The state of New Mexico is incredibly bizarre from the ground up. Geological curiosities twisted by time and sand can be seen when you look down. Look up to witness both imagined and actual figures in an astral wonderland.
Even if that unexplained celestial event may never occur again, certain odd New Mexican happenings do recur in towns all around the state for years at a time.
For anything from spicy fruit to shovel races to those inexplicable objects in the sky, there are plenty of events. Find out when and where to attend these distinctive events in New Mexico.
Hatch
Hatch harvests a lot of peppers from its location along the Rio Grande, which are consumed by more than 30,000 festival attendees. It offers far milder attractions than Scoville-rated events like chile cooking classes and chile eating competitions.
These consist of food competitions for chile antidotes like watermelon and ice cream, rides, musical acts, a parade, and the coronation of the Chile Queen.
Chile Fanatic, Hatch Chile Market, and Hatch Chile Express are some of Hatch’s year-round chile hotspots. Nobody is surprised that Hatch is referred to be the “Chile Capital of the World.”
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Red River
Mardi Gras isn’t found in the Spanish-settled highlands of New Mexico, but it is in New Orleans and other neighboring French-influenced areas.
But since 1992, Mardi Gras in the Mountains has been held in the town of Red River, which is around 8,700 feet above sea level.
A Louisianan/New Mexican traditional emblem known as the Wild Tchoupitoulas is burned, parades are held, music, costumes, parades, and bright beads are used to Cajunize the Sangre de Cristos over the six days and nights preceding Lent.
The theme changes every year. The theme of 2025 was “Superheroes.”
Red River is home to a number of other lively festivals despite having a small population (542 according to the 2020 Census).
You can attend the Red River Songwriter’s Festival in early January, the Art & Wine Festival: Vino in the Valley in spring, the 8750′ BBQ & Music Festival in summer, and the Aspencade Arts Festival in October, in addition to Mardi Gras in the Mountains in late winter.
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Edgewood
The Pirate and Viking Summer Bash is held in this little, semi-arid hamlet, which is hundreds of miles from either ocean. Every August, guests participate in two days of interfolkloric fun dressed as Vikings and pirates.
Fire shows, sword fighting, belly dance, and mead tasting are among the events. Wildlife West Nature Park hosts the Pirate & Viking Summer Bash and the New Mexico Renaissance Celtic Festival in the spring.
For a trio of distinctive celebrations, travel around 30 miles west to Albuquerque for the Before I Die New Mexico Festival, which simultaneously gets people ready for the most overlooked, feared, and significant event.
It does this by showing both serious and humorous films about death, giving tours of cemeteries, crematoria, and funeral businesses, and giving talks on topics ranging from financial planning to medical aid-in-dying. Stay tuned for dates in 2025.
Taos
Numerous distinctive festivals are held in Taos. These include the Taos Mountain Balloon Rally in October, the Glam Trash Fashion Show in September, the Taos Pueblo Pow Wow in July, Dennis Hopper Day in May, and the Taos Winter Wine Festival in February.
The strangest celebration, however, takes place just outside of Taos in January and February.
For the World Championship Shovel Races, adults and kids slide down the Angel Fire Resort’s slopes using their own grain shovels or those provided by the resort.
After a five-year break, the races resumed in 2025 with men’s, women’s, and “little scoops” divisions, offering prizes ranging from pizza to $1,000. The 2025 women’s champion achieved a top speed of 59 mph, while the men’s champion peaked at 62 mph.
Pie Town
The main event of Pie Town’s largest festival is undoubtedly obvious. Yes, Pie Town, which has 166 residents according to the 2020 Census, is a true census-designated place where the Pie Town Pie Festival is held.
The town and celebration were purportedly inspired by a prospector called Clyde Norman, who exchanged gold nuggets for Golden Delicious and his pickaxe for a pie knife. At the location of the current town, he had a shabby gas station where he sold dried fruit pies.
One hundred years later, locals continue to sell fruit pies from dingy shops, which are especially busy on the second Saturday in September.
The Pie Town Pie Festival, which is anticipated to hold its 43rd edition in 2025, includes a “PiK” run, the coronation of the Pie Queen or King, a pie baking and eating competition, and a puzzlingly unrelated horned toad race.
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