SOMOS ABQ represents a vision to illuminate the beauty and brilliance of Albuquerque, as well as to offer a meaningful opportunity for community connection and pride of place. We** imagined a one-day festival celebration that would draw people from all over the city to the heart of Downtown, activating eight blocks of our urban center, boosting our local businesses, and highlighting our extraordinary local artistic, cultural and creative talents. Over the course of these April 2017 coffee-date conversations, we aimed for a September launch. Of the same year.

We knew that we were being ambitious. We also knew that the energetic groundwork for an event like SOMOS was in place; we’d all been part of broader conversations, events and initiatives that indicated the potential for strong support. Further, and in an illustration of the camaraderie that characterizes this city, Yelp, New Mexico Brewers Guild and Nuevo Tech Experience — which were already planning fall events of their own — quickly joined us as core collaborators. 

So with hope that *this* might be the time, we invited our networks to come together for an initial interest meeting in May. We were invigorated when 53 individuals from myriad sectors not only attended, but signed on to the SOMOS organizing committee — which continued to expand over the next five months. With growing momentum and generosity, Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, University of New Mexico and 39 additional private and public sector entities invested as sponsors.

And on Saturday, September 23, we hosted the inaugural SOMOS, where our festival attendees experienced: 

• Five stages highlighting local bands like Reviva and Burque Sol, and headlined by international music acts: Electronic dance phenomenon Dillon Francis, hip hop legends Deltron 3030, rising country star Jackie Lee, indie rock powerhouse Minus The Bear
• Arts & Culture Boulevard featuring roving aerialists and performers, and anchored by seven large-scale immersive art installations by Mark & Elizabeth Horst, Reyes Padilla, Natalie Voelker, Concept Flux, DRY MTN, GRAFT, and You’re on TV
• Youth & Families Corridor including a family farm petting zoo, skate ramps, art-making activities, dance floor and youth musical performances
• Nuevo Tech Experience programming at Simms Space and Mezcal
• 25 Nonprofit Organizations sharing their missions and offering participatory activities
• Marketplace featuring dozens of arts, design, craft, clothing and business vendors like Two Stoned Betties, Beth Spencer Design and Erin Leigh Designs
• New Mexico Brewers Guild Beer Garden showcasing 10 local breweries including Tractor Brewing, Dialogue Brewing and Duel Brewing
• Yelp Food Courtyards showcasing 24 local restaurants and foodtrucks, including Sweet Tea Bakery Cafe, Urban Hotdog and Gourmet Donor Kabob