What Is the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival?
Albuquerque hosts the Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival three times a year. Once in the spring, once during the Balloon Fiesta, and once around Christmas time. Festival season is slow in the spring and Albuquerque is close to me, so I decided to give the Albuquerque Spring Arts and Crafts Festival a try.
Why I Decided to Go (Even Though I Don’t Love Crowds)
You should know something about me. I am not a huge fan of being in crowds or around a lot of people. I know…I chose the wrong path if I am going to be going to art festivals.
But, the purpose of this blog is to find art in unassuming places on a budget, so big city art festivals are out of the norm for me, and they do exhaust me. I prefer smaller town festivals. I feel that they are more easily accessible for smaller artists or those who are just starting out. This is where the sweet spot is for budget art.
Entry Cost, Location, and First Impressions
The spring Rio Grande Arts and Crafts Festival is held at the fairgrounds in the Expo New Mexico center. It costs $10 to enter the art show and another $10 dollars for parking.
After paying the entry fee, I highly recommend entering for their drawings on the kiosks first thing. Who knows, you might win something and at the very least you will get reminders of the other art festivals they host.
The Atmosphere: Live Music and… an Unfortunate Welcome
After arrival and entering the event center you’re immediately greeted with soft guitar music playing, which puts you in a relaxed state of mind and encourages you to slow down and stroll the festival at ease. They rotate live musicians about every hour or so, so you never get bored with the style of playing.
I was also immediately greeted with an old lady who open mouth coughed directly in my face, which put me in a foul mood from the get-go…. not exactly the welcome I was hoping for.
The Art: What You’ll Actually Find
After I recovered from that, we browsed the main room, which ended up being my favorite area. Some of the artists do the festival circuit regularly and I recognized a few of them, but a majority of them who were new who I have never seen before.
The festival features a wide variety of mediums such as paintings, drawings, mixed media, jewelry, metal art, and even food products. I am most drawn to paintings and focused most of my attention on those booths.
What I Almost Bought (But Didn’t)
I picked up business cards from the three booths I had the most interest in and chatted with a couple of them. Their originals, although stunning, are still too far out of my price range. I could do with a print, but nothing stood out as a must have. My home is getting pretty full of art, that I am trying to be more particular about which pieces I bring home…only if I really love it will I bring it back with me.
The Downside: Parking and Exit Chaos
Trying to leave the event center was kind of a nightmare. The exit signs and cones were confusing, and we ended up getting stuck in a parking lot with cars unable to exit for quite a while.
This definitely added to my stress. If you know me, you know that traffic of any kind raises my blood pressure. Luckily I wasn’t driving, and I got to just close my eyes until it was over, but it can be a concern for some people. If you go, just make sure that you see the exits and try to follow the signs the best you can when leaving.
Final Thoughts: Is It Worth Going?
Overall, it was a good trip. I got to see some amazing art and discover a few new favorites.
Bigger art festivals do tend to lean towards higher prices. Even if the pieces are out of your price range, it’s still worth going to get a sense of what you like and what fits your home’s style.
Would I go again? That’s still up for debate. I am considering going during Balloon Fiesta and will probably attend the Christmas show, but for now, I would like to focus on smaller festivals.
Tips if you plan on going:
- Arrive early (parking)
- Enter drawings immediately
- Bring water/snacks
- Have a spending plan
- Scope exits before leaving
