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Generally regarded as the hottest ticket item of the season, the 52nd Annual Hatch Chile Festival is a celebration of culture and cuisine like no other. Situated in the epicenter of New Mexican chile country, the bucolic village of Hatch becomes a mecca for passionate pepper paramours, seasoned sensation seekers and feverish flavorsome foodies alike. Spicing up your life takes on a whole different meaning here.
If you’re from southern New Mexico, you probably already know the difference between hot chile and Hatch chile. It goes far beyond the Scoville scale and deep into the territory of taste – both the flavorful kind and personal preference. If you’re not from the area, get ready for a treat. There’s nothing quite like the warm glow you’ll feel after sampling the state vegetable, while also filling your lungs with the official state aroma: roasting chile.
Founded in the early 1970s to bring attention to the annual chile harvest, the festival has come to represent one of the unique elements that makes New Mexico a place like no other, attracting over 30,000 visitors a year from across the United States and beyond. Straddling the Labor Day weekend, the Hatch Chile Festival includes a Saturday morning parade, a beer and wine garden, a chile toss and a cornhole tournament, as well as the photo-worthy Chile, watermelon and ice cream-eating contests. You’ll also enjoy perusing the arts and crafts vendors, listening to live music, attending an auction or just watching the magic happen as roasters blast and blister chiles with fervent flair.
Speaking of flair, keep your eyes peeled for the chile fashionistas who frequent this festival. Most wear T-shirts, hats or shorts with chile designs, but you might run into people wearing hats decorated like ristras, roasters or colorful wreaths or even somebody dressed in a full chile costume. You can bet these fashion-forward folks will be entering the Chile Hat Competition at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, because creativity like that deserves recognition.
New this year, the organizers of the festival have introduced a chile-themed rock hunt. Yes, you read that correctly. Each rock is hand-painted by local students and hidden somewhere within the village. When redeemed at the official information booth, the rocks will enter you into a raffle for fun swag. Some of the rocks will be painted with the name and/or logo of a local business, which can be taken to that business for a discount on merchandise.
“The Chamber of Commerce did it for Easter, and it was such a great hit that we decided to do it for the chile festival,” says organizer Lisa Neal, who is also the economic coordinator of Hatch. “It’s gone viral crazy. Everybody is super stoked about the rock hunt.”
Organized by the Hatch Chamber of Commerce, the event takes over the entire town. Though ground zero for the festival is Hatch Valley High School, 170 E. Hererra Road, the fun spills out to involve every local business and organization, many of which feature chile-centric activities and specials.
“One of our best ideas was to bring the festival into the village of Hatch,” Neal said. “People can now enjoy the Hatch that we enjoy 365 days out of the year. They’ll definitely get the full flavor of Hatch, from the restaurants and the stores, because the whole town is super excited to welcome all visitors to come and share our greatest treasure, Hatch chile.”
The Hatch Chile Festival ratchets up the heat from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, at Hatch Valley High School, Hatch. Entry to the festival is free, but parking may be as high as $10. Info: 575-267-1095
The Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts offers the holy grail of beaux arts at Holy Cross Retreat Center in Mesilla Park.
Franciscan Fine Arts fest
The fun continues south of Las Cruces, at the Holy Cross Retreat Center in Mesilla Park, where the Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts celebrates its 20th anniversary exploring art of both a spiritual and secular nature. Attendees peruse works by local and regional artists, browse vendor booths, kick back in the beer and wine garden and enjoy live entertainment on two stages.
Food is also a big part of the festival, which includes the annual enchilada dinner, along with vendors selling gorditas, flautas, tamales, homemade breads, biscochos and so much more. On hand will be Little Toad Creek Brewery and Mesa Vista Winery for your refreshment needs, and you’ll certainly want to take advantage of the raffles and a silent auction. New this year, the festival has moved many of the artists indoors to take advantage of air conditioning.
The Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts offers the holy grail of beaux arts from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 31 and 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 1, at Holy Cross Retreat Center, 600 Holy Cross Rd., Mesilla Park. Info: 575-524-3688
The Harvest Wine and Music Festival spreads cheer at Southern New Mexico Fairgrounds in Las Cruces.
Harvest Wine and Music fest
As if all that weren’t enough, the 2024 Harvest Wine & Music Festival offers three full days of wine tasting – featuring over 100 selections from the top wineries in the state – at the Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds. Included in the high desert bacchanal are food trucks, live music from Americana to jazz on the main stage, grape stomping, children’s activities, unique arts and crafts from talented artisans and so much more.
Considering New Mexico lays claim to the oldest wine-producing documentation in the country, beyond even those found in California, it should come as no surprise that some of the best wines are grown, harvested and bottled here. As such, you can take your pick from a wide selection of palate pleasers, from soft and sweet to bold and dry, from some of the finest wineries in the state. Regular peddlers include Heart of the Desert, Ponderosa Valley Vineyards, Wines of the San Juan, D.H. Lescombes, Noisy Water, Luna Rossa, Amaro and many more.
The Harvest Wine and Music Festival spreads cheer from 12-6 p.m., Saturday – Monday, Aug. 31 – Sept. 2, at Southern New Mexico Fairgrounds., 12125 Robert Larson Blvd., Las Cruces. Info: 575-649-8994
