An Edgewood company specializing in burro races is among eight outdoor businesses competing for $15,000 in prizes at a state-sponsored pitch competition next month, the New Mexico Economic Development Department announced.
New Mexico Pack Burros will compete at Adventure Pitch Fest on Nov. 6 at the Albuquerque Rail Yards, according to a department press release. The company creates burro-centric races and events designed to support rural communities.
“We’re building burro-based adventures that fuel rural economies,” New Mexico Pack Burros Founder Shane Weigand said in the release. “With this support from the state, we can make each race a destination experience that revitalizes New Mexico’s historic main streets.”
The Outdoor Recreation Division will award $10,000 to the first-place winner, $3,000 for second place and $2,000 for third place, the department said. Finalists will deliver one-minute pitches before a panel of judges, with winners advancing through elimination rounds.
“The pitch fest will highlight some of our most innovative outdoor recreation businesses,” EDD Cabinet Secretary Rob Black said in the statement.
The free event runs from 3 to 7 p.m. and will feature food trucks, family activities and exhibitions from outdoor businesses statewide, according to the release. Tickets can be reserved at bit.ly/adventurepitchfest.
Other finalists include companies from Albuquerque, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, Valdez, El Prado and Questa offering services ranging from therapeutic horseback riding to fly-fishing equipment, the department said.
