Revamped Country Store and Agriculture Building to transform this year’s state fair experience

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – To showcase the bountiful state collection of local beverages and products, the Reds, Whites and Brews Happy Hours and one-of-a-kind Country Store will return to this year’s New Mexico State Fair in new and improved ways.

New this year, the happy hours will be held daily in the remodeled Agriculture Building Courtyard from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 15. With a wide variety of New Mexico-made brews and wines, fairgoers can taste the tradition with every sip.

“The happy hours will help entice fairgoers to embark on an adventure of supporting local products – that adventure starts with a pit stop in the courtyard to enjoy a state-crafted beverage, and leads into a world of family fun and agricultural learning inside the Country Store and throughout the Agriculture Building,” said New Mexico Secretary of Agriculture Jeff Witte. “NMDA reminds everyone to enjoy our New Mexico beverages responsibly and to never drink and drive.”

The happy hours are made possible by the New Mexico Wine and Grape Growers Association and the New Mexico Brewers Guild. New Mexico Wine Executive Director Chris Goblet said fairgoers can expect an elevated presence of locally crafted beverages at this year’s fair.

“September is synonymous with the New Mexico State Fair, and the ‘Big Show’ always delivers an enthusiastic audience. For nearly a decade, I have been organizing local craft beer and wine events in partnership with the New Mexico Department of Agriculture to help create a celebratory atmosphere, and this year we are taking happy hour to another level with the installation of a permanent wine bar inside the Country Store,” said Goblet. “The wine bar will allow us to sample the best wines from the State Fair Wine Competition from noon to 3 p.m. daily, prior to happy hour events featuring live music in the courtyard.”

The New Mexico Department of Agriculture (NMDA) will partner with Taste NM for the second year in a row to bring back the fan-favorite Country Store, which will boast all new attractions, including single-serve ice cream and stylish t-shirts and hats for purchase.

The Country Store is located inside the Agriculture Building, west of the Manuel Lujan commercial building and south of the livestock barns. The store will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 through Sunday, Sept. 15.

Just a few steps beyond the Country Store, fairgoers will be able to experience interactive walk-through exhibits in the south wing of the Agriculture Building, which will feature gameshow-style trivia about some of New Mexico’s most well-known crops. Don’t miss the opportunity to step inside a state-of-the-art milk carton installation that functions as a photo booth!

“The country store and NMDA’s displays within the Agriculture Building have been a highlight of the fair for many years,” said Witte. “I invite all fairgoers to explore the new attractions at the Country Store and within the Agriculture Building. It’s your one-stop shop to experience everything that makes New Mexico agriculture so great. Come see us, shop, play and enjoy.”

For more information about the Country Store and happy hours, please visit the New Mexico State Fair website, or contact NMDA’s Marketing and Development Division at 575-646-4929.