Ten days is barely enough time to pack in all the fun of the New Mexico State Fair. Photograph by NMTD.
DUELING BANJOS
Tune up for two great music fests.
Big Barn Dance
September 9 – 11, 2021
With two big dance floors set near the stage and pod-seating for one to six at Kit Carson Park, the 19th annual festival in Taos encourages you to scoot your boots with about 20 acts over three days. Don’t miss: Powerhouse storyteller James McMurtry arrives fresh off the August 20 release of The Horses and the Hounds, his new album.
Red River Folk Festival
September 23 – 26, 2021
The four-day event features about a dozen national and emerging acts and an artisan Miner’s Market in the mountain town of Red River. Don’t miss: Junior Brown brings his twangy country wit and double-necked “Guit-Steel” guitar, which combines a traditional and a steel guitar, to the Motherlode Saloon on Saturday at 9:30 p.m.
OTHER CAN'T MISS EVENTS
Hatch Chile Festival
September 4 – 5, 2021
New Mexico State Fair
September 9 – 19, 2021
Ten days is barely enough time to pack in all the fun of the fair’s Main Street Days (9/13 brings the Green Chile Cheeseburger Challenge), the state’s largest rodeo, 25-plus concerts, livestock shows, food contests, and more.
Gila River Festival
September 16 – 19, 2021
Whether you love birding, geology, or fly-fishing, the 17th annual celebration in and around Silver City provides a chance to reconnect with the waterway through guided field trips and workshops.
Pecos Sunflower Festival
September 17 – 19, 2021
All American Cowboyfest
September 30 – October 3, 2021
The four-day country music and Western culture fest in Ruidoso takes the bull by the horns with a rodeo at Ruidoso Downs.
Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
October 13 – 17, 2021
For a calendar of events, visit newmexico.org/events.