There are 6 skate parks in Albuquerque. They are open to in-line skaters, BMX bicyclists, and skateboarders. May through August, they are open from 7:00am to 11:00pm and September through April, they are open 9:00am – 10:00pm. No alcohol or dogs are allowed at any of the skate parks. Not included in the list below is a new skate park on Isleta Blvd. SW south of Rio Bravo.

The following information is from the Albuquerque Official City Website.

Tower Skate Park is located at 86th and Tower.

Los Altos Skate Park is located at 10140 1/2 Lomas. This is West of Eubank and just east of Easterday.

Coronado Skate Park is located on 4th St. NW and McKnight NW.

Alamosa Skate Park is located near the Alamosa Community Center, 6900 Gonzales Rd SW at Coors and Bridge.

Northwest Modular Skate Park is located across from the Cottonwood Mall at Coors Blvd Bypass and Seven Bar Loop.

The River of Lights will be open from 6:00 to 9:00, November 29 – December 30, closed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Tickets cost $7 for adults and $3 for children 3-12.

On popular nights parking can be difficult, so you may want to buy your tickets as early as 5:30. I have also gone earlier and looked at the Japanese Garden exhibit. Beginning December 19th, you can park at Tingley Beach and ride the train to the Aquarium/Garden station. I am not sure if you can just stay for the lights, or if you would have to buy another entry ticket, but I thought it would be fun to do both.

For complete details, visit the Albuquerque Official City Website.

Coronado Mall

Coronado Mall is located at the corner of Menaul and San Pedro. Major department stores include Sears, Macy’s and JC Penny. For a complete directory, click on the link below.

Coronado Mall Website

Cottonwood Mall

Cottonwood Mall is located at the intersection of Coors Bypass and Coors Blvd. Major department stores include Dillard’s, JCPenney, Macy*s, Mervyn’s and Sears. For the directory of stores click on the link below.

Cottonwood Mall Website

Albuquerque Uptown Mall

Albuquerque Uptown was opened in the fall of 2006. It is an outdoor mall with many stores including Borders, The Apple Store, and Pottery Barn. For a more information, click the link to their website below.

Albuquerque Uptown Website

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta (the largest balloon convention in the world) has been the biggest annual event in the Duke City since 1972. Each year 750 balloonist from around the world gather in early October for this nine day event which brings as many as 100,000 spectators daily. The first Balloon Fiesta, a celebration of the 50th anniversary of KOB Radio, was held at Coronado Center, but has since been moved to Balloon Fiesta park located at 4401 Alameda Blvd NE.

Every October the skies of Albuquerque are filled with hot air balloons. This is an event that is unforgettable, and perhaps the most photographed in the world. There are many different events such as Dawn Patrol, Mass Assentions, Special Shapes Rodes, Balloon Glows and competitions. The largest events are the Mass Assentions where hundreds of balloons launch at one time. Dawn Patrol is where pilots take off before the sun comes up and land after day break. The Special Shapes Rodeo is a favorite because the balloons, such as the bees shown below, are inflated together. If you are not morning person, the Balloon Glow is where balloons are inflated after dark, but they do not take off in flight.

When you attend the Balloon Fiesta, allow yourself plenty of time and leave as early as possilbe to avoid traffic and lines. When I go I usually leave my house around 4:00am, this gives me time to see the Dawn Patrol before the other balloons go up. Another option to avoid some of the traffic congestion are park and rides which are scattered throughout the city. Information about the park and ride locations is provided below.There are plenty of food booths, my favorite guilty pleasure is the funnel cake, and coffee stands, so bring money to enjoy the good eats.

To-Do List – Balloon Fiesta

• Dress in Layers – it is freezing in the morning and warms up as the sun rises
• Leave Early – if you are driving leave as early as possible
• Take the Park and Ride to avoid extremely long traffic lines
• Get Hotels early because decent rooms are hard to find during the fiesta
• Take your camera – it’s a photographers dream
• Weather – The Fiesta is often canceled due to windy or inclimate conditions – be flexible with your schedule and allow yourself more than one day to see this event.

Map

View Larger Map

Helpful Links

Balloon Fiesta Website
Park and Ride Website

Gallery

The Rio Grande Botanic Garden is located at 2601 Central just west of Rio Grande. Admission is $7 for adults and $3 for seniors and children under 12. The admission to the Botanic Garden also covers admission to the aquarium. Winter hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm daily.

The Rio Grande Botanic Garden is a wonderful place to visit when you are thinking about landscaping your yard because many of the plants are native to New Mexico and even Xerascape plants. They also have many ideas for hardscape that you may find interesting. One of my favorite parts of the Garden is the area for children, which is a huge model of a garden, so when you enter, you feel the size of an ant. Even adults shouldn’t skip out on this part.

A trip to the Rio Grande Botanic Garden can last all day, especially if you visit the aquarium. I have gone to the Zoo, the Aquarium and the Garden in one day (you can ride the train from the Zoo to the Aquarium and buy a ticket that includes everything), but I was exhausted by the end. There is also so much to see at both places that I wasn’t able to see everything I had planned. However, it would be an eventful day, just plan on being there early and give yourself plenty of time.

During the winter, around the holidays, the River of Lights is held at the Botanic Garden. There are thousands of beautiful lights and a Poinsettia garden, which is beautiful. I have enjoyed this every time that I have gone, mainly because I love lights. Children would definately enjoy the exhibit, however it is something anyone can appreciate.

The Botanic Garden is a site to see year round. The entire area is covered with different types of plants. The pictures shown here are from my visit to the Japanese Garden in the late fall. I was impressed with the size of the exhibit and the beauty of the whole place even during this season. The Japanese Garden is toward the back of the park. I spent so much time at this exhibit, that it was almost dusk when I was leaving. Some of the lights were being set up for the River of Lights, so I took some pictures of those as well. It would have made a wonderful evening to visit the garden in the afternoon and then stay to see the lights after dark.