Cloudcroft, New Mexico, hosts Art & Wine in the Cool Pines on Aug. 3–4, a two-day festival celebrating the state’s wine and arts scene. Nestled in Southern New Mexico at 8,600 feet elevation, Cloudcroft offers cool summer temperatures and ideal conditions for hiking and outdoor activities. The festival takes advantage of the town’s forested setting with live music, wine tastings from New Mexico vineyards, and a variety of food offerings.
General admission is $15 and includes a commemorative custom event wine glass. Tickets for visitors under 21 and non-drinkers are available for $10 per person.
Attendees can extend their visit to explore local history and outdoor recreation. The Sacramento Mountains Museum & Pioneer Village highlights the heritage of the Mescalero Apache and the settlers who built the regional rail lines once called the “impossible railroad.” At the Pioneer Village, guests can experience living-history exhibits that recreate settler life in log cabins and tour the historic chapel, originally built in 1899 by the El Paso and Northeastern Railroad as an office building.
Outdoor enthusiasts will find ample opportunities to enjoy the surrounding landscape. The area offers hiking, camping, and mountain biking on forest trails, making it easy to combine festival activities with longer stays to explore the mountains and pine-covered scenery.