1 Raise a glass.

For 10 years, the New Mexico Cocktails and Culture Festival has hosted parties, pairings, and educational sipping events in Santa Fe. Three years ago, it expanded in partnership with Edible New Mexico to create New Mexico Cocktail Week, which reaches bars, distilleries, and restaurants around the state.

“New Mexico Cocktail Week functions as a cocktail-forward restaurant week,” says Natalie Bovis, also known as the Liquid Muse, who founded the fest. “We are proud to shine a spotlight on Silver City, Taos, and Las Cruces. It feels inclusive to bring in all the great people making wonderful cocktails all around the state.”  

Cocktails and Culture kicks off on Friday in Santa Fe with the always-sold-out Taco Wars party. But the ticketless should fear not, as there are plenty of other opportunities to imbibe in the fun. Attend parties, tastings, special cocktails, and food and drink pairings at bars and restaurants in Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Las Vegas, Silver City, and Las Cruces.

On Sunday, Bovis celebrates her newest book, Cat Goddesses, Demons, and Deities, with a shindig at As Above So Below Distillery in the Santa Fe Railyard. The party features special kitty-themed cocktails. Also on Sunday, Boxcar hosts a Peru Meets New Mexico cocktail pairing brunch. Drinks made with Caravedo Pisco will pair with dishes made by chef Eric Stumpf. “Cocktails can be very personalized and specialized to match with a specific dish,” says Bovis. “It’s about using a spirit that pairs well with the food.” Find a full schedule on each fest’s websites.

Join Strata Gallery for the opening reception of "Collapsed Distances, Collapsed Bodies," showcasing Katie Simmons' thought-provoking work.

2 See an artist draw parallels. 

On Friday from 5 to 7 p.m., a reception at Strata Gallery opens Collapsed Distances, Collapsed Bodies, featuring work by Colorado-based artist Katie Simmons. Simmons uses natural dyes and fibers to make work that examines ties between women’s bodies and the commodification of the natural world. She dyes natural fibers before drawing intricate scenes in ballpoint pen, creating detailed depictions of flora and fauna that are placed upon and juxtaposed with women’s bodies. Simmons, who is pursuing an MFA at Colorado State University, says she views the work as a record of survival. See the exhibition through June 6. 

Join the fun at FARMesilla this Saturday for Adovada de Mesilla, featuring chef competitions for the best adovada, along with cocktails, craft beer, and live music. Photograph courtesy of Adovada de Mesilla.

3 Dig into a New Mexico specialty. 

Satisfy your taste buds at Adovada de Mesilla on Saturday at FARMesilla, where chefs compete to win the prize for the best version of the classic red chile-soaked carne. The culinary party opens at 11 a.m. for adovada tastings and cocktails made with spirits from Las Cruces Distilling Company, canned margaritas and mojitos from Little Toad Creek Brewery & Distillery, and craft beer from New Mexico breweries like Ex Novo, La Cumbre, and Tractor Brewing. Culinary teams battling for the bragging rights of best adovada include Stone Crow Gourmet, Mad Street BBQ, and Double Eagle. Enjoy live music and tastes until 4 p.m. 

Join the Mescalero Apache Honor Day Festival in Ruidoso for a celebration of tribal traditions featuring a Native artisan market, live music, delicious food trucks, and cultural presentations.

4 Celebrate Native culture.

Starting with a unity gathering in the morning, Mescalero Apache Honor Day Festival in Ruidoso is a family-friendly cultural bash that spotlights tribal traditions, art, and music. A Native artisan market sets up at Country Club Park on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Enjoy live music from performers including Diné singer-songwriter Levi Platero, food trucks serving frybread tacos, posole, and mutton stew, and cultural and historical presentations. 

Learn about the history of the Special Collections Library in Albuquerque through the exhibition "Open to All: A Century of Access." Photograph courtesy of the Albuquerque Museum.

5 Pay tribute to a center of learning.

Libraries have long been palaces of learning and cultural preservation, providing free and open access to information regardless of who you are and where you come from. The Special Collections Library in Albuquerque gets the attention it deserves in the new exhibition, Open to All: A Century of Access at Special Collections Library, now on view at the Albuquerque Museum. The library opened on the corner of Edith Boulevardlvd. and Central Avenue in March 1925, serving innumerable Duke City residents until 1978, when it became an archive of materials on local and regional history. Today the space holds more than 100,000 items of importance. On Sunday, curator Alicia Romero moderates a fascinating opening conversation at 2 p.m. with current and former special collections branch managers. See Open to All through November 2.

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