Saturday, December 5, 2009
Ski Area Update
New Flight from DFW to Santa Fe
Monday, November 23, 2009
Follow Up: Red River in National Geographic
Snowshoeing at the Enchanted Forest
Monday, November 16, 2009
Is it Time to Ski Yet?
It seems like we were all just sitting around at Oktoberfest saying how the summer flew by. In the blink of an eye, we've skipped over fall and are headed right into winter! Red River received 12" of fresh snow on top of the mountain over the weekend, and the ski area crew has been hard at work making new snow every single second the conditions will allow. We braved the chilly air this morning to get some video of snowmaking on the Face and over at the Gold Chair. Enjoy this for now, and we'll see you in 9 days when the ski area opens for the 2009-2010 season!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
What a Summer!
At least we have a good excuse though: this has been a BUSY summer in Red River! From the first motorcycle that rolled in over Memorial Weekend to the record-breaking crowd at "Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights," Red River has seen it's fair share of people this year. It certainly gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling to know that families and friends are still making their way up to the mountains for their annual vacation, and that all of the effort we put into making Red River a "home away from home" doesn't go unnoticed.
Before we go on to tell you about all of the fun and exciting things left to do in Red River before the leaves fall, it seems appropriate to update you on the 7th annual "Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights" Music Festival and Cook-off. Once again, Larry Joe Taylor put together a stunning lineup of musicians that kept the crowd entertained for three days straight. Beginning with the "Songswap Campfire" and Joe Ely concert Thursday night, the Red River Valley was the backdrop for some incredible entertainment. And even though our trip to the top of the mountain for the concert at "The Tip" was rained out, everyone was in good spirits for the remainder of the weekend. The Tejas Brothers wowed the crowd at the cook-off Saturday and even got couples out of their seats for a little two-steppin' in the park. Keith Sykes, Terry Allen, Richard Leigh, the Josh Grider Trio, Michael Hearne, Jed Zimmerman, and South by Southwest were all terrific performers and we look forward to having them all back again in the future.
Saturday's cook-off drew a record 1,400+ attendees who enjoyed the perfect weather while sampling chili, green chile, and BBQ. With 39 CASI teams, 20 green chile teams, and 11 BBQ teams, the competition was HOT! After all was said and done, our CASI "Red River Red" champion hailed from New Mexico, our BBQ grand champion came from Texas and our New Mexico Green Chile State Champion drove in from Colorado. Good to see what a large draw this event has!
So now we're gearing up for the numerous fall events the Red River Chamber of Commerce puts on. September kicks off with our annual softball tournament on Labor Day Weekend, followed by the Enchanted Circle Century Tour and Top o' the World Mountain Bike Race, September 12th & 13th. This is always an adrenaline filled weekend with 1,000 cyclists and 150 mountain bikers speeding around the Enchanted Circle and the Enchanted Forest XC Ski Area. September 18th - 20th you'll find Brandenburg Park and the Red River Conference Center filled with hundreds of arts and crafts vendors for Aspencade, then Red River returns to the "Wild, Wild West" October 2nd - 4th for Days of 1895 (our version of Pioneer Days). Lastly, we wrap up the festive fall season with a local favorite, Oktoberfest, October 9th - 11th. With polka music, authentic German food, microwbreweries, and more, Red River's Oktoberfest is a "must do."
So hopefully you're all caught up on what's been happening the last few weeks in the mountains. We've got a few more good weeks left in us before things start to dramatically slow down and locals start to put on their winter bulk for the ski season. Hope you get a chance to visit again soon!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
This is Where the Music Happens
We're getting pretty close to that three-day music festival again, "Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights," August 13th-15th. This annual event combines music at some pretty cool venues (on top of the mountain & along the Red River) with a chili, BBQ, and green chile cook-off in the park on August 15th. If you're a music lover (and who isn't?) this is the event for you. If you can't make it up that particular weekend, any weekend will do. The music calendar has just been posted and things in Red River are looking pretty darn entertaining to us.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Busy, busy, busy!
The Fourth of July was an incredible success. The town was packed with people from all over Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado, and Kansas (with a few others sprinkled here and there). The Red River Chamber registered 70 floats for the parade and, with the exception of a dispute between a horse and a fire engine, everyone had a great time (we know now that all horses need to be placed behind the sirens). After the parade there was plenty to do in Red River: free games & entertainment at the Community House, live music and a BBQ in the park, the shoot-out at Frye's Old Town, the Red River Valley Charter School's Duck Race, and Cowboy Evening at Bobcat Pass. It was so great to see so many smiling faces and happy families in town! Quite a few people made the drive over to Eagle Nest to watch the spectacular fireworks; we haven't seen pictures yet but we know they'll be in the paper this week.
So what's coming up in Red River? Michael Martin Murphey has a few more dates at Cowboy Evening, the Community House continues with their great line-up of FREE activities, Vanilla Pop has a show at the Bull o' the Woods, and the rest of us gear up for "Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights" Music Festival and Cook-off! Larry Joe Taylor announced nine bands today for "Hot Chili Days, Cool Mountain Nights," including Joe Ely, Michael Hearne, South by Southwest, Keith Sykes, Richard Leigh, Josh Grider Trio, and Jed Zimmerman. This is just one of the many fantastic events we have over the summer and we'll tell you more about it in an upcoming post (which hopefully won't take two weeks to write)! In the meantime we hope you're having a great summer and we hope to see you in Red River real soon!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Fine Art & Wine Festival
Saturday turned out to be typical spring weather in the mountains, but we were surprised at how many people braved the rain and wind to come out to the festival (we think the seven wineries may have contributed to the bravery of attendees). Gabrielle Louise was as cute as a button with a dynamite voice and songwriting skills, and Phillip, Mandy, and Ben were crowd pleasers as usual. We are so blessed to have such amazing talent right here in our little valley! The art was beyond compare - sculptors, painters, photographers, potters... you name it, we had it. Magnificent artist, Ed Sandoval, was here again from Taos to judge our juried show, and multiple Red River businesses contributed awards for the winners.
As things started to wind down at the park Saturday afternoon, thirty people hopped on board the Red River Trolley for our first ever progressive wine dinner. From Sundance, to Capo's, to Timbers (stuffed filet mignon), and Onota Bakery, guests were treated to a dinner beyond compare with wines to match. Considering the smiles of contentment we observed, we gather the progressive dinner was a huge success. The Chamber is considering putting together the progressive wine dinner on a regular basis, so stop by their office in Town Hall if you'd like more information.
Sunday was a day for the books in Red River. The sunshine finally came out and warmed up the town to about 70 degrees. A new crowd of people ventured out to Brandenburg Park to enjoy the music, art, wine, and food (we couldn't help but notice how many people also took advantage of Red River being one of the most dog-friendly communities in New Mexico). Fold out chairs and blankets were all over the park while people soaked up some sun and enjoyed the ambiance. As children enjoyed the grass on their bare feet and adults enjoyed the wine on their palates, you could see smile after smile until the last note was played Sunday afternoon.
Festivals like "Fine Art & Wine" are one of the best reasons to live in Red River... or at least visit a lot more often.
Monday, June 15, 2009
"River & Brews" Blues Fest
We sure did have a good time at the "River & Brews" Blues Fest this weekend. I think we're all pretty pleased with the attendance for the first year (over 400 people), and I know we're happy with the music. Johnny Mack made the trip up to Red River a little early to join in the open mic Friday night at the Lift House. He played with Red River favorites Jeff Fagan and Fritz Davis, along with a few other blues aficionados that wanted to join in. It was a packed crowd and everyone really seemed to enjoy the Lift House as Red River's newest music venue! Tijerina, Albuquerque Blues Connection, Johnny Mack, and Bugs Henderson all played on the outdoor stage Saturday on the face of the mountain. Santa Fe Brewing Company was well represented, as was West Texas BBQ (pulled pork sandwiches... YUM!). There were a few unpleasant wind gusts later in the afternoon, but the rain held off and everyone had a great time. Later that night some of the more hard core blues fans made it out to the Bull o' the Woods Saloon for an encore performance from the Albuquerque Blues Connection. They are definitely a favorite and we hope to see them back again this summer!
Now we're preparing for the Fine Art & Wine Festival this weekend. Black Mesa Winery, Santa Fe Vineyards, Tularosa Vineyards, Ponderosa Valley Vineyards, Falcon Meadery & Winery, Wines of the San Juan, and St. Clair Vineyards will all be here this year, as will some of the most talented artists, photographers, and potters in the southwest. Gabrielle Louise, and incredible vocalist and musician from Colorado, will be performing at the festival on Saturday, and we'll have Philip Brooks, one of our fabulous Red River musicians, playing Saturday & Sunday. Hope you can make it!
Thursday, June 4, 2009
2009 - 2010 Vacation Guide
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Hospitality Showcase
The weather has been playing tricks on us this week. We all know it's the summer season, but we've been getting rain every afternoon. While our flowers are ready for some sunshine, the rain is keeping the days cool and the forest green. The Copper Chair is going to be open for weekend rides up to the top of the mountain beginning June 12th, then open full-time June 26th. This will be the first time the Copper Chair has been operating during the summer (since the Red Chair is being replaced), so we're all looking forward to seeing the ski area from a new perspective. In addition to the beautiful scenery, one of our favorite things about riding the chair up is the chipmunks at the tip. Bring your camera and catch these guys in action... smiles guaranteed!
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Kick off to Summer
Welcome to the new