The fall months in the Sacramentos mean golden aspens and maples, cooler nights, and a packed events calendar before the snow flies, hopefully. Fall is this reporter’s favorite season in the village, with low-key, family-friendly events, great weather, and a slowdown on the shoulder season.
Whether you’re a local or visitor up for a leaf-peeping weekend, here’s the Reader’s rundown.
Fresh Faces
James Sewell Ice Rink: New lease owners and operators Cory and Shea Herman will host the grand opening of the newly refurbished rink at Zenith Park on October 31 from 12–10 pm, with skating, face painting, a costume contest, a trunk-or-treat, and “random giveaways.” Look for our fuller report on the ice rink to be published soon.
Magick Melts: Embark on a quest to High Rolls Mountain Park to find this fantasy food truck. Bespoke jammy grilled sandwiches, like the Alchemy Melt and Enchanted Panini, will cure your craving. Stop for a spell and try the sparkly edible glitter Swedish Creme for dessert.
A Bagel Co.: A fresh coat of charcoal paint marks this new weekends-only breakfast spot on Burro, in the former Maggie’s Shaved Ice location. The family-run joint overnights New York bagels to El Paso, where they share time with their mountain home. Sandwiches and schmears on the menu, open Saturday and Sunday, 7 am to 3 pm. Learn more: Big Apple Bagels Come to Burro
Hotel Cloudcroft: A seven-year-in-the-making passion project for the Geist family, the 17-room boutique hotel is slated to open on Burro Avenue over Labor Day weekend. Trevor Geist and parents Lance and Robin gutted and restored the boardwalk building, channeling Gilded Age elegance with Tiffany-style lighting, gas-lamp-flicker fixtures, and dark wood and steel sourced from roughly 150 antique stores across New Mexico, West Texas, southern Colorado, and Arizona. Get an exclusive first look inside: Hotel Cloudcroft Opens After Seven Years of Renovations: First-Look Photos.
Cloudy’s Neighborhood Market: Just a few yards from Burro, this locally owned grocery is stocked with discovery goods, locally sourced produce, and essentials. Open daily from 10 am to 6 pm. Don’t skip the house-made salsas.
Get Together
Paddle enthusiasts can catch the Cloudcroft Mountain Smash Pickleball Tournament, a fundraiser for Cloudcroft Track & Field, September 5–6 at Zenith Park’s public courts. Sign up at PickleballDen.com.
Also Labor Day weekend: the Cloudcroft Art Society Labor Day Show runs Friday through Sunday, September 4–6, at the Old Red Brick Schoolhouse, and the Battle of the Food Trucks & Craft Show takes over Zenith Park September 5–6 with food trucks, craft vendors, and a People’s Choice vote.
The Cloudcroft Light Opera Company (CLOC) brings the melodrama to Zenith Park with The Inventor’s Daughter, or... The Villain Made a Grab for the Lab, at the CLOC Pavilion in Zenith Park on September 4, 5, 6, 18, and 19 at 7:30 pm. Free admission. Cheer for the hero, boo the Villain, and support local scholarships at the cash concession bar.
Party on with the Labor Day Celebration at the Lodge, Saturday, September 5, noon to 4 pm. Feast on an outdoor BBQ with live music from the Doso Dirtbags. Reservations: 575-682-2566.
The Timberon Volunteer Fire Department hosts a 9/11 remembrance parade and dinner on September 11 at 5:30 pm, with proceeds benefiting the Tunnels to Towers Foundation.
Lumberjack Day is at Ski Cloudcroft on Saturday, September 19, and is free to watch. The competition kicks off at 9 am. Expect food and craft vendors, family fun, and a kids’ halftime show. Details: cloudcroftlumberjackday.com
The next day, cyclists take over Burro for the High Altitude Classic XC Mountain Bike Race Sunday, September 20. Riders start at 10 am at High Altitude Shop downtown, with 10-, 13.5-, and 17-mile course options and awards at 2 pm at Elevation Park.
October 10, join in on a fundraiser for the Cloudcroft Village Parks and Recreation fund: a Bucket Golf tournament at Elevation Park. Talk to Bri Jonnes at High Altitude on Burro to find out how you can support this event.
More Than Books: Packed Fall Library Calendar
The Michael Nivision Public Library has Story Time every Friday from 10:30–11:30 am, plus a Roman Art Lecture on September 3.
The Kids Can entrepreneurship workshop will be held on September 21, followed by a Fall Potluck & Photo Social on September 25, and Bingo Night on October 9.
Make a Halloween weekend of it with Spooky Story Time and the classic village Pumpkin Roll the weekend of October 30-31.
The library’s clothing and food drive runs September 8 through December. Organizers are collecting gently used clothing and non-perishable food items. For more info on any library events: (575) 682-1111.
Scary Fun October
The 15th Annual Haunted Village returns to the Sacramento Mountains Historical Museum & Pioneer Village along Highway 82 on October 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, and 31, 7–10 pm. Entry is $15; proceeds benefit the museum. Consider yourself warned.
Close to Halloween, the village usually hosts a Pumpkin Roll down the steep Swallow Avenue next to the library. Bring your own gourd.
After chunkin’ pumpkins down the hill, a costume parade down Burro ends at Summit Christian Fellowship’s annual Harvest Festival. Typically, businesses on Burro open up for trick-or-treating. Visit DiscoverCloudcroft.com for timely updates on the Halloween weekend festivities.
Cloudcroft Municipal Schools and the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization host a family-friendly Fall Festival Fundraiser in the Middle School commons and gym, with carnival games, a bouncy house, bingo with prizes, raffles, and a cakewalk. Join the fun and support the schools on October 30 from 5–7:30 pm.
Get outside for two area trail-running events. October 17 and 18, the Cactus to Cloud Sky Race brings New Mexico’s only point-to-point ultra back to Cloudcroft, taking runners from the desert floor at Oliver Lee State Park up to the state’s highest-elevation course. Registration closes October 11: https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=132661
October 8-11, Ruidoso hosts the XTERRA World Championship, where the world’s top off-road triathletes head to Ruidoso as XTERRA marks its 30th anniversary with a long-awaited return to the U.S. The full-distance race features a 1.5K swim in Grindstone Lake, a demanding 27K mountain bike leg across Grindstone Mesa, and a 10K trail run — all against a backdrop of fall color in the Sierra Blanca mountains.
Free public events like yoga, guided hikes, and a welcome celebration with live music run alongside the competition.
Get Outside: Chasing Gold
Mountain leaf-turning season typically peaks in the back half of September into mid-October. A few spots worth the drive or the walk:
Sunspot Highway and Karr Canyon, the classic. Miles of roadside aspen groves, easy to view from the car or pull off for a closer look.
Osha Trail, a gentle 2-mile round-trip loop just outside the village, good for families and popular for wildlife sightings alongside the color. Maples galore, bursting yellow, orange, red, and purple.
Rim Trail, with sweeping panoramic views over the Tularosa Basin. Worth the short climb for the payoff.
The Mexican Canyon Trestle overlook is a scenic sunset photo spot, with the old rail trestle framing the view. Pull off the highway for the vista, or continue towards the village for trailhead parking.
When visiting shared lands, pack it in, pack it out, leave no trace, and respect the wildlife.
Pack layers — mountain mornings and afternoons can swing 30 degrees — and check Village and Lincoln National Forest sites for any fire or trail restrictions or closures before you go.
Have an event, opening, or favorite fall spot we missed? Let us know at events@cloudcroftreader.com
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Congratulations to the Geist family on their gorgeous renovation of the Hotel Cloudcroft. You did a great job, and we hope it’s a roaring success!—Barbara and Jim Hartley, Benson AZ and Cloudcroft NM