1 Honor our vets.
Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
The Indian Pueblo Cultural Center hosts Veterans Day activities on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Held in the courtyard, the event showcases an artists' market, a performance of the national anthem by Tara Lavelle, a cultural dance by the Pueblo Dance Group (Laguna, Acoma, Zuni, and Hopi), remarks by cartoonist Ricardo Caté (Santo Domingo) and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez, and an open mic.
Las Cruces
Happening annually since 1995, the Las Cruces Veterans Day Parade makes its way down Lohman Avenue and through Water Street and Church Street on Saturday at 11 a.m. with a special celebration of Operation Desert Storm veterans.
Cruise on over to the Albert J. Lyon Event Center in Truth of Consequences for the annual car show. Photograph courtesy of Hot Springs Woman’s Club.
Truth or Consequences
Truth or Consequences marks Veterans Day with an annual car show, which draws auto enthusiasts to the Albert J. Lyon Event Center on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to see and share their rad rides. “We’re expecting between 70 and 100 cars this year,” says Beverly Kasiah, chairperson of the car show, and member of the Hot Springs Woman’s Club, which hosts the event. The club also works with the New Mexico State Veterans Home and the nearby Veterans Memorial Park, which includes the Hamilton Military Museum, the Walk of Education, and a half-sized replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. “Everyone comes to mingle together,” Kasiah says.
State parks, historic sites, and museums
New Mexico veterans, active-duty members, and those in the National Guard get free admission to any of the 35 state parks on Saturday, along with admission to any historic site or state museum on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Take the whole family and visit spots like the Los Luceros Historic Site, in Alcalde, or the Museum of International Folk Art, in Santa Fe.
Find eco-friendly gifts and fun creations at the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival. Photograph courtesy of the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival.
2 Find a unique gift.
The 24th annual Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival comes to the Santa Fe Community Convention Center on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The oldest recycled art market in the country includes more than 90 vendors selling creations made with recycled materials, a Trash Fashion Show, make-and-take art activities, and both student and adult art exhibitions.
“Friday night is a party vibe,” says Sarah Pierpont, director of the festival. “The Trash Fashion show is really fun, and you get first pick of items.”
Everyone participating in the festival must use at least 75 percent recycled material in their creations. “We have a really big selection of artists this year,” Pierpont says. “The quality of the work is getting higher and higher. The idea of upcycled art is very widespread now, and you have so many people working in this medium.”
Inuit soul music group Pamyua will perform at the Crane Festival in Albuquerque. Photograph courtesy of Pamyua.
3 Get ready for the cranes.
The Crane Festival lands at Open Space Visitor Center in Albuquerque on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. A nature-themed carnival, live music, storytelling, and performers celebrate the sandhill cranes that migrate through the area at this time of year. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., vendors set up in front of the visitor center, where 123 Andrés, a Latin Grammy–winning duo performs at 1 p.m., while Inuit soul music group Pamyua takes the stage at 3:15 p.m.
4 Experience Chicano history.
Culture, identity, and reclamation take center stage during Xicano Power, a flamenco program at the National Hispanic Cultural Center on Friday at 8 p.m. and Saturday at 4 p.m. Performed by members of Yjastros, the flamenco company in residence at the University of New Mexico, the performance takes inspiration from the seminal poem, "Yo Soy Joaquín," written in 1967 by civil rights activist Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales. The soundtrack pulls from "Yo Soy Joaquín" and audio from the documentary, Chicano! History of the Mexican-American Civil Rights Movement.
5 Get in touch with the land.
Connection to the Land premieres in Pueblo this weekend. Showings take place throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday at the Sky City Cultural Center and Haak’u Museum. Made by University of New Mexico–Taos and the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, the film documents the Indigenous perspective of land stewardship and the importance of protecting the landscape surrounding the Continental Divide. Celebratory activities including traditional dances, snacks, and speeches happen throughout both days on both Saturday and Sunday.
Read more: For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.
