No matter what time of year you visit Albuquerque, you will find that there is some kind of small or large event going on in and around the city. The Albuquerque events calendar offers a variety of different things for visitors to enjoy throughout the year, and some of the events that take place in the city are truly worth traveling a long way to see.
Perhaps the biggest event that takes place in Albuquerque each year is the annual New Mexico State Fair. This huge fair takes place for 17 days in mid September at the Expo New Mexico facility – recently renamed from the State Fairgrounds. The state fair is a celebration of the state’s heritage, and includes displays from all over the state, with everything from parades and dancing competitions through to animal displays.
A month after the State Fair, the city hosts the world’s largest hot air balloon gathering. With 700 balloons flying over the city, and all manner of displays and parties to enjoy during the period in October when it takes place, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is a real highlight of the year, and a major reason for visiting the city.
Native Americans come from all over the country in order to meet for talks and cultural exchange at the Gathering of Nations Pow Wow. Normally, more than 3000 Native American dancers and singers travel to the city to perform and exchange their stories. With more than 500 tribes attending the event, and the fervor that the celebrations are held with, the Pow Wow is fast becoming a truly must see event which is one of the most eye opening cultural shows that you can see in the US.
On an entirely different note, the Bubobicon science fiction festival is a fascinating event that is worth visiting if you are in the city while it is on. As one of the largest Sci Fi festivals in the world, Bubonicon in Albuquerque is a well attended event that attracts major stars from the genre, with household names from Star Trek regularly attending and allowing fans to get close to them and find out more about their characters and history during the event.