Rail Yards Holiday Market sees great turnout as season ends

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The Rail Yards season wrapped up for the year in Albuquerque Sunday with the annual holiday market.

“It’s amazing, I love it, it’s very tempting, all the chocolates and sweets and coffee," said Rowena Castillo.

For some, like Castillo and her family from Albuquerque, it was their first time at the Rail Yards.

“We bought a metal work bird bath,” Castillo said.

The two-day holiday market returned in person this year for the first time since the pandemic. And more than 150 vendors – selling everything from food to artwork — were also glad to be back.

“We ended up getting a lot of people here. People still following protocol using masks and stuff still following safety so it’s pretty awesome,” said Mago Chairez with Mago’s Farm.

Chairez said they’ve been vendors at the Rail yards for 8 years. When the pandemic hit, their sales shifted online. And now that they’re back in person and business has never been better.

"It’s been phenomenal to be honest because we went from online and we did not think it’d be such an amazing transition to have this big of a turnout, we thought it was going to be a lot less people,” said Chairez.

There was also a donation station – where shoppers could donate new Christmas toys for kids in the community.

Market Manager Alaska Piper said the turnout was great.

"We are so happy to be back together it’s been really fun being out here with the community we’re just really excited to be here and be at the Rail yards we love this historic space,” she said.

The Rail Yards Market returns on Sunday’s in May next year.