Find adventure on the Mother Road this summer! This list of not-to-miss events is the perfect starting line for your summer vacation planning. From handwoven treasures to a motorcycle parade through a ring of fire, you will find it all on the Route.
A Navajo rug is far more than a floor covering. The Crownpoint Rug Auction offers a monthly opportunity to purchase these treasures directly from the weavers.
Each evening, members from area tribes fill the Gallup Courthouse Square, wearing colorful costumes and headdresses and sharing their traditional dances. The Zuni Pueblo, Navajo Diné Nation, Lakota Sioux, and San Juan Pueblo are among those that send dancers, often accompanied by music from drums, rattles, and flutes, and interpretation from tribal members on their traditions and meanings.
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, Albuquerque
Puebloan communities have celebrated seasonal cycles through prayer, song, and dance — all of which serve to connect us to our ancestors, community, and traditions while honoring gifts from our Creator. The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center offers traditional Native American dances every week, which showcases dance groups from the 19 pueblos of New Mexico.
Experience Route 66 as it once was! Tour begins in Gallup and heads east with stops at the iconic Route 66 diner, Clines Corners, and many more of Route 66’s most memorable photo ops. Tour ends in Tucumcari with a dinner and closing ceremony. Classic & contemporary vehicles, travel trailers, and motorcycles are welcome.
The National Institute of Flamenco is proud to present this celebration of the traditional Spanish dance. Distinguished as the most important and longest-standing flamenco event outside of Spain, Festival Flamenco is a true celebration of cultural exchange and includes a number of workshops along with spectacular performances by world-class performers.
This free event features fun for the whole family, including the Old Route 66 Car Show, Mother Road Art Market, Kids' Zone & Youth Central, food trucks, and live entertainment throughout Nob Hill.
Wildlife West produces an annual music festival that brings you the best of bluegrass, Western swing, Irish, singer/songwriter, and other acoustic genres. This music festival includes workshops, open jams, and other events, providing entertainment and fun for musicians and visitors alike. (Bonus: Your family can also fully enjoy the zoo and other park features!)
This event features the Gurley Motor Route 66 Car, Truck & Street Rod Show. Other activities include three hot-air balloon mass ascensions, street performers, live music, and a one-of-a-kind motorcycle parade through a tunnel of fire in downtown Gallup.
The Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial — complete with Indian art sales and exhibits, tribal dances, the All-Indian Rodeo, parades, rug auctions, and Indian Art Village — gives New Mexicans and their visitors a genuine cultural experience with family and friends.
This free, family-friendly event features fun for the whole family including an artisan market, microbrew garden, food trucks, and live entertainment from local and national acts. This year’s headliner is scheduled to be Robert Randolph & the Family Band.
This bike challenge covers some of the most breathtaking lands on the Acoma and Laguna pueblos. The all-paved course offers both the experienced and recreational cyclist a challenging and rare opportunity to ride through normally restricted tribal lands.
Come celebrate the Land of Enchantment at the New Mexico State Fair, featuring the PRCA rodeo, nationally touring country-western recording stars, and Indian and Spanish villages. The snacks are plentiful, and the exhibit halls are packed with the finest arts, crafts, and livestock that New Mexico has to offer. Stop by the midway and check out the excitement of rides and games of skill.
For nine days every fall, the New Mexico skies are painted as hundreds of balloons lift off from Albuquerque’s Balloon Fiesta Park. This is the largest ballooning event on earth, the most photographed event in the world, and the largest annual international event held in the United States.
Planning an unforgettable experience in New Mexico is easy with a free New Mexico Adventure Guide. View the guide online, or request to have one sent to you.
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