to know what Gate you are looking for. For this Exhibit, it was Gate #3. Once it found where the gate is relative to the overall expo venue, it was easy to find the exhibition. Also, seemed like they waived the $7 parking fee for this exhibit, too. Sweet~ read more

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A little toasty but nice. The shade helps. Would be nice iff they started on time The grounds look nice. read more

Expo New Mexico - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Was here for a car show event! Every year they do shows here and the restroom were clean and the gift shop store has snacks and drinks and across from theirs the taco shop and theirs food concession stand . Awesome car show spot! read more

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HIGHLY RECOMMEND the Southwest Gem & Mineral Show at Expo NM (Show is 2xs a year) Gems, Minerals, Silver. It was a nice sized show for Albuquerque. I would gestimate that there were over 50 dealers/vendors in the room. The event had a phenomenal amount of attendees too. HIGHLIGHT: The Kids/Youth Section! Private area just for the younger ones to be included, to explore mineral and fossil examples, to ask questions, play a few games! Eztremely friendly and laid back, diverse crowd. There were many unique jewelry and other earthly treasures to buy for yourself or as a gift. I saw numerous minerals and fossils for a collector or for your home. It really helps if you know what you want and can stay long enough to search for the best prices. Of course, if you pay with cash, you will get better deals. The prices varied from dealer to dealer or table to table. Enjoy yourself and I hope you find something uniquely rare. read more

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This is a wonderful place for children to spend time. There are so many hands on activities. They have many water projects, where they can build dams to make the flow of water to alter. They have a parachute drop. There is a wind tunnel with kerchiefs. There are musical activities, also from stepping on the floor to watch the digital graphs to sitting on a bench to feel the vibrations of each key. There are many wind related building projects. You can sit at the controls of driving a small remote controlled plane. What fun way to spend the afternoon for all ages. They will be shut down for the next week for maintenance. read more

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I volunteer to help with events. Whenever I arrive early 6:30am in the morning at Gate C, San Pedro and Copper, the man in the guard gate is extremely unfriendly and unhelpful. He is apparently offended when a visitor/taxpayer asks a question.He either needs to be fired or get some customer service training. read more

I was conflicted with how many stars to put here. Some of the people we encountered deserved 5 and others 1 at best. So this rating is more about the process than the people. Let's start with getting there. Took an Uber, and although the website says there's a drop-off and pick-up spot, no one knew where it was. Uber driver said this was his 3rd trip, and no one he encountered could tell him where to go. Asked numerous state fair workers and a couple of state police officers. No one knew. We did finally find a map with a dot on it, but as we walked to the extreme south side of the grounds, we were told the gat was locked and we would need to walk around to the other side. Very poorly done state of NM. Besides the expected price gouging, we have come to expect, there was a lack of planning and management that is beyond what has been present in past years. read more

Expo New Mexico always has something going on! They have the flea market every weekend as well as several event spaces. Today we attended the free Gem & Mineral Show (the Fall one is free and the Spring one is paid admission). We usually attend both and the quality is fantastic every time! There are always a ton of quality vendors and parking is well handled with several people to guide you. It is $5 paid parking and free with handicapped placard. They also have food for sale in the event with delicious burritos and other fare. The bathrooms are clean and constantly kept up. The sidewalks are very handicap accessible and everything is just very well maintained. Expo New Mexico is a big place so we appreciated a great amount of signage as well as plenty of staff to guide us. read more

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The hot rod show was OUTSTANDING! I've been to my share of car shows and car museums and this was better than all of those combined! For those who love hot rods and just old cars in general, this was the show to see. I really hope they bring this back next year because I will be the first in line. With regard to the organization at Expo NM - it sucks, as usual. They had some other event/s scheduled at EXPO NM but no clear signage that told us which gates were for the hot rod show. We waited in line, and once we made it to the entrance, were told we needed to go wait in another line in a different location for the hot rod show. This is the kind of crap that makes me not want to go to Expo NM. In addition, all of the folks in our party have mobility issues. I find it really nuts that Expo NM seems to have little to no parking for handicap placard holders that are close to the events one wants to attend. We were there for the Gathering of Nations a few months ago and had to walk a really long way because they never have enough handicap parking and they also don't seem to have rides to the events (like on golf carts) for folks who cannot walk a long way but who are also not wheelchair bound. It's just strange to me that they can't get it together. I'm assuming none of the organizers have ever had mobility issues so they don't really think about those of us who do. Anyway, this is a deterrent to attending events at Expo NM, including the upcoming NM State Fair. Hopefully they will have things better organized and accessible. With that said, I want to reiterate how great the car show was. Thanks to everyone who came out and showed off their heavy metal. It was awesome!!! read more

Its a great place to accommodate a large amount of people and large displays and booths. They have been successful hosting fairs, concerts and events. Even more can be done here and there is an obvious effort to make it nice and accommodating. Its a fun atmosphere good for the whole family kind of place and almost provides a community feel. read more

Expo New Mexico - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

I look forward to this event every year. To me it's special. I love the food entertainment and the exhibits. Parking can be a pain but if you get there early it's not bad. This year we seen the sea lions, many different bands, we rode the New ski lift and we ate several different kinds of foods. I got to be a participant judge in the New Mexico green chile cheese burger contest. We had a great time and I wish they would extend the fair back to two full weeks. See you next year. read more

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Albuquerque's Expo New Mexico is FANTASTIC! I've been living here my entire life and I always attend annual events. The State Fair grounds also hold so many new and extravagant events. If you haven't been to the State fair yet, go! Order the green chile corn dogs and a lemonade and I swear its like you are eight years old again. I've been to the Chinese Lantern Festival and it was beautiful. Recently I attended the annual Oddities and Curiosities Expo for the first time. This event is for all lovers of strange and beautiful art! I was not disappointed. I found some interesting skeleton prints, stickers, and a homemade candle. Getting to see so many artists and meet many more was so exciting. I cannot wait to attend this event again next year! read more

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Had a great time at the fair! Ate all that we could. Carmel apples, Indian tacos, bbq sandwich, cinnamon nuts. It was was great. Kids loved the animals. Getting to feed them is alway the best. read more

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The annual New Mexico State Fair is the state's big event. Lots of rides and great food. Also, Indian & Hispanic galleries. There are customize merchandises like t shirts, hats, sketch artists & photos. The fairgrounds is huge, the one gripe I have is the parking. It got so filled up that we had to return to work on hotel & ride Uber. read more

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Went to concert at fairgrounds last night. Getting into the parking is SO bad. We missed the whole rodeo. I WILL NOT eat at fairgrounds as WAY too expensive. Plus cannot get over there till after 6pm. Need to block off roads to get into parking. More turning lanes. Albuquerque has no brains. read more

I came to visit the state fair today and I experienced a whole new fair. Thanks to Yelp i was able to take my family with me today more importantly my granddaughter. I visited exhibits for the first time almost as if i was seeing them though her eyes. We saw sheep, pigs, chickens, horses, cows.....usual fair animals. We also were able to talk to a youngster who had raised his sheep from birth he explained what the sheep needed and how he took care of his sheep. It was awesome watching him and his sheep win second place! McDonald's had this really cool area for the kiddos where they could experience things on a real farm. They had a little tricycle/tractor race, horse roping, saddles to sit on, eggs to pick along with other fruits and veggies; we both enjoyed that area. We visited the petting zoo in the wisepies area. What an experience!! It was so lovely seeing her among the pigs, sheep, chickens, donkey and even a lama just walking and petting the animals as if she knew she wasn't in any danger. (Although i had a goat that was very interested in my pocket) lol. They also have other activities like barrel racing, racing in a big bubble, slides and jumping castles. O cant forget the scavenger hunt for the kiddos and when you complete it they receive a lil gift also our completed scavenger forms are going to be put into a drawing for a $100 staples gift card. She got to ride the ponies, the train, get her face painted, eat warm donuts, a corn dog, lemonade and other traditional fair food....... my first time as a grandmother experiencing the fair her first time visiting the fair old enough to understand it. Their was no mid way for me today and i had a just as much fun as if i was hanging out in the mid way area.... regardless it was another wonderful yelp experience! read more

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There's so much going on at this city-centric venue, this review really deserves a four-part breakdown. Here's my take: +The State Fair: Four star, though barely. Like any state celebration, it's the hyper-local aspects of this show that make it unique, like the Navajo rodeo and farm/agricultural draw. By the same token, some of ABQ's locals make the place a little sketchy, too. +Casino at the Downs: Two star. Sorry, guys, but I'll go back to bitching about the smoking policy here. Just bad news. A very, very bright new aspect of the facility is the Crown Room, one of the best (non-smoking) restaurants in the city. +Special Events: Four solid stars. Everything I've ever attended here, from art festivals to xeriscape symposiums, have been big successes and especially affordable. +Flea Market: Two stars. Why waste your money supporting, say, local arts and craft vendors when you buy so much imported, cheap plastic crap instead? If it says Made in Indonesia, you'll find it at our Flea Market. read more

I came to Albuquerque initially for the hot air balloon festival but found out there was also a Chinese Lantern festival happening at the Expo! Our uber driver was awesome enough to recommend this place and we are so glad we made the trip out here! The venue itself is huge! A lot of open spaces and the employees there are very nice! The Chinese Lantern Festival was the highlight of this place because it felt like I was in a fairytale! The pieces were so well done, especially when they were lit up at night (see pictures!) Tickets are $15 but well worth it because you get to see a 45 minute performance and let me tell y'all..it was some cool shit. The place was also VERY PACKED. If you decide to go during this festival, I would recommend going early because when I left around 8:30 pm there were a line of cars waiting to get it and a long line of people at the ticket counter. 10/10! ABQ p.s. They also serve food at the expo for anyone wondering :) and hand made souvenirs for purchase. Get's really chilly at night so bring a jacket! read more

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We are on a road trip so decided to see what we can do while in Albuquerque. There was a Chinese light festival starting at 630 pm The parking was five dollars It was at the expo center. Place was lighted up through out the parking lot. The tickets were a little high. don't get me wrong the lights are nice and they have to pay for the electricity. I paid $17 or 18 an adult you can purchase online for a savings of 1-2$$$ We showed up kind of late. And the show had just started when we arrived. One was at 630 and the second one was at 8pm. I was afraid I was not going to have enough time to do everything so we left the show which was pretty awesome. I wanted to make sure we saw everything since we only had an hour before they close at 9pm. There were a couple of vendors on one side. And one area for arts and craft for the kids. On the other side they had 4 vendors of food. Right before you get to the stage they have a bar. I have to say it was a nice nice but I was expecting it to be bigger. read more

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I know that there are a lot of attractions that occur at the fairgrounds (sorry Bill Richardson it will always be the fairgrounds to me) but for this review, I am going to focus on the NM State Fair. I go with my family every year to the fair. While most of the exhibits are the same every year it is still a great reason to get outside and enjoy early fall in NM. I do wish the Indian Village and Spanish Village would stick to more traditional music. Last time we visited the Indian Village they had horrible rap music blaring. Know your audience people. How many families and older adults want to hear rap music at 1 pm in the afternoon on a Wednesday? read more

Expo New Mexico - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Great evening at the Chinese lantern festival. Exhibits were great and the weather was even nicer. Lines were long to get in and to get drinks. But well worth the wait and the experience. Check out the vendors, they have these amazing necklaces that they write your name on the INSIDE of the glass pendant. Kids had a great time and so did the adults. Check it out before they leave town!!! read more

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The winter wonderland light show was terrible. Very poor quality and too expensive. You are better off wondering the neighborhoods for lights. read more

Here for the New Mexico Gun Collector's Association gun show. Have a booth supporting the NRA recruiting efforts. Expo New Mexico is fairly well centrally located and is not far off of I-40 for easy access. I haven't been there for any huge events but the $5 parking is reasonable and you can usually get fairly near where you are going. The grounds are a bit tired like a lot of the fairgrounds I have been to as so many of the buildings are old. read more

I was here for the chocolate and coffee expo. My husband was working a booth and I'd never been down here before except for the flea market. I was very pleased with the size of the venue which allowed for lots of things other than just chocolate and coffee. I took off one star because I got there before the show opened and the bathrooms already needed attention. I understand that they're going to get a little gross after a few hours but come on guys, they should be spotless when the doors open! I won some free tickets to future events and hope that this will be an isolated incident. read more

Was here for the Equestrian Cup 2015. What a fun event! Especially for equestrian lovers such as myself. Excellent day to mingle with other equestrian lovers, look at local artists' work, participate in a silent auction, and sample local food, beer and wine. It was an excellent opportunity for some restaurants to get their name out there. I thoroughly enjoyed the food from Freight House, a new place fixing to open in Bernalillo, and the orgasm in my mouth from the Chocolate Cartel, which is located on Juan Tabo. I plan to visit both of these places in the near future and wouldn't have known about them had I not tasted their samples at this event. For me, there were two very memorable vendors: 1st) Freight House served a grilled pork belly on toast. Oh my gosh! Heavenly. The handed out copies of their menu and I noticed it was a great choice of items of casual food. They also offer a variety of local beer on tap, which is a perfect pairing for items on the menu. Plus, major perk for those who live or work in Bernalillo. The place is owned by the same owner as Range Cafe, also in Bernalillo. I am excited to go here for a lunch or dinner sometime soon. 2nd) The Chocolate Cartel offered samples of their delicious dark chocolate sorbet, chocolate covered espresso beans, chocolate bar, homemade pumpkin ice cream and espresso ice cream. My guest and I were informed that you can find some of their items in Whole Foods, but for an even wider assortment of products, you need to visit the store! Count me in! Other food, beer and wine vendors included the Artichoke Cafe, Scalo, Vintage 423, Santa Fe Brewing Company, St. Clair winery, Soul & Vine, Nexxus (which served Marble as well), and Farina. Kim Jew Photography, Imbibe, and Sandia BMW and Mini were also there to represent! All in all, a very nice event for the whole family. Eat, drink, walk around, and watch the horses and riders compete. There was even a special play area for the younger people (kidlets). The weather was crisp, and there was a sense of enjoyment in the air! read more

This place is... Well, it's all we've got. I am here often for horseshows, and I have to say that the horse facilities could be better. Everything is getting run down, parking is a bear, and if it rains everything floods. The indoor arena isn't the best, but it's not the worst. The PA system works the majority of the time, and most barns have electricity. Bathrooms are iffy- sometimes clean sometimes not, and they charge you to park- no re entry. read more

Yes! I loved this place! While passing through with our horses, we were able to put our horses in a stall and hook our horse trailer up to electric and the 24 our security gate let us right in! We fell to safe and comfortable read more

This low rating and review is based on the parking within the race track at Expo NM. What a fiasco it was and is to get in and out of there. On Saturday, March 16th I attended the awesome Chocolate and Coffee festival. I was also aware the Monster Jam was next door. So here we have to highly attended events and yet parking facilities lacked thereof. HELLO NM State Fair get some logic going here. Took one hour from entering the long line to get out onto Louisiana Blvd. That's uncalled for. Drivers pretty much just shut their cars off while in line to save gas. Why not we weren't going anywhere. You may spruced up main street on the grounds but again HELLO what about making traffic a priority. What if someone was having a emergency??? Based on this experience driving to Santa Ana Star Center seems more reasonable. read more

I had the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl at the place near the entrance and I can't believe there wasn't any Teriyaki sauce. They made Orange Chicken and then gave a small container of soy sauce to mix it with. REALLY! I paid $7 for Teriyaki Chicken with no Teriyaki? read more

Here today for both the Albuquerque Home Expo and the Gem and Mineral show. The Expo itself seems a bit rundown and in need of updating. Parking is generally available close to whatever venue you are going to, but costs $5. Signs on the way in let you know how much it will be, so have your money ready! read more

I can't be live how bad it has become, just getting in was a mess. Tried the park and ride which was ok but it stopped at 1000 and had to pay for a uber because the rodeo and concert ended at 1130. Tingly collisium needs to be torn down. I think because it's so old and nasty people are not attending the rodeo anymore. Saturday night at the state fair rodeo and it looked like their where more seats empty than filled. read more

I attended the Tequila & Taco Fest at this venue and I thought the space was very nice. The park area is very well landscaped and maintained, and the buildings that surround it are nice and clean. There is plenty of space to have tables to seat on and during the festival, something like 1/3 of them were under the shade of some tree. The stage is big. Perfect for a dance show or a live band. The area in front of the stage is tented. Finally, there are bathrooms available inside the building, which is something that I really appreciate when I go to a festival. Those were clean and well attended. read more

I love Expo New Mexico! I've gone several years for Arabian/ Half-Arabian Youth Nationals, and it's pretty amazing. There's beautiful views of the mountains, and the facilities are excellent. read more

We visit (and actually do shows at) fairs and festivals across the country, and find that the New Mexico State Fair is as good as it gets. They have a great fairgrounds, lots of exhibits, animals, great entertainment, great bands, a karaoke competition and TV game show. If you are in ABQ make sure that you go to the fair! read more

Good place for events, the parking situation can get confusing as its not clearly labels as to which entry is open for the various events, so be prepared to drive around for a while. read more

We will Never Ever return to Expo New Mexico grounds. NEVER. Went to Elton John concert. Paid $350 for two tickets. That's not on ENM, but we got in Traffic Line on Louisiana South on I-40 overpass at 7:15. Concert started at 8. We were a mile away. Did not get to seats until 8:30!!!!!!! Why? Zero traffic control. It was an insane free for all. Expo did not even TRY to coordinate the traffic. But to make matters far worse, they had the gall to charge $10 for parking. The pay terminals were the primary reason for the backup. Expo's insane greed for that $10 caused us to miss $100 worth of concert. Other people did not get to their seats until 9pm, an hour after concert start due to Expo's gross ineptitude and greed. We will NEVER return. Not for the fair, not for anything. They will never delay us like that again to get their Parking fee or any other money from us. It was HORRIBLE! Can I give them 0 stars? read more