You know what’s hard about going out? The timing. If a band you want to see is playing one night in town, and you get sick or lazy or are running late or if you car breaks down, you stand a good change of missing your one opportunity. You know what helps? Big, multi-day events that give you several chances to get out of the house and have some fun. Fall is big on these extended festivals, fairs and general get-togethers. This coming week offers a number of events with multiple days to choose from. Hopefully, you saw our earlier article on the Sandia Heights Artists Studio Tour (Sept. 12 and 13). This Thursday, the NM State Fair gets underway for 10 full days. ¡Cine Magnífico! hits NHCC for four nights of film. The New Mexico Jazz Festival offers concerts from now until Sept. 30. And that’s just for starters. Hit that calendar and start digging!
¡Cine Magnífico! (Thursday 10, Film)
The 14th annual ¡Cine Magnífico! Spanish Film Festival! takes over the Bank of America Theatre at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (1701 Fourth St. SW) Thursday, Sept 10 through Sunday, Sept. 14. Recent Spanish-language films from Spain, Mexico, Peru and other parts of the Spanish-speaking world, including comedies, dramas and documentaries are all on tap. A number of the films are being screened as part of Instituto Cervantes’ Espacio Femenino/Feminine Spaces film series, giving this year’s festival a strong female perspective. It starts on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. with Jone, A Veces/Jone, Sometimes, a coming-of-age drama set in Bilbao, Spain. Screenings are all free and open to the public. Films start between 5 and 7:30 each night. For a complete schedule, go to nhccnm.org/events.
New Mexico State Fair (Thursday 10, Fairs/Festivals)
The 2026 New Mexico State Fair officially gets underway on Thursday, Sept. 10. It runs daily through Sunday, Sept. 20. That’s 10 days’ worth of parades, exhibits, midway rides, foods on a stick, farm animals, art exhibits, concerts, rodeos, carnival games and more. Don’t forget the concerts in Tingley Coliseum, either (Everclear, Tanya Tucker and The Warning among them). Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sun. through Thu. and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fri. and Sat. General admission tickets (statefair.exponm.com/p/buy-tickets) are $10.50 to $15.50. Midway ride passes are $35.
The Motherf**ker With the Hat (Friday 11, Theater)
Vortex Theatre (2900 Carlisle Blvd. NE) gets down and dirty with its newest play, The Motherf**ker With the Hat. In this dark comedy, written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, a paroled petty drug dealer named Jackie tries to stay clean and win back his coke-addicted girlfriend, Veronica. But his life falls apart when he finds a strange man’s hat in her apartment. The show opens Friday, Sept. 11 and takes the stage Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through Oct. 4. Tickets (available in advance at vortexabq.ludus.com/index.php) cost $21 to $26.
New Mexico Jazz Festival: Blues Night w/ Judith Hill + Michael Matison+ Levi Platero (Saturday 12, Music)
The 20th Annual New Mexico Jazz Festival continues all month through Sept. 30 with performances at Outpost Performance Space, The Lensic and more. After a week or so of jazzing it up, however, the fest changes its tune and gets the blues with a free concert at Albuquerque Civic Plaza (1 Civic Plaza). Blues Night w/ Judith Hill + Michael Matison+ Levi Platero happens Saturday, Sept. 12 starting at 6 p.m. Headliner Judith Hill has worked for Elton John, Spike Lee, Prince and Michael Jackson and is considered one of the highest-profile background singers of her generation. This is an all-ages event and is free to the public.