Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival: Balloon Fiesta

Now in its 32nd year, Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festivals' ‘big white tent’ will rise again in front of Sandia Resort and Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico this fall, hosting 200 of the nation's top artists and craftsmen. With a current ranking in Sunshine Artist Magazine’s ‘200 Best’ list 4th in the country for the decade, Rio Grande Festivals spares no detail, providing artists with a well organized, well advertised opportunity for great sales, while offering visiting tourists an outstanding, world-class art experience.

The Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival takes place just across the highway from the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, over the first and second weekends of October. After the balloons go up, the art festival’s ‘Big White Tent’ becomes a kaleidoscope of color and activity with doors opening to the works of painters, sculptors, potters, photographers, jewelers and more. The exhibiting artists hail from across the country, jumping at the rare opportunity to show and sell their work to the unique cross-section of tourists who visit Albuquerque during the fiesta, making for a competitive lineup of juried art work. Beyond the art itself, the festival's open-air pavilion is the ideal place to take in the panoramic views of the Sandia Mountains, hot air balloons floating overhead, and the resort's lush PGA level golf course. Regional live music, cold craft brews and festive foods round out the event to offer a special and memorable experience for all to enjoy, over 30 years in the making!