This was the second year that I have attended this event. Last year I had a blast and I'd been…read morelooking forward to going again this year. Since it was Memorial Day weekend there were lots of events to choose from. My friends all opted for the wine festival, and I reluctantly agreed to go with them instead of attending Blues & Brews alone. Fortunately, the weather was bad and it started raining while I was driving to the wine festival. I decided last minute to go here instead, and I have no regrets! I hadn't bought tickets yet, which I knew was a mistake because they were $45 at the door. I arrived at 2:30 PM and walked past an EXTREMELY long line of non-VIP ticket holders waiting for doors to open at 3PM. I was wondering if I should even bother while waiting in line to buy tickets, when an angel in the form of a scalper offered me a ticket for $30. I was a little nervous as I walked to the front, hoping the ticket would work.(I have a very strong goody-two-shoes streak that doesn't like it when I do scary things like buy tickets from random people.) Not only did it work, it was VIP! That meant I got to walk ahead of a line that literally went out the east doors of the casino, and get directly into the event. I HIGHLY recommend getting the VIP tickets (in advance) because it gets very crowded when they let everyone in. Last year, I didn't get to try all the beers because they were running out at the end and I hadn't been VIP. This year, I didn't notice as many vendors running out early. It seemed like there were less people this year, maybe because of all the other events that were going on simultaneously. So the deal is, you get a little souvenir glass (this event has plastic which makes me sad) that you can fill with a couple ounces of beer as many times as possible in 3 hours (4 if you're VIP). I also received tickets for alcohol samples which were for some flavored vodka and tequila. I didn't use mine because as an almost old person I have learned my lesson about drinking 50 samples of beer and then topping it off with hard alcohol. There was food available to purchase, but really, ain't nobody got time for that! I had to get my sample on! There were a good selection of breweries, mostly from Colorado and New Mexico but there were others there too. One trend I am not super excited about is how popular IPAs are now. Several places brought multiple IPAs and no Stouts or Porters which left me disappointed. IPAs taste like pennies. Yuck! I went back to the same few places that provided the darker beers multiple times. Marble had their Oatmeal Stout there, Left Hand had their Nitro Milk Stout which is one of my favorites. I also had a good one from Ponderosa. I had several samples of the Java Stout from Santa Fe Brewing. It was grand! If you're a hoarder like me, and like swag, there was plenty. I grabbed stickers, buttons, coasters, and bottle caps from most the vendors where I sampled. I also bought a sugar skull bag for $10 from Bloody Maria's to carry my stash in. Another pro this year was the music. They actually played some blues. Another bonus, there seemed to be a lot of friendly people there. I went by myself and even though I ran into my aunt and uncle there, I met some new people and ran into some old friends. On one trip to the bathroom I noticed a roller derby table where they were trying to recruit new players. I was attracted to the sugar skull swag (I'm obsessed) and inebriated enough to not be afraid to ask dumb questions like, "Do I have to know how to skate to join roller derby?" Well guess what? NO! You don't have to know, they teach you! I will be giving it a go next week! This is one of my favorite annual events in Albuquerque, I will definitely be getting tickets again next year. I left feeling happy, with a ton a loot, with new friends, and with a carpet burn on my elbow. Hoping to leave without that one next year!

Great time! Only wish there were more local breweries. There was a lot of national brandsread more

First off I'd like to send a HUGE shout-out to Howie "The Duke of Duke City" K. for the heads up &…read morethe hook up! We had a great time!! I was expecting a larger turn out, but all the more breathing room for us! It was awesome! The Rodney Bowe Jazz Trio were rockin the house! Err... Jazzin the house, they were really good and it set a nice mood. Great grub samplings, nice wine samplings from St. Clair Winery, which was pretty good. They brought a Cab, a Pinot Grigio, a Chenin Blanc & my preferred one, a Meritage, which is a blend of a few red varietals. Nice!!! Marble Brewery was sportin a seasonal Pumpkin Spice brew, which I really liked! Enough to warrant my DD, AKA my wife, to drive home. There was a kids zone with a couple bouncies and Tons-O bubbles and other fun games for the kidos to play with, and they even had a box full of McDonalds hamburgers they were handing out. Naturally the main draw, the horses & the competition, was VERY cool! This was our first time to an event like this, but I suspect it will NOT be our last. Something about seeing those riders & those big beautiful horses leap over the obstacles up close was just majestic. The whole event was a big hit! We'll be there next year, and so should all of you!

Wonderful event..... wonderful benefit to assist our elderly, the Duke City's most unique,…read moredelicious and funfilled day of ABQ'S premier restaurants & breweries as well as beautiful Art & other Local vendors, Silent Auction and of course the thrill & skill of a hunter/jumper competition. My most favorite event we attend every year. The only thing I believe they need to really do is Market this great event way ahead time, (social media, Flyers at restaurants..etc) I believe this year was far less of a crowd, then what they use to capture. Nonetheless a lovely day horsing around supporting a beautiful event, good food, good music, & good times goes a long way. Ciao

Been a long time since out last visit…read more It has come a long way since it began Well worth a trip with the entire family with solid value But i will say the signage to get there is lacking To be fair we did no homework prior to going and we paid dearly, we stumbled around for an hour and finally found the way in The lot attendants were fantastic and found us a parking spot Top tip: plenty of parking when we were leaving at 7:30 !

Beautiful Christmas time tradition. My family goes every year. It's a bit of a walk, so wear…read morecomfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Don't forget to stop for cocoa and a snack! Bring the kids, or your sweetheart for a beautiful walk.

We love NoshFest! For me, this is so much more than a food festival! My side of the family is…read moreJewish and my husband's is Catholic so this is my opportunity to share with my husband with culture and deliciousness that I grew up with! First of all, is it any surprise that the longest line was for Sharon's Gourmet to Go? She does such quality stuff and her latkes were spot on! Her physical location is by our house and the smells are always to die for! The green chile and plain mini challah for just $1 each was perfect! And I was so glad to get it for him to try! Challah has always been my comfort food! The biggest hit for us - and it seemed to be the same for a lot of people - was the Israeli lemonade being sold by the teenage group! Delicious and affordable and service with a smile! We spent more than we should have and got a ton of great food in a room full of friendly, fantastic people! Can't wait for next year!

Arriving at 1:30pm was not as crazy as previous reviews mentioned. The food of matzo ball soup,…read morestuffed cabbage, and latkes was good. The pastrami from Mtucci and California was delicious. The Klezmer live music was enjoyable. But we would have liked more lively tunes with the room and ability to dance. A Jewish Festivus without dancing seems more like a shiva. Organisers please let us dance the Hora..:) The lemonade, cupcakes and children's activities were good fun. Bottom line, we all had a nice time. Thanks for reading. Avram

This annual event is a fun way to sample goods from local businesses. We have a lot of great local…read morecoffee roasters/brewers as well as chocolatiers! We split a bomboloni from Cafe Chica and picked up some whole beans from Oval Dogs and had a ton of samples from other businesses as well. There were a couple dozen food trucks available plus several local breweries and wineries for when people needed a break from sugar and caffeine. Despite the cold, windy weather, I had a good time.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND: **4-stars given because I don't fancy chocolate or coffee but wanted to be at…read morethis event. Would've given 5-stars if I sampled product** Mostly outdoor event and so many people! Yay! First time I have been to the Southwest Chocolate and Coffee Festival and it was better than I had imagined! It was so much more than just chocolate and coffee at the 2-day event. Great atmosphere to spend a few hours, lots of free samples and show specials. There was a vast amount of bakers, chocolatiers, bread makers, coffee roasters, candy makers, popcorn, tea and other delicacies to get your taste buds tingling inside the Expo. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of bee vendors selling honey products. Honey goes well with coffee, tea and baking products In addition, the streets were lined with more vendors, food trucks, wineries, breweries and live music with attendees dancing and having a wonderful experience on Main Street at the fairgrounds. Will I return? Absolutely yes. See you next year!

So much fun! What a cool event idea! SOMOS ABQ brought together local restaurants, breweries,…read moreartists, artisans, local organizations and the public into a few blocks on Central Ave. Central was closed of to traffic which allows for a cool pedestrian area. The highlight for me was going around talking with all the food booths to see what amazing food they brought to showcase their businesses. M'Tucci's had a caprese salad and gourmet meatballs, the M'Tucci's marketplace had a charcuterie plate, orzo salad, and lasagna. Pop Fizz had their amazing popsicles. There were several types of lemonade sellers and so many more really great food sellers. I talked with people representing feels who work to help foster children. Three was a therapy horse called Charm. A therapy court room dog called Cassie was there, and both of them liked attention. It was an absolutely stellar event, Howie!! Thanks for all the hard work you, the yelp crew, and all the participants put in to make this as great as it was.

You guys!!! It's finally SOMOS!!! I didn't think I would make it due to my last minute surgery but…read morewe were able to stop in for a bit and I'm so glad we did! This has to be one of the best events of the year! All of the best food trucks are here for all of your dining pleasures. Seriously! If you can dream it up, it's here from crepes to burgers and pizza. YUM! The musical talent is great too! The stages are full of surprises and entertainment! Speaking of entertainment - the circus acts are the best! There were people on stilts and everything! I can't believe how talented our city is! We'll definitely be back next year when I am feeling 100% so we can experience the full thing!

It was a blast! cant wait for next year!read more

BEST OF THE CITY 2018!…read more Every year waiting, waiting, waiting . . . . Albuquerque has so much to offer - and almost all of it GREAT! - that it is hard to fathom how the trolls decide what is the "Best." As we all sit anxiously on the edge of our bar stools waiting for this year's issue to be dropped, we speculate . . . best vineyard? best Indian restaurant? best car wash? best breakfast burrito? best art gallery? best bar? best coffee house? Waiting, waiting, waiting. . . . and then the Launch Party is announced. Clear that calendar! Albuquerque The Magazine Launch Party is here! Lots of folks with their heads in magazines? At first the food and drink are ignored. No one has a friendly "hi, how are you?" to friends and acquaintances . . . . "What page is the 'Best Live Theater Venue' on?" Page 148. "What page is the 'Best Sopaipilla' on?" Page 109 "What page is the 'Best Local Band' on?" Page 161. A wealth of info voted on by the readers of Albuquerque The Magazine in 280 categories! YES! 280. No wonder so many of the Launch Party's guests had their heads in this BEST OF THE CITY 2018 issue. I did finally get a glass of wine and a few tidbits to eat . . . and found my Yelp friends . . . but I was anxious to head home, put my feet up and just devour this new 2018 issue. It is the BEST one yet! Oh, and the Launch Party was great guys!

Wow, what a place to taste and get some of the best ABQ has to offer. The Launch Party for ABQ the…read moremagazine provides a peek into the magazine(the Best of ABQ edition is HUGE!) if you've never read the mag I'd pick up a copy. Once again being transplants here we can use all the help available to find hidden gems and back stories of some of the revitalized businesses in the area. Plus many local eateries, some having been winners of the Best Of.... were represented. Places such as Central Grille, The Candy Lady, Rudy's, Cheese & Coffee Cafe and many more previous winners and hopefuls were present with samples of their wares for the enjoyment of all attendees. We'll find out if any of the businesses tasted tonight will make the cut on Thursday.