1 See artists’ visions of New Mexico.

The beginnings of Rooted Strong: Visions of America from New Mexico—opening Saturday at the New Mexico Museum of Art—came from an endeavor to honor the 250th anniversary of the United States. “We are mindful that New Mexico is old, way older than 1776,” says Katie Doyle, associate curator. “This place stretches back centuries beyond that.” 

New Mexico’s multicultural nature takes center stage in the new exhibition, a collection of 67 works by late and living artists. “We wanted to show New Mexicans depicting New Mexico,” Doyle adds.  

Rooted Strong includes important recent works, including Nikesha Breeze’s Stages of Tectonic Blackness, a video work about Blackdom; Jody Naranjo’s vessel Hunting Near Los Alamos, which confronts the poisoning of land near the labs; and Cara Romero’s photograph Coyote Tales, which takes on Native folklore in contemporary life. Other works are by renowned artists Delmas Howe and Luis Jimenez.

Curators used Diné poet Vanaya Yazzie’s “Ancestors in us, with us” as a guide for the exhibition. “It talks about matriarchal lineage and connection to land,” Doyle explains. “We used the poem like a homing device to come back to and structure around these notions of celebration, ceremony, and home.” The show includes a series of activations throughout its run with demonstrations of poetry, music, and foodways. See it through October 4. 

Spend a windy afternoon flying kites, picnicking, and watching expert flyers at Whitewater Mesa.

2 Go fly a kite.

Make the best of a windy day at the Whitewater Mesa Kite Flying Picnic on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. at the large mesa off U.S. 180, just north of Glenwood. The community gathering sees as many as 200 people flying kites and picnicking (BYO), with chances to win raffle prizes and appearances from pro flyers who get impressive shapes up into the air. The picnic team has kites to lend to enthusiasts, mending kits for kites that sustain damage, and water. Bring a sun hat and the whole family; check here for places to stay nearby and other resources.  

Celebrate the Museum of Natural History and Science's reopening and explore refreshed exhibitions plus traveling "Animal Armor" show. Photograph courtesy of the Museum of Natural History and Science.

3 Have a morning at the museum.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History is reopening on Saturday after a transformative state-funded makeover that has expanded the gift shop, reimagined permanent geology and biology exhibits, and added new skylights and improved infrastructure. In addition to seeing the revamped space and exhibit, visitors can check out Animal Armor: The Evolution of Armor in Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals, a traveling show that examines 500 million years of evolution. A celebration marking the museum’s new chapter starts Saturday at 10 a.m. with a ribbon cutting.

Mark Tinkertown's season opening with free admission, live music, cake, and behind-the-scenes tours. Photograph courtesy of Tinkertown Museum.

4 Honor a truly unique artist’s world.

The Tinkertown Museum in Sandia Park celebrates the opening of its 43rd season and its new nonprofit status on Saturday with free admission from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The party features birthday cake, live guitar tunes by Ed and his lovely dog Blue, and special behind-the-scenes tours of the folk-art masterpieces by the late Ross Ward, whose birthday is on April 5. “We expect quite a crowd,” says Carla Ward, co-founder of the museum. 

Built over a 40-year period, the artist’s imaginative environment features glass bottle walls surrounding 22 rooms filled with ornately carved people, places, and objects. “I love the bottle walls,” Carla says. “I helped build them, and the light is so beautiful when it shines through.” The rooms display scenes of a Western town and a circus along with vintage memorabilia and a wooden sailboat made in the 1930s. It’s an eclectic one-of-a-kind experience that draws tens of thousands of visitors each season. 

“We’ve been able to create this artist-built environment and see it expand and soar,” Carla says. “We had 45 countries represented last year.” Tinkertown is open Friday through Monday until November 1.

Choose from Easter egg hunts and festive runs in Farmington, Albuquerque, or Ruidoso for a family-friendly outing. Photograph courtesy of Visit Farmington.

5 Hop around on Easter. 

Easter Eggstravaganza, Farmington

Start the Easter activities early and hunt for colorful eggs at the Farmington Recreation Center on Friday, when festivities begin at 9 a.m. and end at noon. The Easter Egg scramble starts at 10:30 a.m., followed by photo ops with the Easter Bunny.

Rabbit Run & Egg Hunt, Albuquerque

Arrive in your best Easter costume to the Los Poblanos Open Space in Albuquerque on Saturday morning where attendees can participate in a 5k run or walk, or a 1-mile run. There will be three big Easter eggs hidden along the path, prizes for the best costume, and community cheer. The run/walks start at 9 a.m. with an Easter egg hunt for kids to follow at 10 a.m.

Bunny Run/Walk & Egg Hunt, Ruidoso

Part of the Run Ruidoso 2026 series, this early morning jaunt invites runners to take to the Forest Service trails at Cedar Creek Campground on Saturday. In-person registration opens at 5:45 a.m. with the race starting at 7 a.m.; or register online here. After the race concludes, families can head to Wingfield Park where an Easter egg hunt happens at 10 a.m.    

For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.