Thank you for your interest in Las Cruces, New Mexico, a city with rich culture and heritage, exciting things to see and do, and of course great weather - 325 days of sunshine! The Las Cruces CVB Media Department is here to assist you with whatever you will need to start, finish or fine tune your story about Las Cruces. We can help you illustrate your story with images from our extensive photo library. We are also glad to help with story ideas, local contacts and the logistics of your visit. This press kit is updated on a regular basis, but you are encouraged to visit our website, www.ExploreLasCruces.com, for the most up-to-date information on the area. We look forward to helping you find the perfect angle for story. Las Cruces CVB Media Department Chris Faivre, Director of Marketing & Communications 575-541-2150, [email protected] explorelascruces.com Las Cruces PR Contact Brooke Traister, Tucker & Associates 214-252-0900, [email protected] Planning a Visit to Las Cruces? Contact the Media Department for assistance with trip planning, accommodations and meals. Need Images? We have a variety of high-resolution images available for journalists and travel writers. Please contact the Media Department for access. TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Annual Events ...............................................................................................4 Bataan Memorial ...............................................................................................7 Galleries & Museums ...............................................................................................9 Golf ...............................................................................................12 Hub & Spoke ...............................................................................................14 Las Cruces History ...............................................................................................15 Mesilla, New Mexico ...............................................................................................17 Outdoors ...............................................................................................19 Culinary ...............................................................................................21 Family Travel ...............................................................................................23 ANNUAL EVENTS LAS CRUCES ANNUAL EVENTS Each January, Las Cruces kicks of the New Year with the Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally, where more than 40 unique and colorful bal- loons fill the sky over the Mesilla Valley. The balloon rally is just one of many events held every year in and around Las Cruces. February is For the Love of Art Month. Art lovers have the opportunity to partake in special art events throughout the month including a city-wide tour of different galleries and artists’ studios. March is the home of Cowboys Days at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. Nothing Says the Old West like the cowboy, and the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum honors the Western legend with a weekend festival complete with roping and riding demonstrations, “cowboy food,” dancing and cowboy poetry. In April, one of the biggest book festivals in the region, the Border Book Festival, bridges borders between ethnicity, generations, cultures, genders and economic class. Parades, workshops, special readings and signings make this festival a true celebration of literature. April is also the month for jazz and wine. La Viña Winery hosts its annual Blues and Jazz Thing and offers great music and, of course, wine. End the month with a weekend of live country music during the Las Cruces Country Music Festival April 24-27 in downtown Las Cruces. See up-and-coming artists as well as some of your all-time favorites during this New Mexico True celebration of country music and New Mexico heritage. Culture and history come together in May to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the historic Battle of Puebla, in Old Mesilla. In keeping with tradition, local residents celebrate with traditional Mexican music, food and games. The spring season concludes with the Southern New Mexico Wine Festival, featuring many of the state’s wines and wineries. The fall festival season begins with the Hatch Chile Festival and the New Mexico Wine Harvest Festival. Both of these festivals allow visitors the chance to experience southern New Mexico spirit. The season continues with the Southern New Mexico State Fair and the Whole Enchilada Fiesta. Recognized by the American Bus Association as one of the top 100 events in North America, the Whole Enchilada Fiesta brings people together to enjoy music, food and rides, and to watch the making of the world’s largest flat enchilada. Following the Whole Enchilada Fiesta is the La Viña Wine Festival held at La Viña Winery. This is the oldest wine festival in New Mexico and features food and entertainment at New Mexico’s oldest winery. The fall season wraps up with the Renaissance ArtsFaire, and the International Mariachi Conference and Spectacular Concert. Held the first weekend of November, the ArtsFaire features a juried art show, artisan booths, music, dance and live performances along with food and craft vendors, all presented in a Renaissance theme. The International Mariachi Conference and Spectacular Concert brings in internationally known mariachi performers from around the world in addition to performances by top mariachi students participating in the conference. 4 ANNUAL EVENTS LAS CRUCES ANNUAL calendaR OF EVENTS JanUARY Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally More than 40 unique and colorful balloons fill the sky over the Mesilla Valley. Brown Farm Field. FEBRUARY For the Love of Art Month Activities include studio and gallery tours and openings, and exhibits at various locations around town. MARCH Cowboy Days A cowboy festival complete with roping and riding demonstrations, “cowboy food,” dancing and cowboy poetry. New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum. APRIL Border Book Festival This unique festival brings together authors from around the world. Live performances, food, fun and book readings and signings. Various locations. La Viña Blues & Jazz Thing A weekend of music and wine at New Mexico’s oldest winery, La Viña Winery. Las Cruces Country Music Festival A weekend celebration of country music with up-and-coming artists as well as some of your all-time favorites. Main Street downtown. MAY Cinco de Mayo A traditional Mexican fiesta with music, food and dancing. Mesilla Plaza. Southern New Mexico Wine Festival Sample wine from many New Mexico growers. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds. JUly 4th of July Celebration Las Cruces celebrates with an electric light parade, live entertainment and a spectacular fireworks display. Hadley Recreational Complex. AUGUST Hatch Chile Festival Sample some of the area’s finest chile while you enjoy food, crafts, auction, live music and more. Hatch. White Sands International Film Festival Intended to screen outstanding short and feature-length documentaries and narratives of all genres from around the world, with a special focus on New Mexican filmmakers. Cineport 10. SEPTEMBER Frontier Day Reenactments of early life at the fort. Fort Selden State Monument. 5 ANNUAL EVENTS LAS CRUCES ANNUAL calendaR OF EVENTS Mesilla Valley Maze Take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch to look for the perfect Jack-O-Lantern, then discover the many twists and turns amazingly cut into a corn field. September - October. Lyles Family Farm. New Mexico Wine Harvest Festival Celebrate New Mexico’s wine harvest with grape stomping, wine tasting, live entertainment and lots of local flavor. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds. Diez y Seis de Septiembre Fiesta Join the village of Mesilla as they commemorate Mexican Independence Day. Folklorico dances, mariachi music, and authentic Mexican food. Mesilla Plaza. The Whole Enchilada Fiesta A street party complete with food, dancing, a parade and the making of the world’s largest flat enchilada! Hadley Recreational Complex. OCTOBER Southern New Mexico State Fair The Southern New Mexico State Fair has something for everyone: a midway, auction, food, live stock shows and rodeo. Southern New Mexico Fairgrounds. Mesilla Jazz Happening Free live jazz music and a wine garden. Mesilla Plaza. NOVEMBER Renaissance ArtsFaire A juried art show and exhibition accompanied by live theater, dancing, music and food, all presented in a Renaissance theme. Young Park. International Mariachi Conference Spectacular Concerts A concert featuring internationally known mariachi performers and conference participants. New Mexico State University Pan American Center. DECEMBER Christmas Carols and the Luminarias on the Mesilla Plaza On Christmas Eve, the historic village of Mesilla is aglow with thousands of luminarias, and the sound of carol- ing. Mesilla Plaza. Winterfest Along Main Street downtown, visitors can enjoy tree lighting, hot chocolate, luminarias, carols, shopping and much more as Las Cruces kicks off its annual holiday celebration. Main Street downtown. 6 bataan MEMORIAL Bataan Death MARCH MEMORIAL Entangled in one another’s arms, three soldiers stand in eternal tribute to the 70,000 men that braved the treacherous journey more than 60 years ago. These larger-than-life bronze statues represent the oft-forgotten American and Filipino soldiers who hiked the Bataan Peninsula, the 50,000 who survived and the thousands of others who did not. The memorial, “Heroes of Bataan,” located in Veterans Park in Las Cruces is the