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 Com
merce 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!
Posts
