What's New in Albuquerque? Check out the New Mexico Events & Attractions
Each season, the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau updates our visitors on renovations and new additions to our famous
Albuquerque, New Mexico tourist attractions. Frequently, new exhibits will be added to museums such as the National Hispanic Cultural Center or the Balloon Museum. For up-to-date news and information on
Albuquerque, New Mexico events, review the articles below.
Albuquerque rankings and
media coverage are also updated regularly.
Albuquerque News Highlights
Hard Rock Casino Rocks n' Rolls into Albuquerque
In June 2010, the former Isleta Casino & Resort officially became the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Albuquerque complete with a guitar-smashing press conference. The newly expanded property underwent a multi-million dollar improvement plan in accordance with Hard Rock's standards. New property features include a refaced showroom, a circular center bar set in the heart of the casino floor, a Mexican cantina-style restaurant and night club, a baby doll pit and the famous rock n' roll memorabilia that Hard Rock is known for. For more information, view the
official release.
ABQ Trolley Co. soon to launch city's first-ever film tour In its second year of operation, the ABQ Trolley Co. continues to expand its trolley services to cater to the interests of locals and visitors alike. Coming soon is
TROLLEYWOOD, the city's first-ever film tour. The tour will feature movie location scenes from productions including
Breaking Bad, In Plain Sight, Transformers, Wild Hogs, Terminator Salvation, Crazy Heart, No Country for Old Men, etc. What a better way to showcase the city that was recently named the "best place in America to make movies and to call home" by MovieMaker magazine? To find out what else the trolley guys are up to, please visit their
website.
New York Times, Today Show recognize Albuquerque's Gruet Winery
Albuquerque's own Gruet Winery has quite a bit to brag about as of late. Gruet, known for its domestic sparkling wines, was recently featured on NBC's Today Show for producing one of the best American-made wines. The winery also received national attention in June when it was covered in the Dining & Wine section of the New York Times. View the
feature article.
LAND/ART New Mexico showcases the state's Southwestern landscape
New Mexico's landscape paints quite the picture and this newly published book explores some of the beauty the state has to offer. The book, a collaborative exploration of the state's land-based art, examines the relationship between land, art and community. Featuring the work of over forty artists including Michael Berman, Erika Blumenfeld, David Taylor, Basia Irland, Patrick Dougherty, Catalina Delgado Trunk and Shelley Niro, this is a book worth checking out. View the release.
Hotel News
Scheduled to open just before the 2010 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta,
Hotel Parq Central will add a unique new offering along Historic Route 66. Design elements of the hotel are inspired by the 1920s - the decade in which the building originally opened as the Memorial Hospital. Features of the 74-room Hotel Parq Central include a grand staircase, a rooftop "Apothecary Bar" with 1920s-themed cocktails & tapas, original clay tiles throughout the property and 1926-era windows. The hotel will also be home to three lushly landscaped gardens and a light-filled conservatory that opens onto an outdoor living plaza. Hotel Parq Central is located in Albuquerque's east downtown neighborhood (referred to by Albuquerque locals as EDo). For more information, please view the
release.
In early April 2010,
Hotel Andaluz opened Albuquerque’s newest rooftop bar, Ibiza. The mezzanine-level rooftop bar is a
great place to join friends for a cocktail or settle in for an entire meal. The venue, featuring the culinary expertise of nationally acclaimed chef Albert Bilott, offers an array of innovative dishes combining the tastes and textures of many cultures. The hip Spanish lounge’s hearty menu is available all night long. Dance, dine and delight in Albuquerque’s newest nightlife hot spot. The rooftop bar will be open through October, weather permitting.
National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) Tower to be Transformed
At the entrance to the NHCC, the Torreón Fresco is being transformed into a massive painting depicting the cultural development of Hispanic heritage from prehistory to present day. The painting is being created by internationally renowned artist Frederico Vigil in the ancient “fresco” technique in which paint is applied to wet plaster creating a permanent chemical bond that create images that should last for thousands of years. The fresco painting will cover more than 4,000 square feet including the ceiling and 45-foot tall interior walls of the Torreón. It is expected to be completed in 2010.
www.nhccnm.org
Sony Pictures Imageworks enjoying new home in Albuquerque
Feature film and television show production continues to be on the rise in the Albuquerque area and throughout New Mexico. One company taking advantage of our filming incentives is Sony Pictures Imageworks. Several members of the Albuquerque-based Imageworks team were quoted in
this release expressing their appreciation and love of the city. Josh Riley and Philippe Zeronian were so pleasantly surprised by Albuquerque they made a
documentary on the city. The filmmakers introduce the 25-minute piece as such:
In May of 2007, Sony Pictures Imageworks announced the opening of a satellite facility in Albuquerque, New Mexico that could take advantage of tax incentives offered by the state government. Once in motion, employees of all tenure, and from many parts of the world, began moving to Albuquerque. Most knew absolutely nothing about the area. This is the story of the first 40 employees who took the leap, and how they have come to experience the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The documentary can be viewed in its entirety
here.
New Sky Lounge At Balloon Museum
The Balloon Museum now has a brand new feature, the Sky Lounge. The lounge offers visitors a great place to gather, relax, read, play games and bring lunch or a snack to enjoy. Free WiFi is available for those who bring computers and want to surf the web. A children’s area features fun games and more. To top things off, the Sky Lounge offers one of the most magnificent views of the Sandia Mountains around. www.balloonmuseum.com
Albuquerque in the national spotlight
- 6th on Men's Health's list of the Top 10 Leanest Cities in the US 2010
- 7th Best City for Arts, AmericanStyle magazine 2010
- 7th on Livability.com's list of the Top 10 Surprisingly Great Food Cities
- Yahoo! Travel listed Albuquerque as one of the Best Made-Over US Towns Worth a Visit
- 17th on Bicycling magazine's list of America's Top 50 Bike-Friendly Cities 2010
- 13th Least Expensive Destination for Business Travelers, Business Travel News 2010
- 3rd on Livability.com's list of Golf's Best Kept Secrets: 10 Great Golf Cities 2010
- No. 6 on Outside magazine's Best Cities in America 2009 list
- 2nd Best City of 2009 according to the Kiplinger’s Personal Finance Top 10 Cities, July 2009
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