Free Admission for Veterans, Retirees, Guard/Reserve/Active-Duty Personnel

Proof of COVID-19 Vaccines Required For Entry to Fairgrounds

Tuesday, September 14, Albuquerque/New Mexico State Fairgrounds (300 San Pedro Drive NE)

(ALBUQUERQUE, NM) –Military veterans, National Guard/Reserve, and active-duty service members will be admitted free to the New Mexico State Fair for Military and Veterans Day at the State Fair on September 14.

This annual day at the state fair in Albuquerque is presented by the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services, the New Mexico National Guard, and the New Mexico State Fair to honor and thank the men and women who have served our country as members of the United States Armed Forces.

Veterans, national guard/reserve personnel, and retirees must present either a valid uniformed services retiree Identification card, a veterans-designation driver’s license, VA veteran health ID card, or a copy of their DD-214 separation papers at the gate in order to obtain the free admission. Active-duty personnel must show a valid uniformed services ID card.

Non-veteran/non-military spouses or family members are not eligible for the free admission.

Free parking can be found at the gate 8 parking lot on Louisiana Blvd.--which is the infield parking lot located inside the Downs racetrack.  

In addition to the numerous rides and attractions at the state fair, there will be dozens of booths, exhibits and information tables along “Main Street” staffed by the New Mexico National Guard, veterans’ organizations, and other community service groups.

COVID-19 Vaccines Required For All State Fair Attendees

Under a state public health order, COVID-19 vaccinations are required for anyone attending any day the 2021 New Mexico State Fair, which began September 9 and runs through September 19.

Anyone who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine must show proof of being fully vaccinated to enter the fairgrounds.

There are limited available exemptions – for medical, disability or religious reasons – to the state’s vaccination policy for the fair. The process through which an individual may document a legitimate exemption is outlined in the public health order, which can be found at https://www.governor.state.nm.us/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/081721-PHO-Vaccines.pdf 

An individual providing documentation of one of those exemptions must, to gain entrance to the fair, provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test from within 48 hours of their entering the fairgrounds

This policy is intended to ensure the safety of fair-goers, particularly children under the age of 12 who are not yet eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, as the “Delta” variant of the virus spreads rapidly among unvaccinated New Mexicans and contributes to spiking COVID-19 hospitalizations.