STREET FEST
Cruces festival showcases breweries from across the state, with live music
Head down south for an unlimited sampling of what Las Cruces breweries have to offer as well as a number of breweries from across the state during Blazin’ Brewfest.
The festival, presented by the New Mexico Brewers Guild, will be held along Main Street and feature 20 breweries. Ticket holders will receive a commemorative pint glass for unlimited samples from participating breweries. Newcomers include Albuquerque’s Starr Brothers Brewing, Drafty Kilt Brewing Co., Angel Fire’s Enchanted Circle Brewing Co., and Carlsbad’s Milton’s Brewery. There also will be plenty of food available at about 10 food trucks from Las Cruces to satisfy your appetite.
“It’s going to be a lot more breweries this year,” said John Gozigian, executive director of the New Mexico Brewers Guild. “Last year, the lines were pretty long, so I think having four or five extra breweries is going to make a big difference, not just for variety but to keep the lines under control a little bit, and we’re having more food trucks too so there won’t be lines for that, plus now with the plaza, it’s just going to be really nice.”
This is the festival’s fifth year. It originated at a venue called The Grapevine, west of downtown Las Cruces.
“I guess it was a winery at one time, and it’s like an event venue, but the guys that own it put in a brewery too, so it’s called Picacho Peak Brewing Co.,” Gozigian said. “At the
time, it was just a venue, and then they hosted this Blazin’ Brewfest in 2013, and they were like that’s cool, but they’re guild members now, and we actually outgrew it after that first year because we were packed there.”
The festival has moved to Main Street in downtown Las Cruces, where it has been held for the past three years. Between this year and last year, a plaza was built next to Main Street where the festival takes place. This is the first year that the festival will extend into the plaza.
“We blocked the street off and put all the breweries along the Main Street,” Gozigian said. “The city installed a nice, big stage at the end of the plaza, so we’ll have live music up there.”
Fixed Idea, a ska-punk band from El Paso, will headline the event. Las Cruces’ the Beaux Peep Show, which plays dance music from six decades, and fire dancers from Odd-Lab also will perform.
“I love that kind of music,” Gozigian said of Fixed Idea. “I love ska. It’s one of my favorite kinds of music, and I like how they kind of put like a border twist on it a little bit. I’m excited to have them.”