Downtown sometimes gets a bad rap, but a premier growers’ market and a slew of art events remained undeniable bright spots in 2024. Some of the most well-known attractions are headed up by the Downtown ABQ MainStreet initiative — a community redevelopment nonprofit that’s been in operation since 2008.
The initiative includes the Downtown Albuquerque Arts & Cultural District — a designated 30-block area within and near the city’s core that has a mission to support Downtown’s creative economy.
The following are some highlights from 2024, according to organizers.
Downtown Growers’ Market
The Downtown Growers’ Market, located at Robinson Park at 801 Copper Ave. NW, is one of the city’s most popular. Four staff members and 29 volunteers wrangled 230 vendors, 59 growers, 30 musicians and accommodated 90,000 visitors in 2024.
After tabulating sales for its 28th season, market organizers reported vendors brought in $3.2 million from selling produce, art and various wares. Its food assistance programs were well-utilized, too, with about $200,000 in sales during the season.
If you missed the market, you can check out the winter version beginning Jan. 11 at the FUSION Theatre Co., located at 708 First St. NW. More information is here.
ABQ ArtWalk
Gabriel Gallegos, the founder and program director of ABQ Artwalk, continued to put on a show for the sixth year, leveraging Downtown’s widely regarded arts and culture reputation. Each month a small staff of two, with eight volunteers, organized dozens of vendors, performers and exhibitions and saw attendance range from 3,000 to 5,000 people.
Gallegos said ArtWalk supported an average of 150 artists each month, including fine art painters, street artists, photographers, DJs, digital artists, graphic designers, musicians, poets, dancers and crafters.
A Downtown mural tour with local tour guide Follow Eric drew 67 attendees. There was a strong youth focus as well, through a youth and alumni market collaboration with Siembra Leadership High School students. Organizers said students received about $10,000 in revenue over three months.
Updated Downtown maps
A badly needed update of Downtown’s district maps (which were about 20 years old) also took place in 2024. With support from Visit ABQ and the city’s Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency, six maps throughout Downtown were updated, including two installed in parking garages.
The maps highlight established locations that aren’t likely to change or change quickly — like government and public buildings, general locations for food, drink and entertainment, parking, schools, churches and residential areas. The maps also feature a QR code providing an up-to-date list of Downtown businesses.
ABQ Fermentation & Fungi Fest
One of Downtown’s newer events — the Fermentation & Fungi Fest — returned for a second year. Forty four vendors and six growers showed off their offerings to 625 visitors on FUSION’s sprawling campus.
Thirteen different workshops were offered, ranging from fermented body care products to how to make kimchi. A “Battle of the Breads” saw 25 participants and featured five local professional bakers as judges.
High Desert Playback
2024 saw a new theater company complete its inaugural season Downtown — High Desert Playback. “Playback Theatre” is based on a style that began in 1975, described as “theater for social change that is healing, funny, real and understanding.”
High Desert Playback is supported by the New Mexico Foundation and is a member of the International Playback Theatre Network.
Artists Blend
Finally, an effort to provide a mix of community, creativity and entrepreneurism was the thrust of DowntownABQ MainStreet’s Artists Blend meetups, which launched on March 17.
Artists, crafters, playwrights and musicians mixed and mingled with other fellow creatives at Downtown hotspots like The Brew, Curious Toast Cafe, Zendo Coffee and Novel Point Coffee. Eight meetups took place from March to June.
More on DowntownABQ MainStreet is available here.