1 Take the High Road.

The High Road Artisans Tour welcomes visitors into the studios and galleries that pepper the rural highway connecting Santa Fe and Taos. Many of northern New Mexico’s renowned artists are inspired by the views on this scenic stretch. The mediums represented include treasured cultural practices in New Mexico, like the distinctive Río Grande weaving style at Centinela Traditional Arts in Chimayó, and the silverwork and Diné weavings at Nambé Trading Post.

“I am living in the middle of my subject matter,” says Sipapu Ski Valley landscape painter Chris Morel, whose gallery is either the first or the last stop on the tour, depending on whether you start in Taos or Santa Fe. He’s always impressed by the variety of visitors the tour attracts—from locals to folks from all over the country—who get the rare experience of meeting and buying directly from the artist. “Have you ever gone into a gallery, and seen a piece you like, and thought, ‘I wonder what that artist was thinking’? This is your opportunity for the artist to tell you,” Morel says. The tour runs Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., this weekend and next. Find a full lineup of artists and a tour map at highroadnewmexico.com.

Celebrate the final ¡Globalquerque with international music and community at Albuquerque's Civic Plaza. Photograph courtesy of ¡Globalquerque!

2 Bid ¡Globalquerque! farewell.

Spend Saturday evening at Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza for the free ¡Globalquerque! The Final Orbit concert. The music fest is both celebrating its 20th year and bidding adieu, as this will be the final iteration after losing a massive chunk of funding alongside many other arts organizations in 2025.

The lineup includes singer-songwriter Bia Ferreira, a Brazilian artist who blends reggae and funk tunes; Moroccan blues band Tarwa N-Tiniri; Senegalese hip-hop artist Cheikh Ibra Fam; and cumbia artist Yeison Landero from Colombia.

While the festival is ending, the organization will continue its mission of spreading unity and understanding through music in other endeavors, including curating the musical portion of the Día de los Muertos celebrations on the Santa Fe Plaza in October. The ¡Globalquerque! fiesta starts at 4 p.m., and music begins at 5 p.m.

Catch Nashville-born talent Rooster Blackspur as the New Mexico Tech Performing Arts Series kicks off its season. Photograph courtesy of Rooster Blackspur/Ian Webber Photography.

3 Catch a Nashville songbird in Socorro. 

The New Mexico Tech Performing Arts Series opens its season on Friday with Rooster Blackspur at the Macey Center, in Socorro, at 7:30 p.m. Based in Truth or Consequences when she won the 2021 New Mexico Music Awards’ singer-songwriter of the year, Blackspur now lives in Nashville, where she’s making moves with her stunning vocals and country/folk tunes.

Welcome autumn at the Chile Ristra Harvest Festival in Albuquerque and the Fall Festival at Los Luceros Historic Site. Photo by Douglas Merriam

4 Take friends to fall festivals. 

Chile Ristra Harvest Festival

The eighth annual Chile Ristra Harvest Festival takes over Dolores Huerta Gateway Park, in Albuquerque, on Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. In addition to shopping fresh, local produce at the La Familia Growers Market, attendees can enjoy live music from Micky Cruz, and learn how to make ristras and to use chile straight from the pods.  

Fall Festival at Los Luceros

Open 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Sunday, the Fall Festival at the Los Luceros Historic Site, in Alcalde, invites visitors to relish the season at the beautiful 148-acre property on the banks of the Río Grande. The event includes a wildlife demonstration from the New Mexico Wildlife Center, performances by Moving Arts Española, and music by Martin Martinez. Plus, you can visit the historic site’s churro sheep, donkeys, and goats.

Blast off with hands-on STEM fun and space exploration during the Las Cruces Space Festival. Photograph courtesy of the Las Cruces Space Festival.

5 Take off for galactic fun.

The Las Cruces Space Festival kicks off this weekend with an open house at Spaceport America, the first commercial spaceport in the world. Visitors can try hands-on STEM activities, see static spacecrafts, and mingle with NASA greats like astronaut Wendy Lawrence. The festival continues through next weekend with a space trivia night on Thursday at Truth or Consequences Brewing Co., STEM Saturday at the Plaza de Las Cruces, and an astronomy night at New Mexico State University, and more. Find a full schedule at lcspacefestival.com.

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