The 2025 Festival was awesome as usual. We were able to get there on Friday night about 5:45 and…read morethe lines were really easy. After 6:30pm lines really slowed down. The food was top notch and pretty well priced for a fundraiser. It had been many years since attending and I'm so glad we were able to make it this year. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone in ABQ.

This is always a fun event it was a challenge to find seating but overall a great time. The food is…read moreamazing.

First off I'd like to send a HUGE shout-out to Howie "The Duke of Duke City" K. for the heads up &…read morethe hook up! We had a great time!! I was expecting a larger turn out, but all the more breathing room for us! It was awesome! The Rodney Bowe Jazz Trio were rockin the house! Err... Jazzin the house, they were really good and it set a nice mood. Great grub samplings, nice wine samplings from St. Clair Winery, which was pretty good. They brought a Cab, a Pinot Grigio, a Chenin Blanc & my preferred one, a Meritage, which is a blend of a few red varietals. Nice!!! Marble Brewery was sportin a seasonal Pumpkin Spice brew, which I really liked! Enough to warrant my DD, AKA my wife, to drive home. There was a kids zone with a couple bouncies and Tons-O bubbles and other fun games for the kidos to play with, and they even had a box full of McDonalds hamburgers they were handing out. Naturally the main draw, the horses & the competition, was VERY cool! This was our first time to an event like this, but I suspect it will NOT be our last. Something about seeing those riders & those big beautiful horses leap over the obstacles up close was just majestic. The whole event was a big hit! We'll be there next year, and so should all of you!

Wonderful event..... wonderful benefit to assist our elderly, the Duke City's most unique,…read moredelicious and funfilled day of ABQ'S premier restaurants & breweries as well as beautiful Art & other Local vendors, Silent Auction and of course the thrill & skill of a hunter/jumper competition. My most favorite event we attend every year. The only thing I believe they need to really do is Market this great event way ahead time, (social media, Flyers at restaurants..etc) I believe this year was far less of a crowd, then what they use to capture. Nonetheless a lovely day horsing around supporting a beautiful event, good food, good music, & good times goes a long way. Ciao

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

What more can you ask for from a free community event. Free concert, free shuttle busses for…read moreparking, and local vendors. We didn't come prepared as it was hot and sunny towards the late afternoon into the evening. A lot of people brought their gear to camp out a spot for the evening concert. There were a handful of food trucks and vendors, but there was room for more. I just moved to ABQ, so it's my first time here, but I could see it growing with more vendors since there is so much space. Did pickup a few things to support the locals. Looking forward to the next one.

Nothing better than a free event in ABQ! Last 3yrs. been…read moreoutstanding as the city makes improvements to the concept, tor example enlarging the beer court area so families are welcome,more things for the kids to do and always and outstanding roster of bands. This venue offers one of the best grass areas for westerly views and sunsets! Looking forward today's Heights Summerfest 2018 Photo by: COA

Beautiful Christmas time tradition. My family goes every year. It's a bit of a walk, so wear…read morecomfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Don't forget to stop for cocoa and a snack! Bring the kids, or your sweetheart for a beautiful walk.

Been a long time since out last visit…read more It has come a long way since it began Well worth a trip with the entire family with solid value But i will say the signage to get there is lacking To be fair we did no homework prior to going and we paid dearly, we stumbled around for an hour and finally found the way in The lot attendants were fantastic and found us a parking spot Top tip: plenty of parking when we were leaving at 7:30 !

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.

So much fun! What a cool event idea! SOMOS ABQ brought together local restaurants, breweries,…read moreartists, artisans, local organizations and the public into a few blocks on Central Ave. Central was closed of to traffic which allows for a cool pedestrian area. The highlight for me was going around talking with all the food booths to see what amazing food they brought to showcase their businesses. M'Tucci's had a caprese salad and gourmet meatballs, the M'Tucci's marketplace had a charcuterie plate, orzo salad, and lasagna. Pop Fizz had their amazing popsicles. There were several types of lemonade sellers and so many more really great food sellers. I talked with people representing feels who work to help foster children. Three was a therapy horse called Charm. A therapy court room dog called Cassie was there, and both of them liked attention. It was an absolutely stellar event, Howie!! Thanks for all the hard work you, the yelp crew, and all the participants put in to make this as great as it was.

You guys!!! It's finally SOMOS!!! I didn't think I would make it due to my last minute surgery but…read morewe were able to stop in for a bit and I'm so glad we did! This has to be one of the best events of the year! All of the best food trucks are here for all of your dining pleasures. Seriously! If you can dream it up, it's here from crepes to burgers and pizza. YUM! The musical talent is great too! The stages are full of surprises and entertainment! Speaking of entertainment - the circus acts are the best! There were people on stilts and everything! I can't believe how talented our city is! We'll definitely be back next year when I am feeling 100% so we can experience the full thing!

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.