Press Releases

Albuquerque, NM – Whether you love scary movies and dressing up in costume or not, get into the Halloween spirit with an evening of seasonal fun at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (NHCC) on Oct. 20!  

Starting at 4:00 p.m., the Center is hosting a harvest-themed Noche de Familia, a Fright Night film series, and an Espooky Mercado featuring dozens of local vendors that runs throughout the evening. There will be plenty of family-friendly fun early in the evening, but beware: the night will get spookier as the hour grows later! 

“Our Halloween festivities truly offer something for all ages,” said NHCC Executive Director Zack Quintero. “This evening will be family-friendly until 8:30, but will become ‘más espooky’ after that. And our Espooky Mercado ensures that visitors of all ages will have access to something spooky and fun.” 

First, the Center’s Noche de Familia offers families a chance to welcome the harvest season with all-ages art-marking from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Activities include leaf printing, a StoryWalk, bat puppets, and carnival games. Wear your costume and get ready for Halloween by decorating a candy bag. Additionally, visitors will have a chance to meet the NHCC’s new jaguar mascot! Jaguars are found in every Spanish-speaking country on earth and represent the spirit and strength of Hispanic culture in the Americas. The Noche de Familia is generously sponsored by NM Gas, and concludes with a free screening of the family film, Nocturna, which explores the mystery of the night in a sweeping adventure full of moody, dream-inspired landscapes, at 7:00 p.m. 

From there, a chill will sweep over the Center as Fright Night begins! Starting at 8:30 p.m., the Center will host horror movie double-features in the Roy E. Disney Performing Arts Center. Catch familiar favorites like Dracula (1931)and Dusk til Dawn (1996)alongside lesser-known haunts like BirdBoy: The Forgotten World (2015) and Rec (2005). The Fright Night films are generously sponsored by Bank of America. 

Throughout the evening, the Center’s Espooky Mercado will feature unique and seasonally appropriate gifts from local vendors. Inspired by haunted markets across the nation, this pop-up will give visitors the chance to indulge their macabre side with supernatural gifts of all varieties. For details about becoming a Mercado vendor, click here. No full face masks or toy weapons will be allowed during the event. 

More about the National Hispanic Cultural Center The National Hispanic Cultural Center is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and advancement of Hispanic culture, arts, and humanities. The NHCC presents mission-related events throughout the year, some produced by its history, literary, performing, and visual arts programs, and others by partnering with external organizations. Events take place at its 20-plus-acre campus, which includes a plaza, an art museum, a historically designated building, a library, and a genealogy center. The NHCC is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs and is further supported by the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.