For residents of Valencia Park and Valencia Hills, the City of Sunland Park's fall calendar is held almost entirely at one place. Four events run between October 10 and November 14 at the Sunland Park Sports Complex, 4700 McNutt Rd. The state is repaving the road those events sit on the whole time. NMDOT's $5.2 million rehabilitation of NM 273 was scheduled to start Thursday, September 10, 2026, and KTSM reported the lane closures were in place by September 25. Crews work Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and the state expects to finish by November 30, weather permitting.
None of the fall events falls on a Sunday, the one day the crews are off. The three October events all start before 7 p.m. on a work day. RAYENARI's hours haven't been posted yet. Getting to these events this season means planning around the road schedule.
The season, set against the work hours
| Date | Event | Hours | Cost | Overlap with NMDOT work hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Oct. 10 | 7th Annual Huacha Tournament & Carshow | Noon to 7 p.m. | Free to watch; $15 to $20 to enter | The whole event |
| Sat., Oct. 17 | Sunland Park Fall Festival | 3 to 8 p.m. | Free | 3 to 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Oct. 30 | Trunk or Treat | 6 to 9 p.m. | Free | 6 to 7 p.m. |
| Fri.–Sat., Nov. 13–14 | RAYENARI Light Art Festival | To be announced | To be announced | Depends on posted hours |
NMDOT describes the work as milling and repaving between mileposts 0.8 and 6 on NM 273. Cutler Repaving Inc. is the contractor. Drivers should expect single-lane closures during work hours and possible delays, and access stays open for the length of the project. KTSM's September 25 update reported the same thing: single-lane closures Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., with the road open and closures expected through November 30. One regional road report published earlier in September listed the hours as 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. NMDOT's own release and the later KTSM report both say 7 to 7. Road schedules change, so check live conditions before you head out.
The City puts the warning right on its own event page. The Huacha listing says McNutt Road "is under construction this fall as part of an NMDOT repaving project" and tells visitors to give themselves extra time and follow any posted detours.
October 10: seven hours of huacha, all of them on a work day
The Huacha Tournament & Carshow is the longest event of the fall and the one that overlaps the road work most. The City's description is "washers, chrome, a lowrider hop, and Los Silver live," and the event runs noon to 7 p.m. on Saturday, October 10. This is its seventh year.
Every part of the day falls inside crew hours. Show cars set up from 8 a.m. to noon. Huacha players must check in by 11:30 a.m. The car show opens at noon and closes at 5. Los Silver plays from 3 to 5 p.m., the lowrider hop runs from 4 to 5, and DJ Loco plays between sets. The tournament ends at 7, when the four bracket winners play for the champion trophy. For anyone entering a car, the 8 a.m. arrival is the one that matters most, since it comes an hour after the crews start for the day.
The tournament is singles play. There are four brackets of 16 players, each player throws three washers per turn from 35 feet, the hole sits inside a 6-by-6 square, and the first player to 12 points wins. Each bracket winner gets a trophy and $100, and second place in each bracket gets a trophy. The car show gives first- through third-place trophies for vehicles from the 1930s through the 2000s, full-size trucks, mini trucks, and the hopping contest. It also gives single awards for best paint, best interior, best murals, the club with the most participants, and Best of Show, which pays $250.
The City's page explains the game in a way that only works this close to the border:
"Huacha is the game of the carne asada, the quinceañera backyard, and the Sunday after church. It belongs to the border, from Juárez to El Paso to Sunland Park, and every family plays it a little different."
The City does not handle registration. Authentic Car Club takes entries by Zelle or Cash App ahead of time, or in person at its booth in front of the car show entrance on the day of the event. Vehicles and motorcycles cost $20 to enter. Lowrider bikes, pedal cars and RC lowriders cost $15, and so does a huacha spot. The club sets the schedule and says times may shift on the day, so check at the booth when you arrive.
October 17 and October 30: the evening events beat the crews by an hour
The two family events later in October start late in the afternoon or evening. Arriving at the posted start time still means driving in during work hours.
The Sunland Park Fall Festival runs from 3 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. Admission is free and parking is on site at the Sports Complex. The City calls the pumpkin patch "the star of the festival," and local vendor booths and music fill the rest of the afternoon and evening. The crews finish at 7 p.m., an hour before the festival ends. Leaving after 7 avoids the work hours on the way home, but you'll miss the daylight hours at the patch, which are the ones that matter for a family photo with the pumpkins.
Trunk or Treat comes two weeks later, on Friday, October 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the same complex. It's free and aimed at families. Only the first hour overlaps the work schedule. Families who arrive closer to 7 will reach McNutt as the crews are wrapping up for the day.
November 13 and 14: RAYENARI, with the hours still unannounced
RAYENARI is the last event of the season at the complex. The City says the light-art festival returns this year with more artists and more collaborations. It features installations people can walk up to and walk around, made by artists and UTEP sculpture students, and the City invites visitors from Sunland Park, the El Paso area, Las Cruces and beyond. Photos from last year on the City's page show an artist on a ladder working on a giant glowing moon, a large winged sculpture lit against the night sky, and live music on the RAYENARI stage.
As of today, the City lists hours and admission as "to be announced." RAYENARI's dates are a Friday and a Saturday, both work days, and both come about two weeks before NMDOT's November 30 target. Light installations generally show best after dark, but the City hasn't posted a schedule, so it's too early to say how the visit lines up with crew hours. The City says updates will come through notifications in the Sunland Park Connect app and on RAYENARI's Instagram and Facebook pages.
November 21: the first event of the season held away from the complex
A week after RAYENARI, the City plans to start a new monthly event at a second location. The Elena Park Mercado launches Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Loma Vista Drive and Meadow Vista Boulevard. It's free and will feature local makers, antiques, food trucks, live music and family activities.
The Mercado is held at Elena Park rather than the Sports Complex, and it's set to repeat every month. That makes it the first event on this fall's calendar planned to continue after the McNutt work is scheduled to wrap up at the end of November. The first one still falls on a Saturday morning while the work is underway. Sunland Park describes it as a plan, so check the City's news page for the first market's final details before you go.
Practical notes for a season at 4700 McNutt
- The address appears two ways. Event pages list the complex as 4700 McNutt Rd., Sunland Park, NM 88063. The City's Public Works page lists the same City-owned complex at 4700 McNutt Road, Santa Teresa, NM 88008. If a map app has trouble with one, try the other.
- Expect lane closures and watch for signs. NMDOT's release describes single-lane closures with access maintained. The City's Huacha page tells visitors to follow any posted detours, so plan on extra time either way.
- Show cars and players have the earliest deadlines. Car setup on October 10 starts at 8 a.m. and huacha check-in closes at 11:30 a.m. These are the tightest arrival times of the season.
- Event details can change. The City notes that details may change, and RAYENARI's details are still pending.
For a wider look at daily life in these two communities, our Valencia Park and Valencia Hills neighborhood page and our post on everyday living in Valencia Park and Hills cover the area beyond this fall.
Cornerstone Realty works with homeowners across Santa Teresa, Sunland Park and Valencia Park all year, in English and Spanish. If the Fall Festival or a Saturday morning at the new Mercado has you thinking about what your own home in this part of Doña Ana County is worth, request your free home valuation.
