City: Albuquerque, NM

Category: Annual Events & Festivals

Telephone: (505) 724-4771

Description: This festival has grown fast since its debut in 2005, putting down roots in Albuquerque as a leading celebration of world music and culture in the Southwest region. ¡Globalquerque! prides itself on bringing artists to town that you might not expect to see on the festival circuit, representing all corners of the world, from Peru to Sweden and Ghana to Tibet. Grammy winners and nominees have graced the indoor and outdoor stages at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, with past performers that include Koko Taylor; the Global Drum Project, featuring the Grateful Dead’s Mickey Hart; Lila Downs; Rahim AlHah; Indian Ocean; Kusun Ensemble; Native American “First Lady of the Flute” Mary Youngblood; and Taos Pueblo star Robert Mirabal. Events take place in the Albuquerque Journal Theatre with its terrific acoustics, the Fountain Courtyard stage, and the large outdoor Plaza Mayor, which has plenty of space for dancing against a backdrop of the impressive Mayan temple–style architecture. International cuisine and crafts shopping can be found in the Global Village booths. Free activities might include dance workshops, instrument making, African drumming, and crafts, open to both kids and adults. Scheduling may vary, but ¡Globalquerque! has usually run over the last weekend of September, coinciding with GO! Downtown Albuquerque Arts Festival, with a free shuttle between the two events. Ticket prices are tiered into three rates, depending on when you buy; the further in advance the cheaper the deal. A guideline for an adult one-day pass is $25 to $35; a two-day pass is $40 to $60. Children 12 and under are around half the adult rate. No charge for kids under 3.