Fun in the sun at Summerfest
Annual celebration at Nob Hill draws crowds similar to previous years, in spite of limitations imposed by ART construction
Some of the kicks were moved off Route 66, but there was still plenty of fun to be had on the historic highway in Albuquerque’s Nob Hill area.
The city’s Route 66 Summerfest took to the streets Saturday, albeit in a more confined location due to Albuquerque Rapid Transit project construction. The festival was held on Central from Girard to Carlisle, and the main stage and the lineup of classic cars were moved onto Monte Vista, north of Central.
In years past, the event was entirely on Central and stretched farther east to Washington. But Central east of Carlisle remains an active construction zone, so that area was axed from the event.
Dwayne Gonzales, who showcased his 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air on Saturday, said he was disappointed when he heard
the classic cars were going to be lined up on Monte Vista instead of Central, because he didn’t think people would go out of their way to see the cars.
“But I got to say, there’s a lot of people still coming. At first, when we parked here, I thought it was going to be, ‘There’s nobody going to come off the beaten path to come all the way out here,’ ” he said, while sitting in a lawn chair under a tree next to his car. “But it’s not that bad. It’s not as bad as I thought. There’s a lot of people coming to see the cars.”
He said the lineup of cool cars brings a special charm to the festival in Nob Hill compared with summerfests in other parts of the city.
“That’s New Mexico culture,” he said. “Everybody loves an old car.”
Michael Gomez showed a 1972 Chevrolet Impala at the festival. He said setting up the cars off Central made the event a little less stressful, because the people milling about admiring the vehicles knew to look but not touch.
“Central gets a lot bigger crowd. You got to kind of watch people with their kids and their strollers. It’s a little more comfortable (on Monte Vista),” he said. “They stand back and enjoy it. I’m seeing more of the car crowd people. They’re not touching and feeling the paint.”
The car crowd wasn’t the only group who had their Summerfest affected by ART work. Businesspeople along Central, who say they’ve lost customers as a result of the ongoing construction, had been wondering what was to come of the festival if construction wasn’t done in time. But several business owners said Saturday that they were seeing crowds similar to prior Summerfests.
Susan Ricker, the owner of Off Broadway, said the foot traffic during the festival introduces her vintage clothing and costume shop to new customers. She said she was worried in the months leading up to the festival that ART construction wouldn’t be completed and her store would miss out.
“I was worried, but now I’m happy,” she said. “(Summerfest is) important. Even if people don’t spend any money today, they know we’re here now. They’ve discovered us. We get a lot of return business.”
Ryan Fellows, the owner of Squeezed Juice Bar, said the crowds coming in an out of his store were comparable to past years — a bright spot after months of few customers because of ART construction.
Not everyone was as fortunate. Since so much of Central was cut out of the event due to the construction, many businesses lost an opportunity. Sixteen business owners from East Nob Hill complained about the new layout in a guest column that ran in the Journal last month.
“The people to the east, they’re S.O.L,” Fellows said.
But within the confines of the smaller Summerfest, large crowds moved about, having a good time. Organizers expected 30,000 to 40,000 attendees.
Depending on your appetite, there was something to satisfy it.
There were beer gardens for adults and good-sized crowds at most of the breweries and restaurants. A free kids’ zone offered climbing walls, face painting, boxing matches with oversized gloves, slides and inflatable trampolines and other games. There were spiritual readings being done in the streets, deals on tattoos at parlors along the route and the usual summer delicacies, such as roasted corn and ice cream.
The event included three stages where bands performed, with Los Lobos headlining.
Candice Lopez was at the festival with her extended family, which included six kids ages 6 to 16.
“This whole kids zone area is really cool because everything is free,” she said. “It’s really fun for everyone.”