Boots in the Park Makes History with Record-Breaking Year

A Growing Success for Albuquerque's Country Music Festival

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Boots in the Park country music festival is making waves as it wraps up its second day on Saturday night. Organizers have reported an impressive turnout, with approximately 60,000 tickets sold this year, marking it as their biggest event yet. The festival, which has seen a significant increase in popularity over the past few years, continues to draw crowds from across the region.

Record-Breaking Attendance and Expansion

This year’s festival marks the third consecutive year of growth for Boots in the Park. Organizers credit the success to larger headliners, expanded stages, and new city permits that allow for later hours and louder performances. Activated Events CEO Steve Thacher noted that the event has reached a capacity of around 30,000 people per day, with most of the tickets already sold out. “The bigger and bigger the lineups get, more people are coming from out of town as well,” he said.

The festival, hosted by Activated Events, has become a major draw for both local and out-of-state fans. Last year, about a third of ticket sales came from visitors outside New Mexico. Festival-goer Edward Colondrez, who traveled from California, shared his positive experience: “It’s one of my first times in New Mexico, I’m from California. I love it here. The atmosphere, everybody’s happy, everybody’s nice.”

Headliners and New Experiences

This year’s lineup features some of the biggest names in country and rock music, including Jelly Roll and Post Malone. Festival-goer Olivia Sanchez expressed her excitement about seeing these artists live. “Jelly Roll, I’ve loved him for many years, and Post Malone is one of the headliners I’ve wanted to see for a long time,” she said.

Activated Events has been organizing similar festivals in California and Arizona but chose to bring Boots in the Park to New Mexico in 2024. According to Thacher, there was a clear demand for such an event in the state. “We really felt there was a void in the market in the country community, specifically in New Mexico. We wanted to bring that here,” he explained.

A Special Performance for Indie Artist Angie K

Indie artist Angie K took the stage on the festival’s second stage, calling it the largest platform she has performed on so far in her career. This was also her first time playing in New Mexico. “There’s no greater dream than to play a stage like this,” she said. “It’s an incredible festival, one of the best lineups I’ve ever seen, and it’s cool to be a part of it.”

Angie K has deep ties to New Mexico, with her extended family having roots in the state. Her mother was born in Los Alamos, and her grandmother lived in Albuquerque. “I was born in El Salvador, where my Dad’s from, but the first time I ever came to the United States was Albuquerque,” she said. “So it felt really good to not only be here, but at a country concert.”

Now based in Nashville, Angie K was impressed with the crowd in Albuquerque. “There’s always magic in the beginning of things,” she said. “It’s my first time playing a festival that I feel like will do nothing but grow, and it feels so good to see so many people here to support the early artists playing. That if I ever get to play that main stage, it’ll mean that much more.”

Future Plans for the Festival

Boots in the Park organizers are already looking ahead to next year, with plans to expand further. However, specific details about the upcoming event have not yet been released. As the festival continues to grow, it solidifies its place as a major cultural and entertainment event in New Mexico.