Five Things to Do This Weekend

1 Sip vino and dine deliciously.

Enjoy rosé all day, taste French blends, sample bubbly varieties, and wear cowboy boots to brunch during the annual Santa Fe Wine & Chile Festival, which hosts culinary events around town Wednesday through Sunday. One of the most anticipated annual gatherings in the City Different, the September fest has been delighting and expanding palettes since 1991 with chef dinners that include wine pairings, daytime soirees, and luncheons with master sommeliers. This year, more than 90 wineries and 60 restaurants will make the boozy event a blast. Find tickets for available events here, and be quick—most events sell out.

2 See short stories on screen.

Quick flicks ranging from a minute to an hour are on view during the Roswell Shorts Indie Film Festival. Screening independent movies from around the globe at the International UFO Museum & Research Center on Friday and Saturday, the inaugural festival features 19 films, including the 10-minute AI-generated Dressed for Dinner, from Italy, and Lovely Lola Jean, a 3-minute music video directed by Matt McKee out of Denver.  

3 Take the kids to the archaeology fair.

Visit the stunning landscape at Ghost Ranch, in Abiquíu, during its Archaeology Fair, where  attendees can participate in hands-on activities like yucca fiber crafting and pottery making, free of charge on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “Ghost Ranch is offering free entry for hiking, and to both of their museums during the fair,” says Cortney Wands, a state archaeologist with the New Mexico Historic Preservation Division, who hosts the annual fair. “We will have a number of areas set up, including an area where you can learn to throw atlatls, which were tools in the archaic period, pre-bow and arrow. There are some Nerf-like spears kids can throw at mammoth and antelope figures, and options for adults too.” Traditional Native games, swag bags to take home, and other educational activities like map-making with compasses are also offered for kiddos. Visitors should bring water and lunch or snacks, as food won’t be available on site.

4 Travel into the Gila with a renowned photographer.

Jay Hemphill, a photographer whose work often graces the pages of New Mexico Magazine, captures terrain few people get to visit. His images depict far-out wilderness hikes with seemingly untouched mountain pastures and unknown forests. A new exhibition, Gila Wilderness by Foot, showcases Hemphill’s photos of one of the most beautiful and remote areas in the Land of Enchantment. On view at the Silver City Museum through March 2026, the show opens with a reception on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., with Hemphill in attendance.

5 Jump into fall at these festivals.

Albuquerque Folk Festival

The National Hispanic Cultural Center hosts the Albuquerque Folk Festival on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The lineup includes renowned groups like Le Chat Lunatique, Don Flemons, and Lone Piñon, plus workshops in singing, dancing, and a lineup of instrumental lessons. Find tickets here.

Aspencade Arts Festival, Red River

Celebrate the changing leaves in Red River during Aspencade Arts & Crafts Festival this Friday through Sunday. The free festival features handmade goods by local artisans at the Red River Conference Center and Brandenburg Park.

Barrio de Analco Fest, Santa Fe

Learn to make adobe bricks at San Miguel Chapel, in Santa Fe, during this festival held annually around the time of the Feast of St. Michael. This year, it takes place Sunday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and includes an all-ages adobe brick making class, historical walking tours of Santa Fe’s oldest neighborhood led by Tom Gallegos, a Danza Azteca performance, a beginner’s tin-making workshop, and oral histories and tales from Santa Fe told by Henry Ortiz and Tandy Lucero.

Carrizozo Community Festival

On Saturday, folks gather in Carrizozo to celebrate the importance of community with activities for kiddos, food vendors, live music, and a vintage car show. Events begin at 8 a.m. with a disc golf tournament, a 10 a.m. parade, and an 11 a.m. butterfly release. Grab a cold one at the beer garden, hosted by Bonito Valley Brewing from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on happening 12th Street.

High Rolls Apple Festival

Apple butter, apple pie with fresh ice cream, apple cider, and just plain fresh apples are up for grabs at this apple festival in High Rolls, near Tularosa and White Sands National Park. A variety of vendors with handmade goodies may even help you get a jump on your holiday shopping list. It’s open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Manzano Mountains Apple Festival
With more than 30 varieties of apples growing in the orchard of more than 2,000 trees, the Manzano Mountain Retreat provides plenty of opportunities for a picture-perfect fall moment. On Saturdays and Sundays for the next four weekends, shop fresh apples, enjoy farm-made apple cider donuts and goodies from other food vendors, listen to live music, get your face painted, and let the kiddos ride a John Deere tricycle. It’s open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Get your tickets here.

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