NEW MEXICO OFTEN feels like a whirlwind in the spring, when gusts can top 50 miles per hour. Those breezes are perfect for the Whitewater Mesa Kite Flying Picnic in Glenwood, which fills the sky with colorful kites from both novice and professional fliers on April 4. “There’s a childlike fun and freedom to flying something in the wind on this tiny string,” says event co-organizer Cordelia Rose. “We get visitors from Tucson and as far away as Japan.” The daylong event usually draws close to 200 guests and sees around 50 kites in the air at any given time. “We have some professional kite fliers who come from Prescott, [Arizona], with some really beautiful and impressive kites,” she says. “One year, they had one that looked like a fleet of fish flying through the sky, and it took three or four people to get it into the sky.”
Bring the whole crew. The free picnic makes a great family activity (leashed dogs are welcome) that offers a limited number of kites to borrow. “Everybody loves it,” Rose says. “People make friends at the picnic and save spots for each other the following year.”
Be ready for the winds. “Never wind the kite string around your fingers,” says co-organizer Bob Robinson, who will be on-site with a kite-fixing kit to help anyone who encounters problems. “It can cut your hands if the wind suddenly blows.”
Land at the labyrinths. Rose’s Whitewater Mesa Labyrinths sits kitty-corner to the event site and is open for attendees to walk the property’s six labyrinths. “Some have even walked them while flying a kite,” she says.
Experience the Gathering of Nations one final time, from the Grand Entry to the dances.
Photograph by Tira Howard.
GATHERING OF NATIONS
April 24–25
It’s the last dance for the Gathering of Nations. After more than 40 years, the beloved powwow makes its final appearance at Expo New Mexico, in Albuquerque, April 24–25. One of the world’s largest Indigenous get-togethers, the event features traditional dances, a Native traders’ market, Grand Entry, and horse and rider parades.
Catch Tinderbox Circus Sideshow at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo.
Photograph courtesy of Oddities & Curiosities Expo.
Nuclear Past, Present, and Future: Art in Action, Albuquerque
4/10–1/24/2027
A collaboration with the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, this exhibition at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, in Albuquerque, examines the devastating effects of nuclear weapons on both humans and the environment.
Kingston Trio, Alto
4/11
The current lineup of this 1950s folk-pop ensemble—Mike Marvin, Tim Gorelangton, Paul Robinson—brings its influential sound to the Spencer Theater for the Performing Arts, in Alto.
Southwest Chocolate & Coffee Fest, Albuquerque
4/11–4/12
More than 200 chocolatiers, bakers, cheesemongers, coffee roasters, and candy makers gather for this delicious two-day affair at Expo New Mexico, in Albuquerque.
Tour of the Gila rolls into Silver City.
Photograph courtesy of Tom Maxfeldt.
“Corazón y Vida” hits Farmington.
Photograph courtesy of Gabriela Campos/National Museum of American History.
Albuquerque Restaurant Week
4/17–4/26
Specially priced prix fixe menus at the Duke City’s best restaurants make this a great time to chow down on something you love for less or be adventurous and try something new.
¡Mira! Las Cruces
4/24–4/25
This block party adds a Friday-night kickoff concert to its Saturday lineup of musicians, Lucha Libre matches, food, and arts vendors on the Plaza.
Corazón y Vida: Lowrider Culture in the United States, Farmington
4/25–7/26
A traveling Smithsonian Institution exhibition shines a light on the cultural tradition of lowriders and cruising at the Farmington Museum.
Tour of the Gila, Silver City
4/29–5/3
The 39th annual bike racing event brings pros and elite amateurs to tackle scenic—and grueling—routes through Grant County.
