Free Holiday Events & Experiences in Albuquerque

Celebrate the season without opening your wallet. From festive light displays and parades to concerts and community celebrations, these free holiday events around Albuquerque bring all the joy, sparkle, and magic of the season.

Thank you to TLC Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Electrical for sponsoring this Guide to Free Holiday Events & Experiences.

The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, but they can also be stressful for your home. Between hosting guests, extra appliances running, and everyone needing a warm shower on those chilly mornings, your home is running to its max.

There’s nothing worse than having your heat go out, a water heater fail, or an electrical issue pop up right in the middle of your holiday celebrations. TLC hopes you won’t need them this season, but if you do, they’re available 24/7 to keep your home safe, warm, and comfortable.

TLC has been locally owned and operated for the past 35+ years, and their licensed Plumbing, Heating, Cooling, and Electrical technicians are dedicated to helping fellow New Mexicans so you can focus on what really matters: enjoying time with family and friends.

Right now, TLC is offering special holiday deals to help you save:

• Free electrical panel inspection *homes older than 1985
• $2,500 tank water heater installation
• $50 off any heating repair

Don’t let a home emergency steal your holiday cheer. Trust TLC, your local comfort experts, to be there when you need them most.

The holidays can be expensive, but making memories with your kids doesn’t have to be! Here are some fun activities you can check out that won’t break the bank.

Classic Albuquerque Events

• Pueblo Gingerbread House Contest
  Display dates are November 18-January 4 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. Come check out some unique gingerbread house displays!
• Holiday Stroll
  December 5 from 5 – 9 p.m. in Old Town, includes a Christmas tree lighting and live music. The Albuquerque Museum is open and free that evening from 5 – 7 p.m.
• Twinkle Light Parade
  December 6 at 5:15 p.m. through Nob Hill on Central. Click here for more information, including park and ride.
• Old Town Cookie Crawl
  December 13-14 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Purchase a tin and collect cookies from various businesses throughout Old Town! Click this link for more information and updates.

Festivals and Christmas Trees

• Winrock Wonderland
  November 28 from 2 – 6 p.m. at Winrock Town Center. Live music, tree lighting, Santa, artisan market, and more! This event is free, but you can reserve a ticket here.
• Cottonwood Tree Lighting
  December 4 from 5 – 7 p.m. Live music and ornament decorating.
• Winterfest Celebration
  December 6 from 2 – 7 p.m. at 2512 King Blvd. in Rio Rancho, includes a tree lighting, visit from Santa, fireworks, and an artisan market.
• Chanukah Night Balloon Glow
  December 14 at 4:30 p.m. at Balloon Fiesta Park, includes a concert. Free to attend but register here.
• New Year’s Eve Before Dark Party
  December 31 from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Albuquerque Museum. There will be family-friendly, hands-on art activities to reflect on 2025 and gain inspiration for 2026.

Concerts

• Sandia Mountain Dulcimers
  December 6 from 3 – 4 p.m. at the Rudolfo Anaya Library branch. Enjoy the music of dulcimers, a harp, guitar, whistles, and more!
• Albuquerque Concert Band
  December 7 at 3:00 p.m. at KiMo Theater. This annual tradition lasts about an hour and is free to the public.
• Cottonwood Mall Holiday Event
  December 16 from 4 – 8 p.m. Free event with live music and ornament making.

Library Events

• Free Movie Showings
  Did you know you can catch free movies at the library? Throughout December, classics such as A Christmas Story, Muppet Christmas Carol, Home Alone, and more will be shown at various library branches. You can see the full list here.
• Free Crafts
  The library also offers free crafts for families! Registration is required and space is limited, so sign up early:
  • Family Ornament Making at the Juan Tabo Library on December 6 from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m., ages 5-10 with families, register here.
  • Paint Pour Ornaments at the Main Library on December 13 from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., all ages, register here.
  • Book Ornament Craft at the South Broadway Library on December 13 from 10:30 a.m. – 12 p.m., ages 10+, register here.

• Letters to Santa
  Many library branches are also doing letters to Santa. Your child can drop off a letter to Santa, and they will receive a reply! Be sure your child’s name and address are printed clearly. No need to include postage.

Lights and Luminarias

• Noche de Luces
  December 4 from 5 – 8 p.m. at Casa San Ysidro in Corrales, includes traditional music, a craft, and refreshments.
• Hanging of the Greens
  December 5 at 5:30 p.m. starting at the UNM bookstore. Enjoy hot chocolate, biscochitos, and caroling through campus with Santa and Mrs. Claus and Lobo Louie and Lucy. More information on the event can be found here (and if you’d like to learn more about the tradition, check out this article).
• Luminito Celebration
  December 14 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. at the National Hispanic Cultural Center with the world’s tallest Luminito.
• Luminaria Tour
  December 24, various times from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Meet at the Downtown Convention Center. Tickets are $1.50 per person and can be purchased here starting on Nov 28.
• Holiday Lights in Albuquerque
  Unofficial pages on Facebook and Instagram compile a map of holiday lights each year! We’re grateful for those who run these pages to make it easy to find (and share!) holiday light displays for your family to enjoy.
• Bugg Lights
  An Albuquerque tradition, returned in 2024 and will likely be back for 2025 (although dates have not been announced). You can find the display at 2223 Hoffman Drive NE.

Are there fun, family-friendly, free/low-cost holiday activities in Albuquerque that we missed? Let us know so we can share them!