Make plans for the fourth Cherry Festival at Nichols Ranch in La Luz, New Mexico

Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times
·2 min read

Cherry-picking and Father's Day go hand in hand with the upcoming Cherry Festival at the Nichols Ranch in La Luz, New Mexico.

The Cherry Festival, which is in its fourth year, takes place Saturday and Sunday and offers everything from picking cherries to ready-to-eat cherry pies, as well as cherry cider and other treats. The Nichols Ranch is at 236 Cottonwood Canyon Road; La Luz is around 95 miles from El Paso.

This year, cherry-picking season got a little slimmer with one of the u-pick orchards, Cadwallader Mountain Farms in High Rolls, New Mexico, unable to open due to a late frost. Any cherries they have are available at their Mountain Farms Fruit Stand, at 961 US 82 in Mountain Park, New Mexico.

What to know about Cherry Festival at Nichols Ranch

The festival will be from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. It will feature more than 20 vendors offering turkey legs, tacos, craft items and snacks, as well as dozens of beer and wine options.

How to get tickets

One-day tickets can be purchased online at the Nichols Ranch and Orchard website at https://tinyurl.com/ycx68uzs for $10. Children younger than 12 get in free. Tickets also can be purchased at the gate the day of the event for the same price.

What entertainment can you expect?

The Cherry Festival will have live music along with a petting zoo, a mechanical bull and a variety of games.

A bucket of cherries from last years Cherry Festival in La Luz, New Mexico, is shown.
A bucket of cherries from last years Cherry Festival in La Luz, New Mexico, is shown.

On Saturday, live music will be performed by West Texas, Phil Hamilton and the Justin Kemp Band. You’ll also see the likes of Doso Dirtbags and Hooks and the Huckleberries on Sunday.

Tips for going

The festival is in the mountains, with an elevation of 6,800 feet. Take good walking shoes and plenty of water to hydrate. Festival officials also suggest bringing a wagon to carry purchased items.

There will be picnic tables available, but people can bring chairs. Officials also advise that people who need strollers or walkers use those with off-road wheels as the terrain in the mountains is not ideal for regular wheels.

Ladders are available; however, have another person present to hold the ladder for safety. For more information, visit the Nichols Ranch website.

Juan Corral can be reached at JCorral@gannett.com or on twitter at @Juan36Corr. María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150, mcortes@elpasotimes.com and @EPTMaria on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Make plans for 4th Cherry Festival at Nichols Ranch in La Luz, NM