🎈 Last Chance: Balloon Fiesta's Final Weekend + 20 Things To Do (Oct 9–11)

We just launched, and it's the behind-the-scenes side of this newsletter. We'll be out around Albuquerque with our kids, stopping in at local businesses, meeting the people who run them, and sharing the photos and videos that don't fit in an email.

The newsletter tells you where to go. Instagram lets you tag along.

If your kids have ever wanted to see a balloon shaped like a cartoon character or an animal, this is the day. On Friday, Oct 9, Balloon Fiesta turns its focus to the littlest fans with Kids' Day (sponsored by Chick-fil-A), and the morning is all about the Special Shape Rodeo.

Unlike a mass ascension, where hundreds of traditional balloons fill the sky, the Rodeo showcases the fun shaped balloons your kids will love and balloons will still launch at 7:00 AM too.

Plus, Kids' Day goodie bag distribution starts at 4:30 AM south of the Main Street Stage.

The day ends with the Special Shape Glowdeo, when the shapes light up on the ground at 6:30 PM, followed by a drone show and the AfterGlow fireworks at 8 PM. If you want a Fiesta evening that works with kids, this is the one: the glow, the skydivers, and fireworks to finish.

Friday, Oct 9 schedule
4:30 AM Kids' Day goodie bag distribution begins (south of the Main Street Stage)
6:00 AM Dawn Patrol
7:00 AM Special Shape Rodeo and balloon launch
7:30 AM Fiesta de los Globitos (remote-control balloon exhibition)
8:00 AM Fly In Competition and Chainsaw Carving Exhibition
10:00 AM Chainsaw Carving Auction
3:00 PM Chainsaw Carving Exhibition
5:00 PM Team Fastrax Skydiving
6:30 PM Special Shape Glowdeo
7:30 PM Team Fastrax Skydiving
7:45 PM Drone Light Show
8:00 PM AfterGlow Fireworks Show

When: Fri Oct 9. Morning session starts at 6 AM (Dawn Patrol), evening session builds to the 6:30 PM Glowdeo. Weather permitting.
Where: Balloon Fiesta Park, 4401 Alameda Blvd NE
Cost: $22.24 per person per session online, or $20 in person at the Balloon Fiesta gift shop (Mon–Fri, 9 AM–5 PM). Kids 12 & under are free. Parking is $20 cash per session. One ticket covers all the morning activities or all the evening activities, so mornings and evenings are separate admissions.

We highly suggest you take the Park & Ride. We definitely will be! It includes round-trip bus rides and admission: $32.59 for adults (13–61), $30.52 for seniors (62+), $20.17 for kids 6–12, and free for ages 5 and under when you buy online in advance (day-of prices run a few dollars higher). Pickup spots are Cottonwood Mall, Coronado Center, Hoffmantown Church, and Intel in Rio Rancho (weekends only). Morning buses leave at 4:00 and 5:30 AM.

Heading back Saturday or Sunday? Saturday is a full Mass Ascension (plus Music Fiesta that night, which needs a separate upgrade ticket for guests of all ages, starting at $30 on top of Fiesta admission), and Sunday's Farewell Mass Ascension at 7 AM is the last launch of the year.

MORE THIS WEEKEND

FRIDAY, OCT 9

Balloon Museum Fiesta Programming
9201 Balloon Museum Dr NE
Open 7 AM–5 PM · Included with admission
VR balloon rides, docent tours & "The Balloonists" film

Train Tracks in Your Garden Show
ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden
9 AM–5 PM · $12–$21.50 adults · $7–$13 kids
10 trains on 2,000 ft of track, including live steam

Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival
Sandia Resort & Casino
9 AM–5 PM · $15 · Kids under 12 free
About 200 juried artists, live music & food trucks (final weekend, Sunday closes at 4 PM)

Balloon Fiesta Week at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
2401 12th St NW
9 AM–5 PM · Adults $12 Fri, $15 Sat–Sun · Youth $8 · Under 5 free
Native dances & artist vendors in the courtyard

Balloon Fiesta Week in Old Town
Old Town Plaza
12–4 PM · FREE
Live music, mariachi & folk dance

SATURDAY, OCT 10

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Balloon Fiesta Park, 4401 Alameda Blvd NE
Mass Ascension 7 AM

Downtown Growers' Market
Robinson Park
8 AM–12 PM · FREE

Second Saturday: Time Travel
Casa San Ysidro, Corrales
1–3:30 PM · FREE

New Mexico United vs. Monterey Bay FC
Isotopes Park
6:55 PM · From $24
Blackout Night, final regular-season home match

SUNDAY, OCT 11

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
Balloon Fiesta Park, 4401 Alameda Blvd NE
Farewell Mass Ascension 7 AM

Corrales Growers' Market
500 Jones Rd, Corrales
9 AM–12 PM · FREE

Free Sunday Mornings at the Albuquerque Museum
2000 Mountain Rd NW
9 AM–1 PM · FREE

Rail Yards Market
777 1st St SW
10 AM–2 PM · FREE
200+ vendors, live music & kids' zone

La Llorona "Ditch Witch" Run
Sagebrush Community Church, 6440 Coors Blvd NW
Kids K 5 PM · $18 kids · $45 adults
Costume contest & storytelling after the Kids K

PUMPKIN PATCHES 🎃

McCall's Pumpkin Patch
2 McCall Ln, Moriarty (30-45 min east of ABQ)
Fri 12–6 PM · Sat & Sun 10 AM–6 PM · From $19.99
Kids 2 & under free. Haunted Farm (Fri & Sat nights) is by reservation and not for little kids.

Galloping Goat Pumpkin Patch
Rio Rancho Event Center, 3001 Civic Center Cir NE
Daily 9 AM–6 PM · $11.99 kids · $13.99 adults
Corn pit, mini corn maze & pumpkin bowling. Cards only, petting zoo costs extra.

Big Jim Farms
3521 Rio Grande Blvd NW, North Valley
Daily 8 AM–6 PM · FREE entry
Pay for what you pick

Two babies under two. Right after Covid. And nowhere to go.

That's where Justine Jean Baptiste was when she opened Liv & Mimi's Play Cafe, named after her daughters, Olivia and Naomi, who are 19 months apart. She searched Albuquerque for a place where little ones could play and a tired mom could breathe. It didn't exist.

Birthdays made the problem more urgent. Her daughters' birthdays fall in the hottest and coldest parts of the year, a struggle a lot of Albuquerque parents can relate to. Justine needed an indoor venue for her own girls and quickly realized she wasn't alone. So she built the place she couldn't find.

WHAT IT'S LIKE INSIDE

"I hope parents feel rested when they come here," Justine told us. The space is intentionally low stimulation, so you can drink your coffee, read a good book, or work on a crochet project while your kids run around. She loves the phrase "sitter-vising." And honestly, so do we! It's also completely indoors, which makes it perfect year-round.

The thoughtfulness is in the details. Forgot diapers? She's got you covered. Your kiddo has an accident and you need a pair of bottoms? Covered. Left the diaper bag at home? They stock your kids' favorite snacks. "I love surprising parents with the thoughtfulness that has gone into this place," she said.

Two postpartum moms have told Justine this place helped carry them through a very hard season. Her hope for everyone who walks in: "We hope to be a village, a community and a reprieve for tired, exhausted parents."

OPEN PLAY (AGES 0–5)

Book two hours of open play with indoor slides, toys, imagination stations, and more. Parents and caregivers must stay and watch their children, it's socks only in the play area (grippy socks are best), no running or rough play, and outside food and drink are allowed in designated areas.

When: Time slots are booked online, and the booking calendar shows current openings
Where: 10301 Comanche Rd NE #2, Albuquerque
Cost: $12 per child (ages 0–5) for a 2-hour session. Younger siblings under 1 are free with a paying older sibling. One adult spectator is free (older siblings over 5 count as spectators too). Extra adults are $6 each, up to 2 extra per child. You can add a snack pack and juice box for $5.75.
Before you go: Sign the waiver using the link in your confirmation email.

Play passes: A 10-visit play pass is $85, great for gifts and holidays. The Unlimited Fall Pass is $75 for one child or $150 for a family (up to 4 children). Fall passes cover open play only, not special events or retail, and run from your purchase date through November 30. After you buy one, email [email protected] with each child's name and birthdate. Passes are not transferable.

Book your playtime

THIS MONTH AT LIV & MIMI'S

Halloween Costume Party
When: Saturday, Oct 31, with start times at 10 AM, 11 AM, and 12 PM
Cost: $16.05 per ticket, and each ticket includes one free adult. An additional adult spectator is $6.
Book the Halloween party

Mom's Night Out: Chunky Knit Blanket with Marina's Stitches
A cozy, hands-on workshop where you make your very own throw blanket with Marina of Marina's Stitches, a handmade baby boutique. No needles or experience required, and your ticket includes all materials, instructions, and refreshments. It's adults-only with no open play.
When: Tuesday, Oct 13, Tuesday, Nov 3, and Tuesday, Dec 1. Snacks and refreshments start at 5 PM, and the lesson starts at 5:30 PM, wrapping up around 8:30. Spots are limited, so book early.
Cost: $91.49 per person
Book Mom's Night Out

Mother's Group
Connect with other moms over refreshments. Walk-ins are welcome, and babies under 6 months are free.
When: Every 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 10:30 AM (Oct 14 and Oct 28)

Hosting a birthday? Parties start at $350 and include 2 hours of private party space, 30 minutes of setup time, and room for 20 kids and 30 adults. You bring your own decor, food, and drinks. Balloon garland and decor packages are available, and you can ask about party vendors for bounce houses, face painting, guest appearances, and more. A $100 deposit reserves your date, with the balance due 24 hours before the party. An extra hour is $100, subject to availability.

Learn more and see the online boutique at livandmimisplaycafe.com, and follow along on Instagram at @livandmimisplaycafe.

"Food is all we've ever done," says co-founder Greg Atkin. He and his partners Rick Post and Tom White met working in restaurants and spent years dreaming of opening a place together.

Chef Tom started as a butcher's apprentice at 14, graduated at the top of his class from the California Culinary Academy, and cooked in Napa Valley before coming home to New Mexico. After the three friends opened two well-loved Italian restaurants, Scalo in Albuquerque and Pranzo in Santa Fe, Tom took a sabbatical in Italy, fell in love with wood-fired ovens, and came back with a new idea: a wood-oven pizzeria that felt relaxed but a cut above.

That became the first Il Vicino, which opened in Nob Hill in 1992 and was an instant hit. Today that one neighborhood pizzeria has grown into seven locations across New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas, with three right here in Albuquerque. It's a New Mexico-born success story, and it's still run by the friends who started it.

What we ordered

We tried the Margherita pizza and a green chile chicken pizza. Beyond pizza, the menu has calzones, paninis, and pasta, plus wine and award-winning microbrewed beer for the grown-ups, and homemade root beer for the kids.

For the kids, Il Vicino has a Bambini Plates menu for ages 12 and under. Kids can choose penne pasta tossed with butter and parmesan, marinara, or Alfredo sauce, a Margherita (cheese) or pepperoni pizza, or a grilled flatbread with melted mozzarella.

While we were there, we saw multiple families celebrating birthdays, which tells you a lot about what kind of place this is.

Where: Il Vicino West Side, 10701 Corrales Rd, Albuquerque, NM 87114
Phone: (505) 899-7500
Hours: Sun–Thu 11 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 11 AM–10 PM
Cost: About $10–$20 per person. For example, the Vegetariano calzone is $13.50 on their online menu.
Good to know: Outdoor seating is available, and they don't take reservations.

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We're excited about where this is going. The newsletter is just the beginning. We want to keep finding the best things happening around Albuquerque, bring parents together at in-person events, and build a community that's actually useful for raising kids here.

Thanks for being part of it. ❤