There are plenty of signs unique to New Mexico that suggest the holiday season is upon us. Catching a glimpse of the Bugg light display in Belen. Getting a whiff of biscochitos baking in an oven. Watching (or participating in) an assembly line of endless tamale making. Another unusual cue? A massive tumbleweed snowman in New Mexico that signals the beginning of the holidays.

That massive tumbleweed snowman that pops up along Interstate 40 in Albuquerque sometime after Thanksgiving tells us the holidays are here.
Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority / Facebook
For nearly 30 years now, the snowman has been a seasonal fixture for New Mexicans driving through the city, and he has grown over the years.
The tradition first began in 1995 at the playful suggestion of re-utilizing a few of the many tumbleweeds collected from the city's arroyos and other areas of town.
Bri / Flickr
Since then, this tumbleweed Frosty has seen several variations, but a few things remain the same: he stands up to 14 feet tall, he has a blue hat made from a 55-gallon drum, and he is made each year by members of the Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority.
MIke Kline / Flickr

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Early in the holiday season, employees choose three massive tumbleweeds picked up from arroyos, then stack and paint them white for a jolly snowman.
Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority / Facebook
On Tumbleweed Tuesday - what the flood control authority calls the Tuesday after Thanksgiving - the snowman is placed on a pallet and driven to his winter home.
Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority / Facebook
The tumbleweed snowman sits just north of the westbound lanes along Interstate 40, between Carlisle and University boulevards.
Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority / Facebook
It is typically visible between the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and early January.
Albuquerque Metropolitan Arroyo Flood Control Authority / Facebook


Learn more about the tumbleweed snowman in New Mexico in this video from Albuquerque's news station KOB 4:

Have you driven by the tumbleweed snowman in New Mexico? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Hoping to build your own snowman made of, well, snow? While you may be hard-pressed to find enough snow in Albuquerque to do so, you can easily make a day trip to a frozen landscape like Angel Fire. In addition to building a snowman, this location is also the perfect spot for snow tubing. Read more about the longest snow tubing run in New Mexico that can be found at Angel Fire Resort.

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More to Explore

New Mexico Holiday Traditions

Chris Muras | November 06, 2023

What are some holiday traditions in New Mexico?
New Mexico has a rich and vibrant cultural history and those traditions influence the holidays as well. Here are a few holiday traditions in New Mexico that you may not have heard about yet:

  • Canyon Road Farolito Walk, Santa Fe, NM: On Christmas Eve each year, Santa Fe is lit with thousands of Farolitos - paper bag lanterns filled with a little sand and a candle. Along with the beautiful Adobe houses lit with hundreds of lanterns, you'll enjoy street performers, bonfires, and traditional holiday lights. It is a wonderful holiday tradition to go for a stroll along Canyon Road to enjoy the festivities and holiday cheer.
  • Bugg Light Festival, Belen, NM: What was once an Albuquerque tradition for decades located in the front yard of Norman and Joyce Bugg's home since 1970 has now become a tradition for the Belen Harvey House Museum. Come celebrate New Mexican culture and history while being dazzled by several hundreds of thousands of lights. Over 100 Christmas trees are decorated with vintage and modern Christmas decorations, many of which have historical significance to New Mexico.
  • Winter Spanish Market, Albuquerque, NM: Beginning in December, this annual winter market celebrates the holidays with handmade gifts with a rich cultural history in New Mexico. You'll find Spanish Colonial artwork including pottery, tinwork, colcha, straw appliqué, weaving, precious metal, bone carving, and furniture. Many of the vendors will have live demonstrations so you can see them at work. Of course, a good holiday market has to have live music and great food - you won't be disappointed in either area.

If you are looking for fun places to travel in New Mexico over the holidays, hop in an RV from RVShare and go on a family adventure to some or all of these fascinating places in New Mexico that have a special kind of magic in the winter.

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