EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — If you’re looking for something to do on a budget this Labor Day weekend, head to idyllic Mesilla Park in New Mexico for the annual Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of the festival, which will take place on Saturday, August 31 and Sunday, September 1 at the Holy Cross Retreat Center, 600 Holy Cross Road, south of Las Cruces.
Opening hours are Saturdays from 9am to 5pm and Sundays from 10am to 4pm, with mass at 9am.
Parking and admission are free, but donations are gratefully accepted.
There will be 90 artists and food vendors, an enchilada dinner, a beer and wine garden with Little Toad Creek Brewery and Mesa Vista Winery, a silent auction and a raffle. There will also be live music on two stages.
Most artists will be in an air-conditioned room or in the shade, making it more comfortable for everyone, said Father Tom Smith, director of the Holy Cross Retreat Center.
The new artists include one with special electric lighting, a carpenter and art glass, Smith said.
This year, new food vendors are also participating, including one who sells gorditas, he said.
“You can enjoy enchiladas, flautas and other foods in the dining room and take home homemade bread and viscochos to eat later,” Smith said.
Parking is available for most people in the shade under trees on the rural grounds of the retreat center.
The art festival serves to support the public relations and missionary work of the retreat center.
For more information about the festival click here.
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