Poll: Labor Day Weekend 2026 Hatch Chile Festival Meat Up - Any Interest?

[58limited]

Just a quick poll to gauge interest in a Meat Up at the 2026 Hatch Chile Festival in Hatch, New Mexico. The festival is held annually on Labor Day weekend and we probably need to line up a hotel within the next few months - festivals can book up way in advance.

Location: Hatch is about 30 - 40 miles from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Las Cruces has a regional airport but I don't think there are any major airlines or puddle jumpers flying there. Other airports are: Albuquerque - 185 miles from Hatch, and El Paso - 90 miles from Hatch. * barelfly recommends flying into El Paso.

Accommodations: I need to research this more but Las Cruces has several hotels including a Homewood Suites - we have used Homewood Suites several times for Texas Meat Ups. Maybe barelfly can chime in with ideas closer to Hatch.

Weather: Hot, but its a dry heat. What that means is you must force yourself to drink lots of water. You can easily dehydrate without realizing it. It may also be monsoon season: quick rain showers every day, hit or miss. * barelfly just messaged me that the average temperature this time of year is around 90^oF. Not too bad but it can be hotter or cooler.

[barelfly]

Hatch Chile Festival!!!!!!!

El Paso, TX is the best bet for flying, unless you wanted to do some things in Albuquerque. But it’s a pretty easy drive from both areas, just longer from ABQ of course.

I’d imagine getting a hotel in Las Cruces shouldn’t be a challenge, even with the festival going. From there, lots of good food spots to eat and some cool areas to visit. Old Mesilla, a small village in Las Cruces with Spanish and Mexican historical ties, White Sands National Park about an hour away, and one of my favorite New Mexican food spots - Andele’s Dog House in Mesilla. A few other spots to eat - La Posta de Mesilla and Chope’s Bar & Cafe.

And the weather, it’s pleasant this weekend, with a high of 90*. Overcast and a breeze, so not to bad. It can be warmer of course, but I’d say 90* or so is an average temp for Labor Day in Southern New Mexico.

Ask way with questions, happy to help in any way that I can!

[CaptainMike]

I'd be loving me a Sonoran hot dawg at Andele's!

[barelfly]

Here’s a few websites on areas to visit or things to do

Old Mesilla

https://www.visitlascruces.com/things-to-do/attractions/historic-mesilla/

White Sands National Park

https://www.nps.gov/whsa/index.htm

and for 58limited - the Chile Pepper Institute -

https://www.visitlascruces.com/blog/post/come-visit-the-chile-pepper-institute/

and as is the soil great for chile, southern New Mexico and New Mexico in general has some great vineyards

https://www.visitlascruces.com/blog/post/3-wine-trail-spots-to-hit-this-may/

[58limited]

Great info barelfly - thanks for posting it. I'm actually interested in taking a tour of the Chile Pepper Institute.

[Willy]

The Chile Pepper Institute is a room or two with books, Tees, posters, seeds, chile seedlings, merch in general... It does appear that there might be some plants growing outside to walk through/around/observe, though it was just a single room or two when I visited in 2014-ish. Not a "tour" per se, but worth the visit fer shure.

Enjoy New Mexico!

[LA Pork Butt]

Too hot for me!

[LA Pork Butt]

barelfly Oops! I was referring to the Hatch Chili heat! The low New Mexico humidity would make the weather more comfortable. Here is a surprising side note. Dallas gets a hair more annual rain than Seattle.

[Willy]

LA Pork Butt NM chiles are not necessarily hot; it depends on variety of chile, some of which are quite mild. FWIW, there is no chile named "Hatch".

[LA Pork Butt]

Willy What I had in the dishes I ate in Santa Fe were over the top, and I eat Cajun and Creole food all the time.

[acorgihouse]

I'm interested, if I'm still kicking then. Might I add "hot, but it's a dry heat" made me laugh.

[barelfly]

I was in Treasure Island beginning of August - New Mexico hot is nothing like Tampa area! Shaded cover for the vendor area is great, and that is what dry heat is hahah!!!

[Finster]

"it's a dry heat"

so is the inside of my oven..

[barelfly]

There’s also a few hot spots to visit in El Paso for food.

L&J Cafe is a Mexican food hole in the wall that is outstanding!!!

https://ljcafe.com/

Chico’s Tacos - nothing fancy, really a fast food spot but they’ve been featured on a number of TV food channels

http://chicostacosalameda.eatintakeout.net/

The restaurant scene in El Paso is pretty good - but here’s the Visit El Paso website as well, if you wanted a few other options.

https://visitelpaso.com/things-to-do/dining

and one restaurant I’ve been told is good, but considered the steaks this group can put out, not sure if it’s worth the drive and money. But hear it’s a nice spot on the far east side of El Paso, TX

https://cattlemanssteakhouse.com/

[58limited]

I'm just playing around looking at airfares (airlines don't have a schedule available for one year in advance). I have tentatively decided to make a week long vacation of it: fly into Santa Fe and stay at Rancho de Chimayo Hacienda 25 miles north of Santa Fe for a couple of days then drive south towards Las Cruces and return flight out of El Paso. If I fly this month the round trip is a little under $500, same price as just flying to and from El Paso. Not too bad.

Rancho de Chimayo restaurant, a James Beard winner, is across the street from the Hacienda. Chimayo has a neat chapel that is 200 years old plus other things to do and see in the area, plus lots of stuff in Santa Fe. The Hacienda is really affordable - the most expensive room is $105/night single, $115/night double (https://www.ranchodechimayo.com/hacienda). Each room has its own bathroom and fireplace (probably won't need that in August/September LOL. Although it gets cold at night). Might spend a day or two in the Albuquerque area (gotta remember to take that left turn) as well and then swing through Hatch before the festival crowd hits for a green chile burger at Sparky's Burgers & BBQ - no line I hope.

[CaptainMike]

A quick googly-eye shows about $350 bucks from Reno to EP. Not bad at all.

[SheilaAnn]

Cool! I was looking at Los Poblanos, just north of ABQ. We carry their products at my work. So I would love to visit them. Hhhhmmmm……

Or just drive. 10 hours and change from Da LBC.

[58limited]

This will soon drop off the recent posts list. The festival is a whole year away so I will try to remember to bump this at the first of the year to see if any others are interested. If so, we can go ahead and reserve a block of rooms at a hotel early just to make sure they aren't booked up for the holiday/ festival weekend.

[Mosca]

That would work for me. It’s right up my alley.

[58limited]

Bump

Lets see if anymore people are interested in this Meat Up. Lots of good info posted above.

I'll start to formalize plans after the Spring Texas Meat Up, I just want to see how much interest there is in a Hatch Chile Festival Meat Up so vote in the poll in the first post!

Who knows, you might meet a youtube celebrity such as Cowboy Kent Rollins or Marcy from Marcy Inspired.

[WI Bubba]

Getting the time off of work would be the hard part over a holiday weekend.

[barelfly]

Some fun and HOT🔥times to be had!!!!!!!!!!

[Sweaty Paul]

Would love to go, however, already have travel plans for then. Raincheck!

[58limited]

One more bump. If you are interested in a Labor Day Meat Up for the Hatch Chile Festival post here.

As posted above, barelfly says it is usually around 90 degrees F but with low humidity and the festival has some shade. Low humidity will make it tolerable but you must be sure to drink a lot of water.

We would stay about 30-40 minutes away in Las Cruces. The closest major airport is El Paso, about 90 minutes from Las Cruces