What's New in Albuquerque?
Check out the New Mexico Events & Attractions

Each season, the Albuquerque Convention & Visitors Bureau updates our visitors and friends regarding new and exciting changes and additions to our many Albuquerque, New Mexico tourist attractions. We also provide our community with updated information on Albuquerque, New Mexico events. For a review of recent news, please link on the articles below. Albuquerque rankings and media coverage are also updated regularly.

Gruet Winery Comes Back to New Mexico with a Slew of Awards and Medals

2011 was a great year for New Mexico’s Gruet Winery. After attending competitions all along the west coast, Gruet wines were named ‘Best in Class,’ ‘Best Buy’ and awarded numerous medals. Gruet wines earned Best in Class honors at the San Francisco International Wine Competition and at the International Spirits and Wine Competition. Medals were awarded to eight different Gruet wines at the Beverage Testing Institute, Los Angeles International Spirits and Wine Competition and the American Fine Wine Competition, to name a few. Bill St. John, a writer for the Chicago Tribune, had nothing but praise for Gruet Winery, “For my money, the best sparkling wine made in this country, however, comes from the most unlikely of places, near Albuquerque, N.M. Gruet is the name.” For the full list of awards click here. Read about Gruet Winery’s release of their brand new wine, the 2010 Chenin Blanc, here.

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta^® an international draw to New Mexico

Oct 6-14, 2012

From a modest beginning in 1972 of 13 balloons launching from a shopping mall parking lot, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has grown to 500+ balloons and hundreds of thousands of guests at Balloon Fiesta Park each fall. The 2011 event marked the 40th time that the Balloon Fiesta has filled Albuquerque’s crystal blue skies. The Balloon Fiesta is the premier international ballooning event, powered by the perfect October climate and a phenomenon called the "Albuquerque Box," (a combination of weather patterns and geographic landscape, the box allows balloonists to control and even retrace their adventure).

The place to be in October is at Balloon Fiesta Park. The 200 acres of grass and booths will be filled with balloons and vendors selling everything from traditional New Mexican food to Balloon memorabilia. Each year balloon teams from around the world participate in the event and news coverage originates from more than 50 countries. It has become the most photographed event in the world.

Visit the website for details www.BalloonFiesta.com and follow on twitter for updates @BalloonFiesta.

New Mexico's St. Clair Winery Mimosa now featured by national retail chain plus national awards

National retailer Cost Plus World Market has selected St. Clair Winery's Mimosa for a sales program in over 248 stores nationwide. A blend of fresh-squeezed orange juice and crisp, sparkling Brut, the Mimosa is now distributed in 28 states, and the national promotion planned by Cost Plus World Market will bring the taste of New Mexico wine to the entire nation very soon.

St. Clair wines have increasingly been recognized nationwide. At the recent San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition, St. Clair's Gewurztraminer was named the "Best White Wine" in the nation. St. Clair is headquartered in Deming in Southern New Mexico, and their wines are available in many locations throughout the Southwest, including at the St. Clair Winery and Bistro locations in Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Farmington. www.southwestwines.com

View details on the media release.

Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures and New Mexico Jeep Tours team up for outdoor recreation package

Quiet Waters Paddling Adventures has partnered with New Mexico Jeep Tours to offer adventure tours, which allow participants to explore all that central New Mexico has to offer from the Rio Grande Valley to the deserts and canyons.While on the river, outdoor enthusiasts will see wildlife and breathtaking mountain scenery, and from the Jeep ride they have the opportunity to discover ghost towns and ancient pueblo ruins.

View details in the media release.

New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science DynaTheater gets a digital upgrade with world's first 4K Double Projection System

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science is proud to unveil a significant digital upgrade at its DynaTheater. The DynaTheater, known for its immersive geometry, will be a flagship theater for partners D3D Cinema, Barco, and Dolby as it will introduce the world’s first 4K Double Projection System. The system features two new projectors, new digital surround sound, and a new five-story white screen. The white screen minimizes the poor viewing attributes associated with the silver screens necessary for other 3D systems and enhances the brightness of the projection system.

View complete release

New Mexico celebrates centennial in 2012

Celebrations across the state of New Mexico will honor the state’s 100^th birthday throughout 2012, which will kick off in August in Las Cruces. Rainbow Ryders will unveil the official New Mexico Centennial Balloon in late June. Updates are available at http://www.nmcentennial.org

Albuquerque in the national spotlight

Forbes ranked Albuquerque as one of the 16 top U.S cities to retire 2011
1st on MovieMaker Magazine's list of the 10 Best Cities to Live, Work & Make Movies in 2010
15th on Byways magazine list of the Top 50 Motorcoach Destinations of 2010
9th on Business Courier of Cincinnati list on Green Cities, 2010
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
Huffington Post: Featured as one of the 10 Best Cities for Local Food, 2009
USA 101: A Guide to America's Iconic Places, Events and Festivals (book): Albuquerque is one of the 10 Greatest Places to Find True Ameriana, 2009