Taos Mountain Music Festival

In August of 2009, approximately 4,000 people gathered in the village of Taos Ski Valley to enjoy the 1st Annual Taos Mountain Music Festival. Music lovers of all ages spent the day enjoying music, food and games on Taos Ski Valley’s Strawberry Hill.

Now in its third year, the Taos Mountain Music Festival is expanding. The festival has become so popular so quickly, that more music has been added, and this year’s festival is scheduled for August 20th and 21st.

It’s no surprise. The Taos Ski Valley is an ideal setting for an outdoor music festival. The festival site is located at the base of the Taos Ski Valley ski runs, and is surrounded by the Carson National Forest and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The Festival presents a wide spectrum of music, including Blues, Rock, Hip-Hop, Country, Latin, and Reggae. Festival promoters encourage bringing sunscreen, hats, lawn chairs, blankets, and warm clothes. A photo ID is required to purchase alcoholic beverages, and an ATM is on site. Sorry, pets are not allowed, but beach balls and hula hoops are encouraged.

Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights

It’s the time of year that lends a fiery passion to New Mexico. Time for chile pickin’, chile roastin’, chile dryin’, and chili cook-offs.

Not surprisingly, Red River makes a big to-do out of it all, with its annual “Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights” Music Festival & Cook-off. This year the festival runs August 18th through 20th, and features the “Red River Red” CASI Chili Cook-off, the New Mexico State Green Chile Championship, and a Lone Star BBQ Society Cook-off. Well, that should be enough red or green chile for just about anyone!

This spicy three-day celebration combines a singer/songwriter music festival at venues throughout Red River from Thursday through Saturday, with multiple cook-offs in Brandenburg Park on Saturday.

The cook-off this year is the CASI (Chili Appreciation Society International) Four Corners Regional Cook-off, so Red River is expecting more chili cooks than ever. They are also hosting the Lonestar BBQ Society for their third cook-off in Red River, and are once again having the New Mexico State Green Chile Championship.

There will be a new overall “People’s Choice” category this year allowing for a huge prize (with cash) for the favorite entry in the PC category. This event is open to numerous recipes, including salsa, chili, green chile, jalapeno poppers, cobbler, beans, or whatever the cooks might dream up.

So make your way to Red River this weekend for some hot food and cool music.