1 Party down.

Albuquerque’s Nob Hill hosts a big block party on Saturday during the annual Route 66 Summerfest, which takes over Central Avenue from Girard Boulevard to Washington Street starting at 5 p.m. It’s free, and pups are welcome as long as they stay on a leash.

Headliners Las Cafeteras have played huge stages like Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the Hollywood Bowl. Hailing from Los Angeles, the group creates its own energetic sound with a blend of Afro-Mexican rhythms. They hit the main stage at Central and Girard at 8:30 p.m. Four stages throughout the event showcase live music all evening. Performers include Burque Jazz Bandits, Merican Slang, Reviva, and Picoso. An artist’s market along Central offers handmade goods from New Mexico makers who craft candles, jewelry, apparel, wooden bowls and boards, ceramics, balms and botanicals, and more. Local food trucks will serve delicious bites like sweet meats from Albuquerque Slow Smoked Barbecue, refreshing sips by Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade, and cold treats from Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt.

But wait, there’s more: Outpost Performance Space takes over Fan Tang restaurant at Carlisle and Central, where you can find the New Mexico Jazz Festival Stage, with this year’s focus on Black music in New Mexico. See Diane Richardson & Soul Shadows, the Rodney Bowe Experience, Andrew Cooper & Smooth Soul with Cat Powdrell, and Toni Morgan & Soulful Sound from 5 to 9 p.m.   

Ricketts Park, in Farmington, hosts 12 of the best 18-and-under baseball teams in the country, including the Farmington's 505 Panthers and the Albuquerque Baseball Academy, for the Connie Mack World Series. Photograph courtesy of the Connie Mack World Series.

2 Take me out to the ball game.

Grab a pack of chewing gum and your baseball hat—it’s time for the Connie Mack World Series. A yearly event in Farmington since 1965, the amateur baseball tournament invites players ages 16 to 18 to show off their skills for pro scouts and college recruiters who watch from the stands at Ricketts Park along with friends, family, and the Farmington community. Local families host the players in their homes, and tons of residents turn out to cheer the budding superstars to victory. This year, Farmington's 505 Panthers and the Albuquerque Baseball Academy are among the 12-team field, which includes teams from Ohio, Texas, Florida, California, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Find a full list of game times on the event’s website.  

The crowning of the fiestas queen is among the events at the weekend-long Fiestas de Taos. Photograph courtesy of the Fiestas de Taos.

3 Celebrate Taos.

For centuries, Taoseños have gathered to dance and party during Fiestas de Taos in honor of the mountain town’s patron saints, Santa Ana and Santiago. “Everything we do as a community involves affection and flavor: our spiritual devotion, sense of family, conversations, cuisine, music, dance, and traditions,” says Don Francisco Julio II, president of the fiestas board. “This is apparent at fiestas; you need to attend to fully appreciate and understand.”

The weekend-long celebration brings live music to the plaza, crowns a fiestas queen, and includes a Mass procession from Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. Shop food and handmade goods in booths around the Taos Plaza, and look for the historic Tío Vivo carousel, which you can ride for free. See a full schedule of events on the website.

The Fort Selden Historic Site hosts a Night of Folklore that includes music, food, fun, and an appearance by La Llorona. Photograph courtesy of the Fort Selden Historic Site.

4 Meet La Llorona.

Don’t be afraid when you see La Llorona at Fort Selden Historic Site, in southern New Mexico, on Saturday evening—hey, she only kidnaps kiddos near the river. They shouldn’t be there, right? A Night of Folklore invites attendees to enjoy an evening of folk stories about the Land of Enchantment. Live music, food, and fun happens from 4 to 9 p.m. Derrick Lee and the Hard Road Trio take the stage at 4:30 p.m., followed by a history of New Mexico’s urban legends from Rhonda Dass at 6:30 p.m. La Llorona makes an appearance at 7:30 p.m. Bring chairs or blankets, post up, and savor the show. Just … keep an eye on the kids.

5 Live in a yellow submarine.

Break out the picnic blanket for movie night at the Railyard in Santa Fe. Catch a screening under the stars of Yellow Submarine, starting at 8 p.m. In the Beatles’ 1968 animated classic, John, Paul, George, and Ringo help to save the community of Pepperland from the music-hating Blue Meanies by using the timeless power of the Fab Four’s tunes.