Big Texan Roadshow In Gallup

Above, the giant steer in front of the McKinley County Courthouse. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last evening, I headed into Gallup to check out the Big Texan Roadshow that is in celebration of the centennial of Route 66.

The event was held in the McKinley County Courthouse Square. There were about 100 people there. By the time I left, there were at least 300. 

The Big Texan out of Amarillo, Texas is celebrating Route 66's centennial in different cities along the "Mother Road". They will be in Albuquerque tomorrow. 

I don't know how many people signed up for the free 72 oz. steak challenge. It was getting too crowded and I was getting a bit hungry. So I left and went to Jerry's Cafe for dinner. I decided to try our their tostada and beef enchilada plate. Not bad! I will have my usual there tomorrow. 

Above, my dinner at Jerry's Cafe. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Big Texan had the mayor of Gallup there to welcome the attendees and they had a booth of Big Texan souvenirs for sale. Local Native American artisans also had booths of jewelry and other goods for sale.

It was a great turnout, considering what a small town of Gallup is. 

Some photos:

2026 Gallup Rodeos

Above, bull riding during the 2025 Gallup Lions Club Rodeo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Here's the rodeos that will take place at Red Rock Park near Gallup, New Mexico this year:

76th Annual Gallup Lions Club Rodeo & BBQ

Dates: June 18–20, 2026 

Highlights: Youth rodeo (June 18), Open show rodeos (June 19–20), and a downtown BBQ celebration

11th Annual Best of the Best Timed Event Rodeo

Dates: June 23–27, 2026 

Highlights: High-stakes team roping, $3,000 added per event, and exclusive prizes for winners

WildThing Championship Bullriding

Dates: Typically hosted in July (Mid-summer)

Highlights: One of the premier bull-riding events in the Southwest, featuring elite riders and the Wooly Riders youth division

Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial

Dates: August 1–9, 2026

Highlights: Daily rodeo events begin August 6 

Gallup Lions Club Rodeo June 18 - 20

Above, a past Gallup Lions Club Rodeo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This month marks the beginning of rodeo season in the Gallup, New Mexico area.

The first rodeo of the season is the Gallup Lions Club Rodeo that will be held this year at Red Rock Park Rodeo Arena.

The rodeo dates are June 18 through June 20.

It is a great rodeo and I haven't missed it since I moved to New Mexico.

For more information, go here. 

41st Red Rock Balloon Rally This Weekend

Above, the 2019 Red Rock Balloon Rally at Red Rock Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The 41st Annual Red Rock Balloon Rally will be taking place this weekend at Red Rock Park east of Gallup this weekend.

The balloon rally begins on Saturday, December 2 at 7:30 am with the ascension of hot-air balloons and ends on Monday, December 4.

From the official website:

December 2nd-4th, 2022

The 41st Annual Red Rock Balloon Rally will take place on December 2-4, 2022.  What began as a small but earnest effort by four individuals to share the unique flying challenge offered in the incredible red rock formations east of Gallup, New Mexico has grown into the second largest balloon rally in North America, with 200 balloons.

ADMISSION IS FREE TO ALL EVENTS!

(with only a small $5.00 parking fee at events at Red Rock Park)

Above, the 2019 Red Rock Balloon Rally. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I attended the 2019 Red Rock Balloon Rally and had a great time. The weather looks favorable this year with a forecast high of 54° on Friday.

100th Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial

Above, the livestock pens at the rodeo arena. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since today is the final day for this year's Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial, I headed over to Red Rock Park to see the exhibits and the kiddie sheep-riding event.

It was a bit hot out, so I just stayed a couple of hours. It was a good thing I did, for when I got home, we had a thunderstorm roll into Jamestown. It was a bit difficult to take pictures at the rodeo arena as many spectators has umbrellas that prevented unobstructed views.

This year's Ceremonial marks the centennial of it.

I wandered around the convention center to check out the entries for the art contest along with the room with Navajo rugs and jewelry. 

Outside, I came upon the booth for Fire Rock Navajo Casino. They had a spin-the-wheel game in which winning a prize was pretty much guaranteed. Before heading there, I bought a bleacher seat cushion at the official Ceremonial booth. It was only $5.00. But as things turned out, I won a Fire Rock Navajo Casino bleacher seat cushion. So I ended up with two of them. The nice thing about the Fire Rock cushion, it included a pocket for me to put my copy of the Centennial program inside.

Above, the bleacher seat cushions. The one on the right I won. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I had a good time there.

Some photos:

Celebrate The 75th Anniversary of "The Roswell Incident" This Weekend

Above, the "Alien Autopsy" exhibit at the Roswell International UFO Museum. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This coming weekend, July 1-3, 2022 to be exact, the annual Roswell UFO Festival in Roswell, New Mexico will be held.

The organizers plan on making the festival with a special one as this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Roswell Incident, the finding by a rancher of a "flying disc" on his ranch.

Above, the famous Roswell Record front page of July 8, 1947. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In case you are not familiar with the Roswell Incident, Sky At Night Magazine posted an article on what "really" happened in July 1947 in and near Roswell.

They begin it with:

July 2022 marks the 75th anniversary of the Roswell incident, where believers say an extraterrestrial spacecraft crashed in the New Mexico desert, with debris – and possibly alien bodies – being recovered by the US government, marking the beginning of a decades-long cover-up.

What really happened at Roswell, and why does this mystery still attract such interest and controversy, decades later?

To read the full article, go here.

Above, vendors galore on Roswell's main street during the UFO Festival. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After you're done reading the above article and if you happen to have plenty of time on your hands, you may want to head out to Roswell this weekend to take in the UFO Festival. Along with the Festival, Roswell also has the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research Center. As the aforementioned Sky At Night Magazine article states, "The city of Roswell had embraced its heritage, a UFO museum had been opened and annual events were held to mark the occasion."

Above, the Roswell International UFO Museum and Research Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I attended the 2018 Roswell UFO Festival and had a great time. There's plenty to see and do and the main street of Roswell is loaded with shops selling a myriad of UFO and alien goods. Also, during the festival, various vendors set up booths in the middle of the street with more goods for visitors to part with their dollars for. But beware, as various events are held throughout the city, be prepared to do a lot of walking. This is one town that can use a big convention center to hold things all in one place. 

Above, yours truly with a pair of extra-terrestrials. 

For out-of-towner attendees, there's plenty of accommodations in Roswell. We stayed at an RV park in town in 2018.

For more information on the Roswell UFO Festival, go here.

Gallup Lions Club Rodeo Returns

Above, from the 2019 Gallup Lions Club Rodeo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The best time of the year is just beginning. Rodeo season is starting in Gallup, New Mexico.

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, the Gallup Lions Club Rodeo is back. It will be their 72nd rodeo.

Ads for the rodeo are now being broadcast over local radio stations.

Their flyer:

For more information, go here.

2022 Gallup Area Rodeos

Above, a bull-riding event at Red Rock Park in 2019. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Updated 5-20-22

This evening, I did some checking on the dates of the rodeos in Gallup (Red Rock Park) for 2022 for when my ex-roommate Jessica comes to visit. 

The Gallup rodeos and dates are:

• Lions Club Rodeo - June 16 to 18
• Bloomer Trailers Best of the Best Rodeo - June 22 to June 26
• Wild Thing Bull Riding - July 8 to July 9
• Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial - August 11 to August 14 

In nearby Grants:

• Grants Wild West Days Rodeos -  July TBA

In nearby Crownpoint:

• Eastern Navajo Nation Fair and Rodeo -  July TBA 

In nearby Window Rock, Arizona:

• Navajo Nation July 4 Fair and Pro Rodeo - July 1 to 4

For these and other rodeos, go here.

Elvis Week 2022

 

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW ELVIS WEEK 2022 NEW GUEST JUST ANNOUNCED GET YOUR ELVIS WEEK TICKETS Get your tickets now for an unforgettable line-up of concerts, conversations, tributes, and more! 2022 highlights include the August 16 Elvis Presley in Concert featuring Elvis on the big screen backed by a live band; All the King's Men, showcasing those who shared the studio and stage with Elvis; The Gospel Music of Elvis Presley Dinner Show, where fans can enjoy Elvis' gospel favorites; the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest and performances by many of EPE's past Ultimate winners; and the cornerstone event of the week, the annual Candlelight Vigil on August 15 where fans gather in quiet remembrance of the king.  The week will feature a variety of guests - from friends and family, to backing musicians, co-stars, and more, including special appearances by Priscilla Presley - plus Jerry Schilling, James Burton, Glen Hardin, Norbert Putnam, Gene Chrisman, Terry Blackwood & The Imperials, Larry Strickland, The Blackwood Brothers Quartet, Estelle Brown, Sam Thompson, Charles Stone, Greg McDonald, and more to be announced. In addition, we are excited to announce a special guest has been added to the line-up - Cassandra Peterson, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark - who will be a guest speaker at Conversations on Elvis on Aug 15 and make an appearance at The Sapphire Collection event on Aug 16. Also enjoy performances from our ten of our past Ultimate ETA Contest winners - Shawn Klush, Brandon Bennett, Justin Shandor, Cody Ray Slaughter, Dean Z, David Lee, Gordon Hendricks, Ben Thompson, Taylor Rodriguez, and Patrick Dunn. Tickets are on sale now so order today!  SEE THE SCHEDULE ORDER YOUR SAPPHIRE COLLECTION FOR ACCESS TO SPECIAL ELVIS WEEK EVENT THE SAPPHIRE COLLECTION EVENT ON AUGUST 16 TO INCLUDE Q&A WITH CASSANDRA PETERSON (Elvira) ELVIS 45: The Sapphire Collection is offered exclusively by Graceland and includes a limited-edition, collectible ELVIS 45 Record Carrying Case; a collection of six Elvis 45 RPM records in custom record jackets and hand-numbered - including three custom pressings only available through this collection; Graceland 40th Anniversary Opening Day poster; RCA Records Envelope featuring a swatch of Elvis' personal wardrobe; plus a 2022 Graceland Annual Tour Pass, access to an exclusive Sapphire Collection event during Elvis Week 2022, and more!  JUST ADDED: Cassandra Peterson, aka Elvira, Mistress of the Dark will make a special appearance at The Sapphire Collection Event during Elvis Week where she will do a Q&A with attendees!  ORDER YOUR COLLECTION TODAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

2021 Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial August 6 - 15

It appears that the parties involved in the Gallup Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial in (where else?) Gallup have come to terms and the show will go on.

This has been posted on the official Ceremonial Facebook page:

 

I, for one, am looking forward to attending, especially the Ceremonial's rodeo events. 

AlienFest Schedule Posted

The Roswell UFO Festival is coming up in a few weeks, but they're calling it AlienFest* this year (maybe that's a permanent name change?) and they've posted their schedule of events.

AlienFest will be held in Roswell, New Mexico from July 1 to 3. I attended it three years ago and enjoyed it (beware, expect to do a lot of walking).

They posted:

Did you know every event at the AlienFest is FREE and completely family-friendly! Join us at the Chaves County Courthouse July 1-3 and you may just run into a pelican – or swarm of butterflies. You will definitely run into aliens and possibly see a crashed UFO! Free music every day as well! Make your very own tinfoil hat to prevent the aliens from reading your mind. Take plenty of selfies at the selfie stations. Be sure to post your images on social media and tag them with #Alienfest and #UFOFestival. Pick up your passport and visit local merchants to participate in the fun scavenger hunt where you can win free swag and prizes.

If you stop by our information tent and fill out a short survey, you will receive a FREE event pin.

Lastly, don’t forget to get some amazing merchandise to commemorate this fun event!

If you're looking for something to do, since G-FEST (the annual Godzilla convention) has been canceled again this year, thanks to the pandemic and Illinois government's response to it, you ought to check out AlienFest.

To read more, go here.

*Frankly, I think they should stick with Roswell UFO Festival as it is perfectly self-explanatory and "AlienFest" may lead some people to think this has something to do with illegal immigration.