By Connor Currier
With harvest season in full swing, the City of Moriarty is preparing for one of its most beloved and long-standing traditions.
The Pinto Bean Fiesta is set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 27. This year’s celebration is shaping up to be the biggest in the festival’s decades-long history.
Mayor Brandon Webb, a lifelong Moriarty resident, recalls attending the festival as a child. “I can remember it as a kid being 9 or 10 years old,” Webb said. “But I think this year, this looks to me like it’s going to be one of the biggest Pinto Bean Fiestas ever.”
Events at the festival will include a hot air balloon glow, live music, a plane flyover, and yes, plenty of pinto beans. The festival, which unofficially marks the end of the agricultural season, holds deep roots in Moriarty’s history.
A Weekend of Events and Community Spirit
The festivities begin the night before, on Friday, Sept. 26, with a Hot Air Balloon Glow at Sierra Blanca Brewery from 6 to 8 p.m. Around ten balloons are expected to light up the evening sky, providing a stunning kickoff to the weekend.
The next morning, early risers can catch a Balloon Ascension from 6 to 8 a.m., followed by a parade at 10 a.m. along historic Route 66 through downtown Moriarty. A planned airplane flyover will add a dramatic touch to the parade’s finale at City Park.
Also new this year is a Farmers and Ranchers Golf Tournament, organized by the local Rotary Club. The event, played “out in the pasture” just east of the park, adds a unique rural flair to the weekend.
At City Park, vendors will open at 10 a.m., alongside a cornhole tournament starting at noon. Attendees can enjoy food from four well-known local favorites, and refreshments from a beer garden operating until 2 p.m.
The VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) will host a car show from 5 to 8 p.m., with all proceeds supporting veteran services.
“I really want to highlight and support our local veterans,” Mayor Webb noted. “They’ve made real sacrifices for this country, and it’s important that we recognize that.”
Capping off the day is a live band performance by 7000 Feet, also running from 5 to 8 p.m., where the community can dance and enjoy the final hours of the celebration.
Community Impact
While the schedule is packed, the Pinto Bean Fiesta is about more than entertainment. It’s a chance for neighbors to connect and for a city to celebrate its agricultural roots and community pride.
“It’s about bringing everyone together,” Webb said. “This is a local event that reminds us who we are and where we come from.”
For those looking to volunteer or get involved, the City encourages reaching out to City Hall and asking for Ana Garcia or event coordinator Debbie Adcock.
Pinto Bean Fiesta Events:
- Hot Air Balloon Glow: Sept. 26, 6–8 p.m. @ Sierra Blanca Brewery
- Balloon Ascension: Sept. 27, 6–8 a.m.
- Parade: Sept. 27, 10 a.m. (Lineup at 8:30 a.m.)
- Vendors at City Park: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
- Farm & Ranch Golf Tournament: Time TBD, east of City Park
- Cornhole Tournament: 12 p.m.
- Beer Garden: Until 2 p.m.
- Car Show (VFW): 5–8 p.m.
- Live Band “7000 Feet”: 5–8 p.m.
- Location: Moriarty City Park and Main Street (Route 66)
