Fall is my favorite season. Especially in Albuquerque, New Mexico, my hometown. It truly is pure magic to watch the tree’s changing colors along the Rio Grande River and on the Sandia Mountains. Not to mention the warm smell of freshly roasted green chili at every grocery store and the beautiful weather. Over the past three years, my husband and I have enjoyed the fall in our hometown through the eyes of our son. This has made the autumn season even more magical as parents.
This blog post is full of fall family activities and fall traditions to do in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is meant for both locals and those of you who are stopping by on your next fall vacation. I hope this list inspires you to enjoy some family time and create memories in the fall season ahead in the beautiful city of Albuquerque.
Sunflower Picking
We have gone to Big Jim’s farm for sunflower picking the past two years. It is so beautiful to walk through the fields. It’s a great place for your kids to enjoy the outdoors and learn about plants, animals, and insects like bees. The fields are absolutely breathtaking and peaceful to enjoy as adults. We used a baby carrier the first year we went with our son, but now he is older and can walk the fields with us. I don’t think a stroller is a good option here since the fields are narrow and can get muddy if it rains.
This is one of our favorite fall family activities and we cannot wait to go back this year. Big Jim’s farm is located conveniently in Los Ranchos and opens up Labor day weekend. They also have green chili roasting, activities, a few farm animals, and other produce they grow for purchase. When we have gone, we have paid for what we picked as far as sunflowers and any additional produce at their farm stand. We like to go early in September to really kick off the fall season!
Enjoy the Great Outdoors
Walking along the Rio Grande river on the trails is a perfect fall family activity to enjoy the incredible weather in Albuquerque. See this City of Albuquerque link here which provides details on where to park and trail information along the river. Also, the Sandia mountains have incredible walking trails too. See this great link for All Trails for details on some kid friendly hikes that they recommend on the Sandia’s. We love this activity because it’s free and relaxing for our family. We love to get outside and thankfully Albuquerque makes that very easy.
Apple Picking
We are fortunate to have family with several apple trees on their land. Last year we enjoyed this fall family activity together with my extended family. We used the apples we picked to bake apple crumbles and apple sauce (see my apple sauce recipe linked here). Also we enjoyed learning about apples with my son, like what we did in my ‘All about apples’ activities for toddlers and kids blog post linked here. We have not been to a local apple orchard here in Albuquerque or in the nearby areas yet. But we have seen several options online where you can go pick apples such as Wagner Farm in Corrales, New Mexico.
Visit a Pumpkin Patch
Just outside of Albuquerque is McCall’s Pumpkin Patch. This is a beloved pumpkin patch combined with tons of activities including a corn maze, a hay ride, and a haunted house. We went last year when our son was two. We had the most wonderful time! This year we wanted to try out the pumpkin patch in Corrales called Wagner Farmland Experience. Or as we mentioned before we do love Big Jim’s farm and they have a pumpkin patch too.
We love going to the pumpkin patch as a fall family activity together. We get to enjoy the fall weather and enjoy picking out pumpkins. Plus, when we take them home we decorate, carve, or bake them and keep the family bonding time going.
Visit your Favorite Local Coffee shop
Of course we all know the pumpkin spice latte is a big deal in the fall. Personally, I don’t really like the flavor of pumpkin but what I do love is a seasonal drink from a local coffee shop. Our all time favorite coffee shop is Little Bear Coffee. In our favorite Albuquerque food and coffee spots blog post we also noted that we love Plata coffee a lot too. Supporting your local coffee shops while enjoying family time is a perfect family fall activity. A warm drink and spending time with my son and husband is one of my favorite traditions. But the autumn weather makes a warm drink even more enjoyable.
The Balloon Fiesta
The International Balloon Fiesta is the ultimate and most magical fall family tradition to enjoy in Albuquerque. The Balloon Fiesta is truly something you have to see at least once in your lifetime. If you live here you know the excitement when you see the first balloon in the sky in late September. It brings on the anticipation of seeing hundreds of balloons in the sky all at once. It is breathtaking.
We took our son to his first balloon fiesta after he turned one. It was magical to watch his little eyes light up watching them take off and float in the sky. But as a local, I do not like to go to the actual balloon fiesta park every year. I prefer to pick up doughnuts and coffee and watch from the trunk of our car in a good location. It could be at a park or even on a family or friends street in the northeast heights where you can see all the magic without the crowds. But mixing it up each year and going to the parks or watching elsewhere is also a great choice to enjoy this incredible experience.
Wishing you a Beautiful Fall Season
I hope these favorite fall family activities in Albuquerque blog post brings you inspiration to create family traditions this fall. Enjoy these local spots, ideas, and activities. Happy Fall!
