Events & Attractions

Old Mesilla Farmers and Crafts Market

Ranked number one in New Mexico and eighth in the nation! Local farmers and craft artists congregate on the downtown mall, every Wednesday and Saturday morning. Summer hours: 8:00 AM - 12:30 PM and winter hours: 8:30 AM - 1:00 PM. Free admission. Dogs welcome. Main Street Downtown. Photo from Sun Garden Inc.

Raft the Rio

This is a three-mile rafting adventure down the Rio Grande (river) held in the summer-time (when there is water in the river). There are be refreshments, food vendors and music at the Finish Line Festival. It is a family-friendly event open to individuals and teams of all ages willing to get wet and have fun. Creativity and the use of discarded materials in building rafts are highly encouraged. Photo by Ken Stinnett.

Whole Enchilada Fiesta

The main event of this fiesta is the cooking of The World's Largest Enchilada by the Fiesta’s founder, Roberto Estrada. It is listed in the 2000 Guinness Book of World Records as the largest, flat, three-layer enchilada. There is also a parade, food eating contests, games, a 5K run and more. Photo from New Mexico True.

Las Cruces Renaissance Faire

This is an annual two-day festival that has steadily grown and now attracts more than 25,000 people. More than 150 juried artists and artisans from throughout the region and across the country will be on hand to sell original, handcrafted items. There is also on-going entertainment on the Main Stage, The Rio Grande Stage, The Merry Court of Sherwood Oak, The Middle Eastern Village and The Children's Realm. World-class wines are available for tasting or purchasing in the Imperial Wine Garden.

Southern New Mexico Wine Festival

Bringing together wineries from around the state, food, arts and crafts vendors, and live music in a relaxed setting, the Southern New Mexico Wine Festival is the place to be Memorial weekend! Find the wines you like through sampling, purchase a glass to enjoy on site and buy bottles to take home to enjoy later.

Old Mesilla New Mexico

People from all over the world stop to experience the history, art, architecture, quaint shopping, and unique dinning that Mesilla has to offer. There are often events going on in the plaza like dancing, Mariachis, art shows, festivals, parades, etc. See the Events Calender for more.

Mesilla ("Little Tableland") is the best-known and most visited historical community in Southern New Mexico. Located off I-10, it is nestled in the Mesilla Valley on the banks of the Rio Grande. Pancho Villa and Billy the Kid walked the streets. The famous trial of Billy the Kid was held here and the Democrats and Republicans had a bloody showdown on the plaza.

Las Cruces Museum of Art

The Las Cruces Museum of Fine Art’s main gallery has over 5,000 square feet of multi-use exhibition space. The gallery features curated, traveling, juried, and invitational exhibitions of contemporary art.

Las Cruces Museum of Nature & Science

The Museum (formerly known as the Las Cruces Museum of Natural History) is dedicated to inspiring curiosity about the sciences, facilitate life-long learning, and promote stewardship of the natural environment of the Chihuahuan Desert and Southern New Mexico.

The Museum provides exhibitions and a variety of educational opportunities for families.

White Sands National Monument

Also check out the Sunset Strolls, Lake Lucero Tour, and Full Moon Hikes.

At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world's great natural wonders - the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and have created the world's largest gypsum dune field.

White Sands Missile Range Museum

Established in 1945, White Sands Missile Range is America’s largest overland military test range. At White Sands the world entered the Atomic Age when the first atomic bomb was tested at Trinity Site on July 16, 1945.

Hike to Dripping Springs

The Dripping Springs Natural Area has over four miles of easy hiking trails, including the Dripping Springs Trail (which is about 1-1/2 miles), which shows off desert scrub and low elevation pinon-juniper and oak woodlands. The area also boasts excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Also check out the ruins of Van Patten’s Mountain Camp and Boyd’s Sanatorium while you are up there. Photo from lascrucesblog.com.

Hike to Van Patten’s Mountain Camp and Boyd’s Sanatorium

The ruins of the Van Patten Mining Camp and Boyd’s Sanatorium are a short hike north of Dripping Springs.

Construction of the Camp began about 1895 and was completed and advertising for business in 1897. One two-story wing had 14 hotel rooms for customers, and the other wing a large dining hall, a dance hall, a roller skate rink, and living rooms for the operators.

Boyd’s Sanatorium was constructed in 1910 by Dr. Boyd, these abandoned structures once served as home to victims of tuberculosis including Dr. Boyd's own wife.

Photos from lascrucesblog.com.

University Art Gallery

The University Art Gallery serves as a showcase for contemporary visual arts in the border region.

The largest visual arts facility in South Central New Mexico, the gallery presents six to nine exhibitions annually.

Space Murals, Inc. Museum and Gift Shop

Space Murals, Inc. Museum and Gift Shop is located behind a huge water tank painted with images from the X-15 to the Challenger accident. Inside the museum is an Astronaut Gallery, Air & Space Artifacts including 2,500 pictures, a space shuttle replica, model airplanes, a Space Station Freedom, a kids corner, and a small library of space related information.

Fort Selden State Monument

The United States Govenment built Fort Selden near the town of Las Cruces in 1865 to protect settlers from outlaws and Apache Indians, and for a quarter of a century it served its purpose.

The fort housed one company of infantry and cavalry, including units of black troops whom the Indians called "Buffalo Soldiers."