What's Going on in Cloudcroft? Find out with Our Summer Field Guide
Mark your calendars with new biz, fresh food, arts & culture, events, and beyond
Stay up to date with Cloudcroft’s businesses, fresh offerings, and family-friendly events on the mountain this summer.
Business Beat
Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbeque is still officially on the market, now with $2.5 million listing online.
Read more about owner James Jackson’s decision to sell in an exclusive interview with the Reader.
The Highland is now open on James Canyon Highway, featuring high-end gifts, including Nambé ware, New Mexico-made goods, hunting and fishing licenses, as well as Danner, Kenetrek, and Crispi boots, along with other outdoor essentials.
And, the store kept the popular animatronic target shooting game from the former Bigfoot Experience in the front of the shop.
Dining Developments
The Café Au Lait food truck regularly serves their namesake coffee with milk and beignets in the morning and reopens for dinner service from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Recently, they’ve debuted crawfish étouffée on the menu.
Find the candy-red food truck at 824 US Hwy 82 in High Rolls, just west of Off the Wall. Look forward to our interview with Café Au Lait owner, library advisory board chair, and author Andrika Ruiz in the coming weeks.
Next door to Fernando’s Burritos, you’ll find Cloud 9000 Coffee, the new shop with coffee, tea, and a grab-and-go food menu.
Wood-fire pizza and summer tubing are back at Ski Cloudcroft, starting July 4th.
The Lodge boasts several new offerings:
If you love Chef Lepree’s sandwiches, catch your favorites with new salads and desserts at the Lodge Bistro at the golf course. Open Thursday-Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Prices range from $9-$14.
The days and hours of operation have been expanded at Saint Andrew’s Lounge and 1899. Saint Andrew’s is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00-9:00 p.m. and Sunday from 4:30-9:00 p.m. Catch fine dining at 1899 on Wednesday through Saturday, 5:00-9:00 p.m., reservations required.
Folks are invited to stay awhile on July 5th at The Lodge Jamboree, a cookout from 1:00 to 8:00 p.m. featuring steak, ribs, grilled chicken, and all the fixings for only $30 per adult and $15 for kids aged 12 and under. Enjoy live music on the lawn from 4:00-10:00 p.m. and a cash bar at the Red Dog Saloon.
The Farmer’s Market at the James Sewell Ice Rink at Zenith Park starts for the season on July 4th, with regular openings on Fridays at 5:00 p.m. and Sundays at 11:00 a.m. Don’t forget your cash.
Outdoor Offerings
The Cloudcroft Ultra 53k, 9.5-mile, 4.75-mile and 1-mile Kid's Dash trail races are back, and on the Rim Trail, which Cloudcroft Ultra Organizer Cloudcroft Runners note ”was the first U.S. Forest Service Trail in New Mexico to be designated as a National Recreation Trail.”
The New Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association Bigfoot Scavenger Hunt is scheduled for Saturday, July 19th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and starts at the Trestle Recreation Area Depot.
Enjoy Cloudcroft’s scenic disc golf courses: the dog-friendly, 18-hole Cloudcroft Community Disc Golf Course at 230 Mescalero Avenue is ranked in the top ten courses for the state of New Mexico. The 9-hole Byron Ligon Disc Golf Course at Zenith Park was recently remodelled into a par-3, beginner-friendly jaunt that follows the park’s accessible walking path.
Cloudcroft’s annual High Altitude Classic mountain bike race will take place on September 7th this year. We’ll announce when registration opens.
Want to ride, run, or hike the Rim Trail? Take advantage of the High Altitude free Saturday Rim Trail Shuttle, which leaves from the popular outdoor shop on Burro Avenue Saturdays at 9:00 a.m. Call 575-682-1229 for more info.
XTERRA announced that the village of Ruidoso will host the brand’s 2026, ‘27, and ‘28 World Championship off-road triathlon for elite outdoor athletes.
XTERRA racers compete worldwide at sites like Australia, China, Europe, South Africa, Hawaii—and now Ruidoso’s Grindstone Lake and Wingfield Park.
For 2025, a qualifier race will be held on August 15th-17th. Find out more and register online.
Be in the Mountains Yoga owner Beth Merrell will be hosting a yoga class on August 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at Grindstone Lake as part of the XTERRA events. The stretchy session is free to everyone of all ages, and will focus on a gentle Vinyasa flow.
Sound On
Catch live music at the Cloudcroft Brewing Company and The Distillery every weekend all summer long. The lineup regularly includes mountain favorites like the Doso Dirtbags, CW Ayon, and Mark “Saxman” Garcia.
The Shady Pines Chamber Players and Fairy Garden strolls are back for the season. Savor their tunes now through September 1st—visit here for more information.
This article continues after a brief message. Thank you to our sponsor, Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage:
The 29th Annual Weed Bluegrass Festival kicks off July 19th at 8:00 a.m. The event will take place indoors at the old gymnasium located at 21 Weed Road in Weed, NM. Entrance is $15 or $30 for a family. Bring a comfy chair—folks are welcome to use the outdoor playground at this family-friendly event.
After a full Saturday of music, the event concludes with a free Sunday morning gospel service, accompanied by complimentary cinnamon rolls and coffee.
On Saturday, July 5th, the Village of Cloudcroft will host an Independence Day Parade, beginning at noon from East Burro and marching through the Burro business district. Folks can sign up online through the village’s GIS dashboard.
Stick around for the Country Street Dance on Burro. Boot scootin’ starts at 5:30 with lessons and tunes by K-Cloud’s Kris Parks until 10:00 p.m.
From 6:00-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 30th, folks are invited to be bathed in relaxation at the Be in the Mountains Yoga special Sound Healing Bath event, “an immersive experience where participants ‘bathe’ in sound waves produced by various instruments. These instruments create calming vibrations and soundscapes designed to promote relaxation and well-being.” Join in for $20; space is limited, and advance registration is available online.
Arts & Culture
The Cloudcroft Light Opera Company (CLOC) debuted “Those Wedding Bells Shall Not Ring Out” Friday night. You can catch the following shows July 4th-6th, 11th, and 12th at 7:30 at the Zenith Park Pavilion, where proceeds benefit CLOC’s scholarship program.
Since 1994, CLOC has awarded over $30,000 in scholarship funds to graduating students from Cloudcroft, Tularosa, and Alamogordo, as well as to continuing students pursuing advanced degrees in the arts.
In the first weekend of August, check out Art and Wine in the Cool Pines at the Sacramento Mountain Museum & Pioneer Village on James Canyon Highway. The event lives up to its name, featuring fine arts vendors like those from last year, including local oil painter Drew Gaines and photographer Bobby Moberly.
The Chamber of Commerce also hosts the Christmas in July Jamboree on July 13th-14th at Zenith Park and the Lumberjack Day Arts & Crafts Show on September 13th, with a lively roster of axe throwing, chainsaw competitions, and more.
The Michael Nivison Public Library should soon be open after the hire of new Library Director Sandra Barr, who will also serve as Planning and Zoning Clerk and Court Clerk for the village.
Housed in the Old Red Brick School Building, the Cloudcroft Art Workshops are in full swing. Discover more and sign up online for inspired instruction in a variety of art mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking, and more.
Head to the back lot of the Burro Street Exchange for free family-friendly movie showings. Bring a chair or blanket; concessions are available and proceeds benefit Toys for Kids. Shows start at 7:30 p.m. Here’s the line-up:
July 5th, Independence Day; July 19th, Jurrassic Park
August 2nd, Dr. Doolittle; August 16th, Daddy Daycare; August 30th, The Incredibles
September 13th, Jurassic Park 2; September 27th, Scooby Doo
October 11th, Ghostbusters; October 25th, Haunted Mansion; October 31st, Casper
Don’t miss Cloudcroft’s budding art scene. New galleries are located on Burro Avenue, like Samantha Odom Art, The Little Gallery, and Aspen & Ivy.
The Cloudcroft Art Society holds regular holiday exhibitions and Saturday showings at their small cooperative gallery in front of the public library.
Off the Beaten Path, a cheerfully pink gallery and gift shop by Berle Van Zandt and Donna Rand just off the western end of Burro, sells handmade works and supports a stray cat trap and release program.
Black Bear Coffee Shop owners Crystal and Nathan Tompkins host monthly artists in their petite gallery space. In June, they displayed high-contrast paintings and collages of birds and landscapes by Cheryl Kaufman.
Kaufman is an artist and medieval historian who earned an undergraduate degree in fine arts and theology, as well as a PhD in medieval history. While her subjects, like hummingbirds, are flattened in a nod to Kaufman’s era of study—like illustrations in a medieval manuscript or stained glass window—the bold curves and rhythmic shapes of a wing or a rolling mesa draw you in for a closer look.
See for yourself, and sip Black Bear’s seasonal Mountain Hibiscus iced tea while you’re at it.
Want to share your new business or event with the Reader? E-mail us at happenings@cloudcroftreader.com
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Cloudcroft Reader is proud to be sponsored in part by great companies like:
High Altitude
Your favorite little outdoor outfitter on Burro AvenueBlushing Yucca Esthetics
Luxury facials, full body waxing, and brow servicesThe Elk Shed
Purveyors of Southwest Mountain Goods & FineryDown Under Groundwater Surveyors
We find water for youPeñasco Valley Telephone Cooperative
For all the ways you love to connectCloudcroft Sandwich Shop
In the heart of downtown Cloudcroft, New MexicoTularosa Communications
Internet that keeps you connected.Instant Karma
Adventure Within: Transformative Yoga, Ayurvedic Wisdom, Nourishing Organics, Fair Trade BoutiqueOff the Beaten Path
Eclectic gifts & original artworkFuture Real Estate
Raise your expectations.Ski Cloudcroft
Pizza and Summer Tubing start July Fourth!Cloudcroft Therapeutic Massage
Maximizing Movement, Quality of Life ImprovementThe Stove and Spa Store
We offer a variety of services to ensure your hearth and spa dreams are met!The Lodge at Cloudcroft
Landmark Choice Among New Mexico ResortsDusty Boots Motel and Cafe
Have a beautiful, restful nightNew Mexico Rails-to-Trails Association
We Convert Abandoned Railroad Lines Into Recreational TrailsLaughing Leaf Dispensary
Discover a world of wellness at Laughing Leaf
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