Events on the Mother Road
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.
Second Friday of each month
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.
Every Night – Memorial Day through Labor Day
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.
Every Saturday & Sunday
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.
September
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.
October
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.