Before it became Expo New Mexico, the New Mexico State Fairgrounds in Albuquerque were a dazzling epicenter of excitement, tradition, and community pride. Established in 1938, the fairgrounds hosted the annual New Mexico State Fair, drawing thousands from across the Southwest to celebrate agriculture, entertainment, and local culture.
For decades, the grounds buzzed with the sounds of carnival barkers, livestock auctions, rodeo announcers, and marching bands. Families dressed in their best wandered the midway, clutching cotton candy and winning oversized stuffed animals at ring toss booths. It was a place where generations gathered to make memories.
And as the decades passed, stories began to surface – whispers of strange sounds, unexplained chills, and reflections that didn’t quite match reality. Whether folklore or fact, the fairgrounds’ past continues to echo through its present.
1. The Midway: A Carnival of Joy and Mystery
The midway at the New Mexico State Fairgrounds was once the beating heart of the annual fair, alive with flashing lights and carnival sounds. Though not abandoned today, it has seen quieter off-seasons where the rides are packed away and the grounds feel eerily still…