NEW MEXICO — Despite strong winds and a dust storm warning, hundreds gathered at the La Viña Wine Festival on Sunday, determined to enjoy the event despite the challenging weather conditions.
Attendees braved the gusty conditions, while vendors faced significant challenges, with some forced to close early as tents and merchandise struggled against the elements.
“Well, yesterday was super sunny, like super. A little bit windy, but today’s like very, very windy,” said one festival attendee, highlighting the stark contrast in weather conditions from the previous day.
The National Weather Service has issued over 80 warnings for the area this year, a significant increase from the 21 warnings issued throughout all of last year. This has forced La Viña vendors and attendees to adapt to the harsh conditions.
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Joshua Jacob, the La Viña Wine Festival social media manager, described the situation: “Well, yesterday I was here and yesterday was just beautiful. I loved it. I believe yesterday was the perfect day just to be around out here. Well, as you can see, I’m trying to hold on to my hat because it just can go anywhere. Everyone’s holding on to their tent.”
The dust storm warning was extended into the evening, making it difficult for vendors to maintain their operations.
Some tents struggled against the gusts, and vendors, including food and merchandise stands, fought to keep their products in place, ultimately forcing some to close up shop hours before the event’s scheduled end time.
“The wind is really impacting the customer sales. Yesterday, all the booths were nice and full with people. Today, not so much. And we understand that the wind is kind of a hindrance, but people are still enjoying the music. We’re still having a good time,” said a vendor.
As the region braces for more wind and dust activity, with gusts expected to reach up to 40 miles per hour, both organizers and festivalgoers are adjusting to another rough spring across the Borderland.