The city of Las Cruces New Mexico is widely celebrated for its Whole Enchilada Fiesta. The fiesta celebrates the city's cultural roots each year in October when it attempts and succeeds in making the world's largest enchilada! Local Mexican food expert and spice aficionado Roberto Estrada, with the aid of eleven sous chefs, cooks this colossal enchilada which, when finished, measures slightly over 30 feet in diameter!
The common saying "the whole enchilada' has never been more true then in Las Cruces New Mexico during this oddly intriguing festival. The ultimate question is does the whole enchilada actually get devoured when it's finished? It sure does! Since 1980 every year over 70,000 hungry folks with stomachs of steel have eaten the entire gigantic enchilada. The festivities in Las Cruces New Mexico possibly slow down for the enchilada-eating-crowd while they somehow manage to digest this massive intake, but you can be sure that the rest of the festival goers get in the spirit with pumping mariachi music and cold cerveza.
When a growling belly gets the best of you and you're on the prowl for a restaurant Las Cruces has variety of options. For a casual fine dining experience try the Cafe Espana located inside the areas local Hilton Hotel. The menu features an appetizing main courses with special menus created for guests on the weekends by the resident chef. Voted "The Best" restaurant Las Cruces local residents enjoy delectable dinners at the Brass Cactus bistro. The savory and reasonably priced menu features steak, fresh seafood, lamb, veal and unique pastas. If yearning for a less traditional restaurant Las Cruces is home to the longtime Japanese and New Oriental which serves its namesake dishes.
If you're a chile-lover visiting Las Cruces travel 40
minutes to the minuscule village of Hatch for their Labor
Day weekend Hatch Chile Festival. Every year more than
30,000 enthusiastic chile fans converge to the small town
known as The Chile Capital of the World. Events include
a parade which ends with the crowning of the "Chili
Queen”, a chile pod competition, fiddling contests
and carnival rides. Las Cruces travel wouldn't be complete
without a trip just less then 15 miles south to Bandelier
which is a nature park and is home to some stunning archaeological
sites. The Main Loop Trail is a 1.5 miles trek that winds
through excavated archaeological sites on the floor of
Frijoles Canyon.
The city of Las Cruces is home to the New Mexico State
University, Sonoma Ranch Golf Course, the Museum of Natural
History and the famed historic Mesilla Village. Mesilla
Village used to be a major stop for travelers passing
from San Antonio
to San Diego
and western legend Billy the Kid stood trial here for
murder in the local courthouse. The city of Las Cruces
is overlooked by the Organ Mountains where there are two
recreational areas one called Dripping Springs and the
other Aguirre Springs. One of the most impressive regions
in southern New Mexico, the area boasts camping, picnicking
and biking for outdoor buffs and is not a far drive drive
from the center of the city of Las Cruces.
