Fiestas de Albuquerque

Can you believe March is nearly over and Spring is here? The spring is bringing some exciting events to the ABQ, including a celebration of Albuquerque itself - Fiestas de Albuquerque! On April 18, you can explore the eras of Albuquerque's history through music, dance and other fun activities! See below for more event information, courtesy of ABQ 365:

Event Details

April 18, 2015
Time: 12-5pm
Admission: Free

Location:Historic Old Town

Rio Grande Blvd. N.W. & Central Ave. N.W., Albuquerque, NM 87104
Phone: 505-768-3556

Featuring food, live music, dance, activities and more from five major eras of Albuquerque’s history, this event will have something for everyone! As you walk through different areas of Historic Old Town you will be able to experience the awesome history of the Native American Era, learn about the founders from the Spanish Era, enjoy mouth watering delicacies and learn how to craft piñatas from the Mexican Era, and listen to live, historic music and see blacksmith demonstrations from the Territorial Era.

Join the ABQ Burger Tour

If you love a good burger, you need to make time to attend Yelp Albuquerque's "burger binge" next week! The event covers 7 burger venues in 7 days, with $5 burger specials at each venue. The burger binge starts Sunday, March 22 at Nexus. All of the details, including how to register and participating venues, are below, courtesy of Albuquerque Business First:

A burger bonanza is happening at some Albuquerque-area venues — some familiar, some off the beaten path.

Howie Kaibel told Business First that YelpAlbuquerque is organizing a "Burger Binge" that runs next week. Kaibel is the uber-connected and active community manager and marketing director for Yelp's local presence.

"I chose the burger concept because it's such a versatile food in our region of the country; it's popular and can be prepared for virtually all palates, including vegans," Kaibel said. "I asked the Yelp community for business suggestions, that's where I got most of our partners, and I sought out two new businesses."

The event features burgers at seven locations in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho from March 22-28 — one venue each day. Attendees can expect $5 burger specials with craft brews and a party atmosphere at some locations too, he said.

The seven venues offering special burgers are Nexus Brewery, The Grill on Menaul, Bistronomy B2B, Delish of Albuquerque, Fat Squirrel Pub & Grille, Flamez Burgers & More and Fork & Fig.

There's one catch — customers will be asked to check in at the venues on the Yelp mobile app to claim the special offers, said Kaibel.

Each partner is crafting something fun for the event. Nob Hill's Bistronomy, for example, is offering their Mini Menage — slider versions of popular offerings. Festivities start March 22 at Nexus, located at 4730 Pan American Freeway E. NW from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. To register for the free events and for more information, click here.

Yelp (NYSE: YELP), founded in San Francisco in 2004, hosts and markets yelp.com and a mobile app which publishes crowd-sourced reviews about local businesses.

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Golf Destinations in ABQ

Now that spring is rolling around, it's the perfect time to get back out onto Albuquerque's golf courses and enjoy the beautiful surrounding scenery. Albuquerque is even home to four of the top 10 golf courses in New Mexico! No matter what your skill level is, there is a course in our city for everyone. Here are several golfing highlights, according to Visit Albuquerque:

Paa-Ko Ridge Golf Club was one of only 17 courses in America to be awarded a five-star rating by readers of Golf Digest (April 2006). This dramatic course was also voted No. 4 on "America's 100 Best Courses for $100 or Less" by Travel & Leisure Golf Magazine. Paa-Ko Ridge sits on the eastern side of the Sandia Mountains at elevations ranging from 6,500 to 7,000 feet. The club takes its name from nearby ruins which date from the 14th century.

Next to the Hyatt Tamaya Resort and Spa on Santa Ana Pueblo,Twin Warriors Golf Club was also ranked in the top 50 U.S. courses by Golf Digest (May 2005). Twin Warriors offers a unique high-desert golfing experience to players of all skill levels. This classic New Mexico state golf course is carefully routed in and around ancient cultural sites, and provides a stunning view of the Sandia Mountains.

Also located on Santa Ana Pueblo, the 27-hole Santa Ana Golf Club was called "one of America's three best true links-style golf courses" by The New York Times. This course features native grasses, subtle mounding and eight crystal- clear lakes in a peaceful setting along the Rio Grande, with majestic views in every direction.

Sandia Golf Club, which opened in June 2005, lies on the northern edge of Albuquerque across the road from pastures occupied by a herd of bison. Sandia is a world-class golf experience offering a visually stunning and strategic 18-hole golf course that was listed as one of the "Top 10 New Courses You Can Play" by Golf Magazine (December 2005). In addition, its pro shop has already earned the distinction as one of America's "100 Best Golf Shops" from Golf World Business.

Just south of Albuquerque, the Isleta Eagle Golf Course is set between the cottonwood-lined Rio Grande and the foot of a dormant volcano. The three nine-hole tracts incorporate the distinct high-desert topography of the area. Nearby is the Championship Golf Course at the University of New Mexico, an 18-hole course that has been ranked among the top 25 public courses by Golf Digest and offers a contrasting view of the Rio Grande Valley and downtown Albuquerque.

Bike Trails in ABQ

Even though it's not officially spring yet, we do turn the clocks ahead an hour this weekend, and that has us in a spring mindset. If you love to take advantage of the great outdoors and Albuquerque's beautiful scenery, get out your bike and tackle these top 10 trails, courtesy of Newscastic. Which trails do you prefer on your outdoor adventures?

Sandia Peak
Climbing to the top of Sandia Peak is a serious challenge for any rider, but one of the most scenic rides around Albuquerque. If you start in the 4 Hills neighborhood, the climb to the top is 56 miles. It’s a great ride in the summer too, because the trees provide cooler temperatures. Take a little pit stop at the quirky little Tinkertown Museum at the base of the mountain on your way back down, it’s worth the extra 20 minutes.

La Luz Trail
La Luz is great for hikers, runners and bikers alike. It can get steep at times, and is a narrow trail, so this is definitely not for beginners. The La Luz Trail is located just off of Tramway before you hit the Sandia Casino. If you hit the trail late spring and make it to the top, you'll see a fabulous waterfall from melted snow off the Sandias.  

Riverside Bike Trail
The Riverside Bike Trail is a great weekend ride. It's roughly 16 miles long, and meanders through the Bosque passing the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, Tingley Beach and the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden. This trail is great for families, as a large part of it is flat and paved.  

Tramway Bike Path
Tramway is great for beginners or even advanced riders who just want to take a nice scenic tour on a paved path. You can start on Tramway Blvd. near Central Ave and bike all the way down to I-25. If you want a little bit of a challenge, bike the reverse up from I-25 to Central.

Embudo Canyon Open Space
Open Space trails are great for the mountain biking enthusiasts. Embudo Canyon is no exception. There are a great network of trails that range from easy to moderately difficult.  

Elena Gallegos Open Space
Elena Gallegos Open Space also has a great network of trails on a 64-acre park, and you can’t beat the view. It’s at the base of the Sandias, and you can see Mount Taylor near Grants on a good day.  

La Llorona Loop
If you're from northern New Mexico, chances are you know the La Llorona tale. Aptly named, this looped trail follows the river and is roughly 32 miles. The loop starts and ends at the UNM Observatory on Yale Blvd.

Paseo del Mesa Trail
The new Paseo del Mesa Trail is a short ride of only eight miles. For those who love to avoid urban trails, this is a great one. This trail starts on the westside, and continues west on Unser as you ride through the Petroglyph National Monument.  

Sedillo Hill
Unlike many states around the country, riding on the highway is legal in New Mexico. The ride to Sedillo Hill is all highway, and it’s a long trek. Since you’ll be riding half way to Santa Fe, you could challenge yourself further and ride all the way and get a nice cold beer at the Santa Fe Railyards, and then hop on the Railrunner back to Albuquerque.  

Albuquerque Volcanoes Mountain Trail
These popular trails are out among the volanos of the westside of Albuquerque. This network of trails are easy to moderate as they wind through the Petroglyph National Monument. The best time to ride these trails is spring or fall because summertime can be brutal with such a lack of water and trees.