The MetroABQ “River of Lights” Moves Upstream

Nob Hill in Albuquerque for the Holidays…

River of Lights

The River of Lights is usually a packed month-long annual party at the ABQ BioPark, with “nearly 600 light displays, animated sculptures & more twinkling surprises…at New Mexico’s original & largest walk-through holiday production.” Begun modestly in 1997, today the River of Lights festival of lights is the ABQ BioPark’s largest fundraiser & draws thousands of folks to the Park between Thanksgiving & the New Year.

The Pegasus & Unicorn are fantastic examples, seen just below — the image is from the River of Lights 2019 webpage. Each year’s show unveils ingenious new sculptures & stunning displays made by BioPark artists & craftspeople.

This year was different, of course…

To minimize crowds in any one place, the ABQ BioPark installed 14 light sculptures, spread out along the Central Avenue/Route 66 Corridor in Nob Hill. Shops were also encouraged to include some of the lights in their displays, & many took full advantage. Borrowed from the BioPark, the colorful & flexible LED light-strip sculptures can be seen in store windows for about a mile. The result creates a very interesting walk or drive…

Above is the fan favorite T-Rex light display, filling in the corner of a parking lot across from the Monte Vista Fire Station. The T-Rex is a few miles upstream this year, miles away from it’s usual location west of Downtown. Immediately after the lights are turned on at dusk, hundreds of cars slowly pass by each evening. The displays go dark-ish after 9p — see the T-Rex at twilight.

Always encouraged to entertain & shop locally, the festival of lights displays are a great way to get out & also be amused. Some of the larger light displays were installed on or almost encompassing local businesses.

The Jack-in-the-Box matches the background dispensary’s neon color scheme, two above; & The Jacks, just above, fill in some of the dining spaces outside Slice Parlor & appear to go on forever. The beehive with blinking bees & a steaming human-sized coffee cup sits outside Ihatov coffee & bread shop, below & here.

There’s the Tractor & Scarecrow Scene outside Tractor Brewing — see the full scene here. And the Snow-Family about to board the Ford Model A Scene, in front of the old Streamline Moderne-style Jones Motor Company (more recently Kelly’s Brewpub), below & here.

Some of the best scenes were in small shop windows, consisting of a figure or two, like the twin fish in front of the new Sushi & Saki restaurant, or the Jackrabbit presiding over her corner of (fabulous) Frenchish, above. Below is a Sunflower gracing Il Vicino & an outdoor Tiki Scene; next, birds are hanging out at B2B Bistronomy, & a cool flexible LED Butterfly wings it near the Guild Cinema.

The Azure Fountain, above, is a great place to finish. It shimmers as you stand in front of it & reminds of a techno New Years Eve party.
Here’s looking forward to a healthy & happy New Year.

Looking for more lights? The Plaza Don Luis tree in MetroABQ’s Old Town neighborhood might work well. Approaching five stories, the purple holiday pine, below, seems to dwarf even the historic San Felipe de Neri Church behind. The destination tree can be seen for miles & is a great end-of-year experience.

Thx for reading & for making it this far.

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About me

Extraordinary architects live & create in Albuquerque; beautiful & profound art installations abound; Greenspaces & Parklands define whole areas of the city; extras like Growers’ Markets & cultural events add to our quality of life. I’m a Realtor & write about it all in the MetroABQ Newsletter.

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