It is the last day of the party, Red River. The 21st Annual Red River Oktoberfest swings into its final Sunday at Brandenburg Park, and if you have been waiting for a sign to grab a stein and head downtown, this is it. Gates open at 10 AM with the whole festival in full swing: German food, New Mexico craft beer and wine, artisan vendors, live polka, and one last day of contests on the main stage. Day passes are available at the gate, and your ID will be checked, so bring it along.
Sunday packs a full schedule into the final hours. The morning brings the Red River Strongman Yoke Walk at 10:30 and stein holding at 10:45, DJ Luisa plays from 11 to noon, and the Lederhosen and Leashes best-dressed pet contest steps out at noon. The afternoon brings the 2:15 awards ceremony honoring the Bavarian Barnraisers beer competition winners plus the Best Oktoberfest, People's Choice, and Best Booth awards, a final stein holding round at 2:45, and the Lederhosen Junkies playing 3:30 to 5:00 before the closing toast at 4:30. The very last word of the festival is a 5:15 raffle of a one-liter commemorative stein, and you must be present to win. Gates close at 5 PM.
A word on the weather: it is a beautiful October morning in town, partly cloudy and climbing toward 63. The festival hours stay dry, which is perfect news for Brandenburg Park, but showers move in by evening with rain likely overnight, so enjoy the day and be settled somewhere warm and dry by nightfall. Monday looks drier and a touch cooler with a high near 60.
Twenty-one years is a real milestone for a mountain town festival. What began as a modest fall gathering has grown into one of the weekends that defines Red River's shoulder season: locals shoulder to shoulder with visitors, polka on the main stage, contests from bratwurst to strongman, and the whole valley showing up. That is the community story here, and it is worth showing up for. A town that knows how to throw a party and, just as importantly, how to welcome everyone to it.
If the weekend's schedule kept you home, fall in Red River is not finished yet. The last of the aspen color is hanging on in the high country, the Rio Grande Sky Fiesta lifts off October 24 and 25, and the ski area's Opening Day is set for November 25. Plan your visit, pack a jacket, and come see what the fuss is about.