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

We love NoshFest! For me, this is so much more than a food festival! My side of the family is…read moreJewish and my husband's is Catholic so this is my opportunity to share with my husband with culture and deliciousness that I grew up with! First of all, is it any surprise that the longest line was for Sharon's Gourmet to Go? She does such quality stuff and her latkes were spot on! Her physical location is by our house and the smells are always to die for! The green chile and plain mini challah for just $1 each was perfect! And I was so glad to get it for him to try! Challah has always been my comfort food! The biggest hit for us - and it seemed to be the same for a lot of people - was the Israeli lemonade being sold by the teenage group! Delicious and affordable and service with a smile! We spent more than we should have and got a ton of great food in a room full of friendly, fantastic people! Can't wait for next year!

Arriving at 1:30pm was not as crazy as previous reviews mentioned. The food of matzo ball soup,…read morestuffed cabbage, and latkes was good. The pastrami from Mtucci and California was delicious. The Klezmer live music was enjoyable. But we would have liked more lively tunes with the room and ability to dance. A Jewish Festivus without dancing seems more like a shiva. Organisers please let us dance the Hora..:) The lemonade, cupcakes and children's activities were good fun. Bottom line, we all had a nice time. Thanks for reading. Avram

BEST OF THE CITY 2018!…read more Every year waiting, waiting, waiting . . . . Albuquerque has so much to offer - and almost all of it GREAT! - that it is hard to fathom how the trolls decide what is the "Best." As we all sit anxiously on the edge of our bar stools waiting for this year's issue to be dropped, we speculate . . . best vineyard? best Indian restaurant? best car wash? best breakfast burrito? best art gallery? best bar? best coffee house? Waiting, waiting, waiting. . . . and then the Launch Party is announced. Clear that calendar! Albuquerque The Magazine Launch Party is here! Lots of folks with their heads in magazines? At first the food and drink are ignored. No one has a friendly "hi, how are you?" to friends and acquaintances . . . . "What page is the 'Best Live Theater Venue' on?" Page 148. "What page is the 'Best Sopaipilla' on?" Page 109 "What page is the 'Best Local Band' on?" Page 161. A wealth of info voted on by the readers of Albuquerque The Magazine in 280 categories! YES! 280. No wonder so many of the Launch Party's guests had their heads in this BEST OF THE CITY 2018 issue. I did finally get a glass of wine and a few tidbits to eat . . . and found my Yelp friends . . . but I was anxious to head home, put my feet up and just devour this new 2018 issue. It is the BEST one yet! Oh, and the Launch Party was great guys!

Wow, what a place to taste and get some of the best ABQ has to offer. The Launch Party for ABQ the…read moremagazine provides a peek into the magazine(the Best of ABQ edition is HUGE!) if you've never read the mag I'd pick up a copy. Once again being transplants here we can use all the help available to find hidden gems and back stories of some of the revitalized businesses in the area. Plus many local eateries, some having been winners of the Best Of.... were represented. Places such as Central Grille, The Candy Lady, Rudy's, Cheese & Coffee Cafe and many more previous winners and hopefuls were present with samples of their wares for the enjoyment of all attendees. We'll find out if any of the businesses tasted tonight will make the cut on Thursday.

Was a great day with some great vendors and wonderful food. If someone wanted an adult beverage…read morethere were options as well.

Not sure what to do on a Friday/Saturday night? Have people visiting from out of town? Then I…read morehighly recommend considering The Box for a night out. Girls night, date night, family night - whatever you chose your poison to be - the Box should be included. It was a great experience and my face was hurting from laughing so much. The performers are very talented and quick on their feet. Definitely recommend this as an ABQ experience.

The Improv show was very funny and entertaining. A great weekend date spot and very affordable…read more Highly recommend supporting this local arts theatre!

This year the event seems to be bigger and things are not as close together so things don't feel…read morecrowded. Loved the different stages there is lots to do.

We hadn't been to the fest in a few years. We went this year 2023. I was amazed at how large it…read morehas grown. Disappointed that there were more alcohol and coffee vendors than chocolatiers. There was much to do, see, taste and smell. We may skip a year and go the following year.

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!

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.