Outdoorsmen and adventurers get ready, because applications for the 2026 New Mexico Adventure Pitch Fest are open now!
Adventure Pitch Fest is a celebration held for New Mexico’s $3.6 billion outdoor recreation industry. The statewide showcase and live pitch competition will be on Friday, November 6, 2026 and held at the Albuquerque Rail Yards.
Right now, New Mexico based outdoor organizations and businesses are invited to apply to get a booth at the showcase. Booths at the event will be where they can interact with investors, consumers, and key stakeholders.
The Competition
For-profit outdoor businesses are encouraged to apply for the pitch competition, where selected finalists will get coaching from event partners at Activate New Mexico. In the competition, participants will get 4 minutes of stage time to impress a panel of judges. The two top-scoring businesses will go head-to-head in a pitch battle. The winner will take home $10,000, and second place will take home $5000.
“Small businesses are the backbone of New Mexico’s outdoor recreation economy,” said Outdoor Recreation Division Director Karina Armijo. “Adventure Pitch Fest gives businesses of all sizes and at all stages of growth the opportunity to increase visibility, expand their customer base and build lasting relationships.”
Last year, the 2025 Adventure Pitch Fest brought together dozens of outdoor businesses and organizations from across the state. The pitch competition winners, the New Mexico Pack Burros, were able to elevate their burro trail racing events, and their events have doubled in size.
“Winning the competition accelerated our company’s growth through both media exposure and capital investment,” said Shane Weigand, founder of New Mexico Pack Burros LLC based in Edgewood, NM.
So New Mexico outdoor businesses, this could be your shot to grow!
Applications for businesses and organizations will close on September 30. An informational webinar and Q&A session will be held on Wednesday, August 26, at 10 a.m.
For applications and more information, visit bit.ly/adventurepitchfest.
The event will be family friendly and open to the public, and tickets will be available soon! But for now, New Mexico businesses and organizations apply to participate!
Olivia Woodard is a journalist for Brant One News. She can be reached at [email protected] or on Instagram at @brantonenews.
