Rio Abajo Becker Street Festival brings food, fun & more

BELEN — This year’s Rio Abajo Becker Street Festival is shaping up to be the biggest and best so far, with four live bands, a dozen food vendors, a beer and wine tent plus a slew of vendors gathering for the day to bid farewell to summer.

The festival will kick off at 10 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 28, with a packed day of family fun wrapping up at 9 p.m. Rio Abajo, presented by the Greater Valencia County Chamber of Commerce, will be held on Becker and Dalies avenues, with both streets blocked off to vehicular traffic during the event.

Chamber Executive Director Rhona Espinoza said this is the 15th year she’s been organizing the event and it’s her favorite annual tradition.

“It’s the last hurrah of the summer, celebrating our food and culture, our music,” Espinoza said.

The official welcome to Rio Abajo will be delivered at 11 a.m. and Band & Co. Band will be the first on the stage at 11: 30 a.m. The beer and wine tent in the old Bank of Albuquerque parking lot will open at noon, with the car show and poker run awards following.

The car show will be further west this year, in front of the chamber’s office on Dalies.

“We are going to have the cars on both sides of the street and they will be closer to everything so they can participate in the event,” Espinoza said.

In past years, the cars have parked on the east end of Becker.

A children’s corner with bounce houses, face painting and more will be at the Belen Police Department. Espinoza said the Belen Pilot Club received a helmet grant to give away 50 children’s bicycle helmets, which will be fitted for a safe, secure fit by trained Pilot members.

Food truck alley will be set up in front of City Hall on Becker Avenue, featuring roasted corn, pizza, burgers, barbecue, brats, mac and cheese, ice cream lemonade and cotton candy.

Espinoza said the merchandise vendors this year were “over the top,” including handmade artificial plants, aprons, pine cone wreaths, wall art, jewelry and NFL merchandise and even “man cave” signs.

“There are only a couple of the 20 vendors that have been here before. Everybody else is new this year,” she said.

During the Rio Abajo festival, the businesses in the Belen Arts District on 500 block of Becker will be hosting an arts and cultural event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be arts and crafts vendors all day, as well as the Belen Art League Fall Show at 513 Becker Ave. Books on Becker will be giving away books to children and students, and there will be a number of live performances from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Espinoza said she’s excited to announce the Belen Moose Riders will be hosting the poker run for the second year.

“They have invited riding groups from all over the state. We’re expecting at least 200 bikes,” she said. “It’s going to bring just a lot of energy to the event.”

There will be plenty of free parking for attendees at the Wells Fargo Bank building on the west side of Main Street directly across from Becker and Dalies.

“It is free admission as usual. Bring your chair and stay all day. We will also have a lot of bleachers and table and chairs, where people can sit and relax and enjoy a great day,” Espinoza said. “It’s a gift to our community. We’re just too thankful every year to have this.”