1 Celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

Tamale Festival, Las Cruces

Taste tons of masa wrapped deliciousness during the Tamale Festival on Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. at the Plaza de Las Cruces. Attendees can try more than 15 varieties of tamales, including classics like green chile and cheese as well as more inventive blends like dessert tamales stuffed with ice cream. Live music from Tejano rock group Satisfied, ballet folklorico performances, and a Mexican beer garden will keep you entertained in between bites.

Cinco de Mayo Lowrider Car Show & Concert, Alamogordo

Hosted by Mafiosos Car Club, the fourth annual Cinco de Mayo Car Show takes Alamogordo on Saturday from 1 to 7 p.m. with music by DJ Nervous and food by Sal Limon y Chile food truck. Hot rods and rides enter the show at the fairgrounds and have the chance to win prizes in 16 categories.

Tacos & Tequila, Socorro

Dive into a taco bar, flights of tequila, margaritas, and Mexican beer at the Macey Center on the campus of New Mexico Tech in Socorro on Friday from 6 to 8 p.m. With games of loteria (a lively Mexican version of bingo), this long-standing tradition is a great way to kick off the holiday weekend.

Taco Palooza, Albuquerque

Hit the ABQ Food Park in Albuquerque where six food trucks will have tacos on the menu to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. Get festive with live music from Chasing Adequate and can cast your vote to determine the Taco Palooza Champion.

The inaugural SWAIA Native Fashion Week brings Indigenous designers from near and far to showcase their work, including designs Jason Baerg and Melanie Monique Rose (left) and Himikalas Pamela Baker (right).

2 Strut your stuff at the inaugural Native Fashion Week.

The first-ever Native Fashion Week takes to the runway this weekend with a slew of events at the Santa Fe Convention Center, La Fonda on the Plaza, and Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. It includes two days of fashion shows featuring collections from both emerging and established Indigenous designers; symposiums with experts in the industry; pop-up vendors showcasing Native-made designs and accessories; and parties where attendees, designers, models, and tastemakers can mingle and chat fashion. Tickets are limited, so buy yours right away to guarantee your spot. Read more about Native Fashion Week in our May art feature, Putting Culture on the Catwalk.  

Learn how to skirt Navajo Churro wool at the the Bosque Redondo Fiber Fair at Fort Sumner Historic Site. Photograph courtesy of Fort Sumner Historic Site.

3 Weave art and history.

Navajo Churro sheep get the spotlight at the Bosque Redondo Fiber Fair at Fort Sumner Historic Site on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Churro sheep have lived at the site since Diné people were forced on the Long Walk, where many died treading over 450 miles to the site in the 1860s.

“They have a long history with the Diné people here at the site and in New Mexico,” says Rebekah Crockett, instructional coordinator at the Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner Historic Site. “They are very well adapted to this landscape, and they’ve almost gone extinct twice and been brought back thanks to Diné efforts.”

Visitors can see the flock of around 50 sheep, watch demonstrations from a professional weaver, and participate in a wool-related activities, such as cardboard loom weaving and stations for carding, skirting, and washing wool. Kids can learn to crochet and visit the Wonders on Wheels bus. “It’s a very hands-on event,” says Crockett.

The Truth or Consequences Fiesta Cars and Stripes Parade on Saturday morning is a highlight of the weekend event. Photograph courtesy of the Truth or Consequences Fiesta.

4 Get festive in Truth or Consequences.

The Truth or Consequences Fiesta offers three days of events starting Friday, including a golf tournament, car show, duck race, skateboard competition, rodeo, concerts, and more. The main stage at Bank of the Southwest main stage features musicians including the Chachalacas, Mushroom Mirror, the Gila River Band, and Syd Masters & the Swing Riders on Friday and Saturday. On Saturday morning the fiesta parade starts at 10 a.m. before a ballet folklorico performance, a cornhole tournament, and a kids’ arena with bouncy houses and a mechanical bull bring the fun for little ones. On Sunday the music starts at 1 p.m.

Aztec Ruins National Monument hosts a discussion of Hopi traditions, songs, and practices by Ruben Saufkie (Hopi) on Sunday. Photograph by Darin In-on. Photography by Darin In-on

5 Hear from a Hopi cultural practitioner.

Ruben Saufkie (Hopi) discusses Hopi traditions, songs, and practices at Aztec Ruins National Monument on Sunday at 11 a.m. A silversmith artist and educator, Saufkie offers a personal perspective on the Hopi Prophecy Rock, as well as songs that provide a meaningful way to understand Hopi teachings and practices.

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

"New Mexico Magazine" contributor Michael Abatemarco helped to curate "UFO Sightings, Visions, and the Unexplained" at Phil Space. Photograph courtesy of Phil Space.

6 See an out-of-this-world exhibition.

UFO Sightings, Visions, and the Unexplained opens at Phil Space in Santa Fe with a reception on Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. Co-curated by Tim Jag and New Mexico Magazine contributor Michael Abatemarco, the exhibition examines all things extraterrestrial—some of which are serious, and others playful. 

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Robert Mirabal performs at the IndigenousWays Festival. Photograph courtesy of the IndigenousWays Festival. Photograph courtesy of IndigenousWays Festival/Willa Shalit.


The third-annual IndigenousWays Festival showcases the beauty and blessings of traditional First Peoples Ways in Santa Fe Railyard Park and online Friday, May 3, and Saturday, June 8, from 5 to 9 p.m. The events bring together Indigenous thought-leaders, artists, and musicians to share wisdom, messages of resilience, and lessons for thriving. “The festivals break through walls of separation with compassion and love, making room for all,” says IndigenousWays co-founder and Artistic Director Tash Terry (Diné). The free concert and performance series features live music, sacred talking and writing circles, storytellers, face painting, meditation, traditional Navajo weaving, music, circus art, art therapy, and more. The outstanding lineup includes singer-songwriter Pura Fé, musician Wade Fernandez, Navajo sibling singing duo Sihasin, Puerto Rican singer Lourdes Perez, comedian Mimi Gonzalez, and more.