Here’s where you can find events that are so popular, they return every year! Find out more about annual events in Ruidoso like the Ruidoso Art Festival, All-American Cowboy Fest, and the Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally. Check it out!
March
Bataan Memorial Death March
Sun, Mar 19, 2023 6:00 am - 6:00 pm
Offering clear blue skies, ample sunshine, and high rocky terrain, southwestern New Mexico is home to one of the most grueling marathons ever conceived by man. Held annually since 1989, the Bataan Memorial Death March is a challenging 26-mile journey through the high desert terrain of White Sands Missile Range. A shorter honorary option is also available.
@White Sands Missile Range
Read MoreApril
Trinity Site Open House
Sat, Apr 01, 2023 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
At 5:29 a.m. MST, on July 16, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was tested at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in the Tularosa Basin. Now registered as a site of historical significance, the Trinity Site is only open to visitors twice a year, in April and October.
@White Sands Missile Range
Read MoreMay
Aspen Cash Motorcycle Rally
Thu, May 18, 2023 12:00 am - Sun, May 21, 2023 12:00 am
The first of two large family-friendly motorcycle rallies held in the cool mountain pines of Ruidoso, this one since 1997, featuring trade shows, poker runs, prize drawings, breakfast and dinner gatherings, games, competitions and more.
@Aspen Cash Motorcycle Rally
June
July
Ruidoso Art & Wine Festival
Fri, Jul 21, 2023 10:00 am - Sun, Jul 23, 2023 5:00 pm
More than 100 artists will display their work — sculpture, photography, glass, paintings, ceramics, jewelry, mixed media, and more. Enjoy wine tasting, featuring New Mexico wineries.
@Ruidoso Convention Center
August
Billy the Kid Pageant and Old Lincoln Days
Fri, Aug 04, 2023 9:00 am - Sun, Aug 06, 2023 2:00 pm
The annual folk pageant with re-enactors portraying Billy the Kid’s last escape and the notorious Lincoln County War is a regional favorite with food vendors, live music, arts and crafts, and a parade.
@Historic Lincoln
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Chile the Kid Wine and Beer Festival
Sun, Aug 06, 2023 11:00 am - Tue, Aug 08, 2023 5:00 pm
Three days of live entertainment including horse racing, local vendors and merchandise, and a wide selection of brands and styles of craft beer and wine — not to mention plenty of Hatch green chile! This educational experience benefits local nonprofits.
@Ruidoso Downs Race Track
September
Southern New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo
Thu, Sep 07, 2023 9:00 am - Sun, Sep 17, 2023 6:00 pm
Every year in late September, Southern New Mexico celebrates our Western heritage with a family-friendly celebration of the region’s agricultural roots and the people who maintain them. Find everything you’d expect at a state fair, from delicious fried foods, carnival games and rides, and exhibits of farm animals.
@Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds
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White Sands Balloon and Music Festival
Fri, Sep 15, 2023 4:00 pm - Mon, Sep 11, 2023 11:00 pm
The White Sands Hot Air Balloon & Music Festival takes place every year at both Ed Brabson Balloon Park in Alamogordo, where local performers entertain, and the beautiful White Sands National Park, where you can sit atop the dunes to watch as the colorful balloons lift off into the brilliant blue skies of southwestern New Mexico.
@Ed Brabson Park & White Sands National Park
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Ride Ruidoso Week
Fri, Sep 15, 2023 6:00 pm - Sun, Sep 17, 2023 9:00 pm
The inaugural rider festival, featuring bike and car shows, stunt riders, and concerts by some of the biggest names in the business, with proceeds from general admission tickets benefitting Toys for Tots and the Boys & Girls Club, and proceeds from concert events benefitting families impacted by the McBride Fire and other natural disasters.
@Wingfield Park
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Golden Aspen Motorcycle Rally
Thu, Sep 21, 2023 5:00 pm - Sun, Sep 24, 2023 7:00 pm
For more than 50 years Ruidoso has been the focus of this prestigious rally, featuring bike giveaways, prize drawings, trade shows, poker runs, breakfast gatherings, chuckwagon dinners, biker games, competitions for King and Queen and Best Bike Buddy, and much more.
@Ruidoso Downs Race Track
All American Cowboy Fest
Fri, Sep 30, 2022 8:30 am - Sat, Sep 30, 2023 10:00 pm
Celebrate Western culture, country music, rodeo, and the internationally renowned chuckwagon cooking competition. Cooks work at authentic chuckwagons to make delicious chicken-fried steak, beans, potatoes, and biscuits. They even compete in a cook-off for the title of champion!
@Ruidoso Downs Race Track
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Apple Festival
Sat, Sep 30, 2023 9:00 am - Sun, Oct 01, 2023 5:00 pm
An annual tradition, the Apple Festival celebrates the more than 100-year history of apples grown in the Sacramento Mountains. Nichols Ranch and Orchards invites you to enjoy breathtaking views of the Tularosa Basin and enjoy art, food, and of course apples!
@Nichols Ranch and Orchards
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October
Apple Festival
Sat, Sep 30, 2023 9:00 am - Sun, Oct 01, 2023 5:00 pm
An annual tradition, the Apple Festival celebrates the more than 100-year history of apples grown in the Sacramento Mountains. Nichols Ranch and Orchards invites you to enjoy breathtaking views of the Tularosa Basin and enjoy art, food, and of course apples!
@Nichols Ranch and Orchards
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AspenFest
Sat, Oct 07, 2023 10:00 am - 6:00 pm
Celebrate autumn with the annual parade through Midtown Ruidoso beginning at 10 a.m. The parade ends at Wingfield Park where local vendors will offer gourmet chocolates, handmade crafts, and other specialty items.
@Midtown Ruidoso and Wingfield Park
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Annual Indigenous Celebration
Sat, Oct 07, 2023 10:00 am - Sun, Oct 08, 2023 6:00 pm
The annual free celebration highlighting New Mexico’s Indigenous history, art, and culture, featuring music and dance performances, traditional native clothing, artists displaying jewelry, painting, and pottery, and food vendors selling fry bread, tamales, posole, and more.
@Wingfield Park
Read MoreTrinity Site Open House
Sun, Oct 15, 2023 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
At 5:29 a.m. MST, on July 16, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb was tested at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) in the Tularosa Basin. Now registered as a site of historical significance, the Trinity Site is only open to visitors twice a year, in April and October.
@White Sands Missile Range
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Midtown Halloween Trick or Treat and Pumpkin Roll
Wed, Oct 26, 2022 3:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Grab the kids and enjoy an evening of candy, costumes and pumpkin rolling. Test your luck at $500 by participating in the coffin race or pumpkin roll. There is also a costume contest for the kiddos. It’s a spooktacular time!
@Midtown Ruidoso
Read MoreNovember
Ruidoso Christmas Jubilee
Fri, Nov 10, 2023 12:00 am - Sun, Nov 12, 2023 3:00 pm
Embrace the season and join the Ruidoso Valley Greeters for a timeless and treasured tradition, the annual shopping extravaganza featuring 80 local merchants and a food court, with proceeds benefiting charitable organizations in Lincoln County. Admission is $5 and active military members are free.
@Ruidoso Convention Center
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5K Ruidoso Turkey Trot
Sat, Nov 25, 2023 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Grab your running shoes for the annual Ruidoso 5K Turkey Trot to support the Lincoln County Food Bank. Entry fee is one or more canned goods. Come out and celebrate the season by running for a cause.
@White Mountain Recreation Complex
Read MoreDecember
Ruidoso Festival of Lights Parade & After Party
Sat, Dec 02, 2023 5:30 pm - 10:00 pm
Friends and family come together for an evening of twinkling lights and togetherness in the winter wonderland of Ruidoso, with an after-party in Wingfield Park, featuring food, drinks, winter activities for the kids, fire pits for roasting marshmallows, an outdoor movie on the big screen, and photos with Santa.
@Sudderth Drive and Wingfield Park
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