SOAR - Albuquerque Chapter
Albuquerque, the most populous city in New Mexico, joined the SOAR family in May 2018. Albuquerque was founded in 1706 as the Spanish colonial outpost of Villa de Alburquerque. Present-day Albuquerque retains much of its historical Spanish cultural heritage. By 1900, Albuquerque boasted a population of 8,000 inhabitants and all the modern amenities, including an electric street railway connecting Old Town, New Town, and the recently established University of New Mexico. The first travelers on Route 66 appeared in Albuquerque in 1926, and before long, dozens of motels, restaurants, and gift shops had sprung up along the roadside to serve them. One of the major art events is the summertime New Mexico Arts and Crafts Fair, a non-profit show exclusively for New Mexico artists that has been held annually in Albuquerque since 1961. Albuquerque is home to more than 300 other visual arts, music, dance, literary, film, ethnic, and craft organizations, museums, festivals, and associations.