Making a splash with hundreds of gallons of red chile.     Photo: File - VPC: Courtesy: CrucesLive.com

Las Cruces held its 28th Annual and world famous Whole Enchilada Festival the last weekend; much to the delight of thousands of visitors and residents and at least as many tastebuds. The weather was perfect Saturday with blue skies to bask in and take in the sights.

The Whole Enchilada Fiesta, is Las Cruces' claim to fiesta or festival fame. The fiesta was held at Meerscheidt Recreation Center complex with plenty of vendors and arts and crafts as well as pleny of great local music acts and the famoust group "War" known for their hits, "Spill the Wine", "Low Rider", "Why Can't We be Friends" and "Slippin' into the Darkness".

There was something new this year. The retirement of "Twefi" the old fiesta mascot and the birth of "Enchi", the new mascot. You, might say that Enchi is now the top chile at the fiesta.

Keeping the 12' x 12' giant enchilada from burning.     Photo: File - VPC: Courtesy: CrucesLive.com

The Whole Encilada Festival is now a Las Cruces and Southern New Mexico tradition to celebrate the chile harvest and of course a great excuse to eat more Mexican food... in this case the world’s largest enchilada. In this case... “Red”. The event brings out the locals and also brings in the visitors from all over the area.

The festival is New Mexico's 3rd largest tourist event; it attracts more than 70,000 hungry festival goers. This family affair includes a midway carnival, a parade, youth shows, boxing, live music - 20 bands and solo musicians, mariachis, a roving magician, street dancers, and countless vendors - arts and crafts, apparel, and authentic Mexican foods - more enchiladas, gorditas, tacos, flautas, and sopaipillas. It’s not as if you needed more incentive to savor the delicious Southern New Mexico food... but, now you have lots of things to do while you wait for the “Giant Enchilada” to be finished.

Prepared by UVB staff.

(Photos: Brax - Valley Publishing Company)

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