Albuquerque, New Mexico’s Seasonal Favorites Delight Guests Signs of the holiday season are already evident in New Mexico. Seasonal art and shopping events begin this weekend in Albuquerque. During November and December, visitors enjoy events throughout the region, which is magical during the holidays. Albuquerque offers true Southwestern flavor during the season: from traditional cuisine to festive, flickering luminarias lighting the way throughout the city. The holiday website, www.ItsATrip.org/holiday, showcases diverse holiday shopping options, tasty holiday cuisine and events to celebrate the season. The website also offers hotel discounts, coupons, seasonal recipes and more. Plan your visit today! Notable Holiday Season Events Nov 4-6: 19th Annual Weems International Artfest A multi-cultural art event displaying over 270 top artisans in every medium and price range; this year’s event features actor John Corbett displaying his visual artwork for the first time. www.weemsinternationalartfest.org November 25-27: 12th Annual Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Show With cheerful music, artist demonstrations, Kids Creation Station, Holiday Cookie Walk and more, this show puts everyone in the spirit of the season. www.riograndefestivals.com/2011/november2011.html Nov 26-Dec 30: River of Lights Thousands of twinkling lights transform the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden into New Mexico’s largest walk-through holiday light show each evening of the holiday season. More than 90,000 visitors attend each year to see animated displays of zoo animals, Southwestern plants and holiday scenes. www.RiverOfLights.org or www.cabq.gov/biopark/garden/annual-events/river-of-lights Dec 1: 16th Annual Nob Hill Shop & Stroll Historic Nob Hill features a cheerful holiday tradition of shopping with extended hours, luminaria decorations, music and fun along historic Route 66. www.rt66central.com Dec 2: Old Town Holiday Stroll Enjoy shopping, live entertainment, luminarias, family activities, Santa Claus and lighting a giant Christmas tree at Plaza Don Luis during this annual tradition. albuquerqueoldtown.com/index.php?page=holiday-stroll Dec 2-24: “A Christmas Story” The Albuquerque Little Theatre presents the beloved 1983 film classic on stage. albuquerquelittletheatre.org/see-a-show/2011-2012-season/main-stage-series/ Dec 3: Twinkle Light Parade & Holiday Arts Festival A local artisans market, pictures with Santa, holiday music, dance performances, food vendors, face painting, and the "Official Lighting" of Civic Plaza all lead up to a lit parade through Downtown Albuquerque. www.cabq.gov/crs/twinklelight.html Dec 10-11: Winter Arts & Crafts Fair Buy direct from Native American artists at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. www.indianpueblo.org Dec 12: Christmas at Kuana The annual luminaria lighting event includes pueblo dancers, music and traditional Native American storytelling. www.nmmonuments.org/coronado-state-monument Dec 16: Las Posadas Los Poblanos Inn & Organic Farm will be hosting Las Posadas, a traditional holiday event that has been celebrated in Mexico for centuries. The evening will include a traditional New Mexican feast featuring fresh organic ingredients from the farm. www.lospoblanos.com/events-calendar/dining-events/ Dec 17: Gildan New Mexico Bowl College football post-season bowl game pits the Mountain West Conference against the Pac-12. This event will be nationally televised on ESPN. www.newmexicobowl.com Dec 24: Luminaria Tour Drive through beautifully lit neighborhoods with thousands of luminarias lighting the way. The Albuquerque holiday tradition involves paper sacks filled with sand and a single candle to light up rooftops and walkways. www.itsatrip.org/events/details/luminaria-tour-16184/   Holiday Resources For a complete list of events, visit www.ItsATrip.org/Holiday. The tastes of the season are distinctive in the region. Traditional New Mexican holiday recipes including biscochitos, tamales, posole and empanadas are available online. To put yourself in the holiday spirit, check out the “The Life of a Brown Paper Bag” video. The mission of the Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau is to stimulate economic growth by marketing Albuquerque as a visitor and convention destination. For more information, please call 505.842.9918 visit our web site at www.ItsATrip.org, Facebook www.facebook.com/visitAlbuquerque or Twitter twitter.com/see_albuquerque pages.