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.