1 Listen to music in the mountains.

Folk songs, Americana ballads, country melodies, and bluegrass tunes fill the forest in Kingston during Pickamania, the annual three-day music festival at the Black Range Lodge. “Luthier Bill Bussman started the festival as a private party in Animas Creek in the 1980s,” says Catherine Wanek, owner of the historic lodge. “The party grew and grew until it outgrew their property.” After a brief stint in Silver City, Pickamania moved to its new home at Black Range Lodge. “When we built a stage, we asked Bill if we could start hosting,” she says. “He emceed the event for six years, and after he passed away, we had a celebration of life for him during Pickamania last year.”

Sponsored by the Sierra County Arts Council, Pickamania maintains its humble origins and quaint party vibe, attracting fewer than 200 attendees each day. “It’s not super crowded,” Wanek says. “The musicians love that it’s really intimate.” Wanek curates the lineup with help from a small committee of locals. This year, it features performances from eight ensembles including the High Desert Rangers from Santa Fe; Peter McLaughlin and Chris Brashear, a fiddle and mandolin pair who have played the event many times; and John and Jean Ronstadt, cousins of the famous Linda Ronstadt, from Tucson. “We have locals making pies with fresh, local apples, Black Range Vineyards providing wine and beer, and Jim McNutt’s food truck coming with burgers, hot dogs, and burritos.” Purchase tickets to attend one day, or for the whole weekend, here.

Experience the excitement of the New Mexico State Fair in Albuquerque, with thrilling rides, delicious food, and live shows. Photograph courtesy of Albuquerque Free Images.

2 Have fun at the fair.

Find joy at the New Mexico State Fair at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque this weekend. As always, there’s something for everyone: funnel cakes and regional specialties for foodies, stomach-twisting rides for thrill-seekers, baby goats and bunnies for animal lovers, a big art market for collectors of creativity, and rodeo events and live performances for entertainment fans. Open September 5–15, there is plenty of time to visit. Wednesday, September 11, is dollar-admission day; look for other special admission prices throughout the fair’s duration. Get tickets here, or at the door.

Visit Farmington this weekend for the Four Corners 4x4 Week, offering vehicle showcases, scenic trail rides, and rock crawling competitions.

3 Get a rush.

If you’re into off-roading, or just 4x4 vehicles in general, you may want to visit Farmington this weekend, where the Four Corners 4x4 Week is going full throttle. On Friday, the Off-Road Downtown Takeover starts the weeklong event with a party and showcase of awesome vehicles from 5 to 10 p.m. at the Farmington Civic Center Plaza. The Fall Crawl offers attendees opportunities to drive scenic landscapes on guided trail cruises that range in difficulty from easy to hard. If you’re more of a watcher than an off-road driver, you can see the professionals compete in the World Extreme Rock Crawling Grand Nationals competition.

Explore the future of space travel at the Las Cruces Space Festival, featuring events, lectures, and an astrophotography exhibition, plus a special open house at Spaceport America. Photograph courtesy of Las Cruces Space Festival.

4 Attend a far-out festival.

As the space industry booms, Las Cruces has become a hot spot for future travel. The Las Cruces Space Festival starts Friday, highlighting the connection between southern New Mexico and space exploration with a series of events, activities, lectures, and learning experiences.

The Space Fest includes the debut of an art exhibition featuring an array of astrophotography at the Las Cruces Museum of Nature and Science. A reception on Friday at 5 p.m., features special guest NASA astronaut Nicole Stott, who speaks at the museum’s STEMpunk event, which starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday.   

Head to Truth or Consequences on Sunday to visit Spaceport America. A special open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. includes space-related vendors and exhibitors, as well as lectures from the site’s executive director and a few astronauts. “We’ve made this a family-friendly event,” says Charlie Hurley, public information officer at the spaceport. “We are taking this opportunity to educate people about Spaceport America and what we do here.” The event is at capacity right now, but you can sign up to get on the waitlist here.

Catch the 43rd annual Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta, featuring mass hot-air balloon ascensions at Elephant Butte Lake State Park this weekend.

5 Look up.

The skies over Elephant Butte Lake State Park fill with colorful hot-air balloons this weekend during the 43rd annual Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta. Catch mass ascensions from Lions Beach from 7:30 to 9 a.m. on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. “We’re expecting between 18 and 20 balloons this year,” says Jimmy McCarthy, event director at the Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta.

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