Balloons and Beyond Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Photo: New Mexico Kayak Instruction
Balloon Fiesta weekend kicks off the American Indian Arts Festival at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, too. More than 100 indigenous artists showcase traditional and contemporary works in clay, silver, glass, leather and more, to accompany the daily dances, fashion shows, art demonstrations and food. This wonderful family-oriented event, October 5 and 6, runs from 9 to 5 each day. While you’re there, visit the excellent gallery and museum exhibitions about the 19 pueblos and treat yourself to an authentic Native meal from the Pueblo Harvest Café. indianpueblo.org
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ast year, I wrote a (not so) tongue-in-cheek Balloon Fiesta survival guide for those of us who have endured early mornings, late nights and visitor enthusiasm for Albuquerque’s biggest and most visible event. This year, rather than another rant about the impossibility of finding parking, the necessity of making restaurant reservations (horrors!) or the need for siestas, how about a celebration of all the activities, sites and happenings on tap in addition to the fiesta? Here are some of my favorite picks this year.
Balloon Fiesta Kayak Tours A paddling tour of the Rio Grande doesn’t have to take place during the fiesta, but with an early morning start, you could have the balloons flying right above your head. Float along the river, far from the madding crowds, neck craned and camera at the ready for a unique perspective on hundreds of balloons soaring overhead. And with our recent rains, the river is flowing so well that sandbars won’t spoil the fun. Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures offers Float the Fiesta Adventures, which put you (with a professional guide, of course) in the water in Bernalillo, fuel you up with a snack and time the journey so you arrive at Balloon Fiesta Park in time for the morning mass ascension. quietwaterspaddling.com 20
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Casa San Ysidro The Albuquerque Museum’s historic Casa San Ysidro: The Gutiérrez/ Minge House, in Corrales, dates to the 1870s. Today, the hacienda that once belonged to the family of the 1704 Bernalillo Township Grant recipient, Don Felipe Gutiérrez, features a comprehensive collection of New Mexican art and furnishings. Open only for guided tours, this authentic 19th century rancho comprises a small family chapel, a central plazuela and an enclosed corral. The house takes its name from the patron saint of farming, San Ysidro Labrador. This little slice of life in 1800s New Mexico is kid-friendly, and reservations are not required (though groups of ten or more are asked to call ahead). 505.898.3915
ABQ Trolley Tour of “Breaking Bad” A modern tour of Albuquerque features the locations, buildings and views that fans of AMC’s Emmy-winning, gut-wrenching Duke City–filmed “Breaking Bad” will recognize and revere. ABQ Trolley Company’s BaD Tour might be the hottest ticket in town. In fact, at press time, only a few seats remained on the R-rated narrated jaunt around the Duke City during October. Meth, murder and mayhem, as you tour Walter White and Jesse Pinkman’s Albuquerque? Yes, please. Covering 38 miles and 13 major show locations (including Saul Goodman’s law office and Twisters, aka Los Pollos Hermanos), each tour lasts three and a half hours and accommodates 34 people. Get on board, bitch! abqtrolley.com
Wine Tastings at Gruet, St. Clair and Casa Rondeña All that balloon watching can be exhausting. The wine tastings at Gruet, St. Clair and Casa Rondeña will slake your thirst and put a bounce in your step. During fiesta, Gruet (with its proximity to