Bernalillo County Sugar Skull Fun Run celebrates 10th annual event at Tingley Drive

Participants at the Bernalillo County Sugar Skull Fun Run 2024 marked the event's 10th annual run at Tingley Drive, featuring a Día de los Muertos–themed market, pet-adoption outreach and family-friendly activities, event speakers said.

The run, which speakers said began as a smaller event near Bridal and Avenida Cesar Chavez, is in its second year at Tingley Drive. “We are at the Bernalillo County Sugar Skull Fun Run 2024. We are celebrating our 10th annual run today. I think it's awesome,” Speaker 1, an event participant, said.

Why it matters: The event combines community recreation with cultural celebration and service outreach. Organizers and participants described marigold handouts and a vendor market offering Día de los Muertos–themed items, along with on-site activities such as pot-painting and marigold seed packets for attendees to take home. “As the all of the racers come through, we give them all marigolds. People can paint their own little flower pots and then take some marigold seeds with them,” Speaker 2, an event participant, said.

Participants and volunteers described a family-oriented atmosphere. Speakers encouraged attendees to bring pets and family members and to dress in costume; the event included a Muertos market with vendors selling themed items and a presence from Burdumco Animal Care offering pet adoptions. “You can bring your pets and your family and dress up, and it's just a lot of fun before Halloween,” Speaker 1 said. The speakers noted the event has grown each year and that the spirit was “upbeat and fun.”

Background and local details: According to remarks in the recording, the run began as a smaller event near Bridal and Avenida Cesar Chavez before moving to Tingley Drive; speakers said this was the second year at Tingley. The event included vendor booths selling Día de los Muertos items, races, and activities intended to highlight cultural traditions and community engagement. A speaker identified the presence of Burdumco Animal Care at the event to connect potential adopters with animals on site.

Organizers and participants framed the run as inclusive and family-friendly, welcoming a broad range of attendees and encouraging cultural celebration through traditional marigolds and crafts. “It's unique and people get to really celebrate that Día de los Muertos culture and style. You just see so many people enjoying the day and each other, so that's awesome,” Speaker 1 said.

The event's organizers and the county did not provide specific attendance figures or a detailed vendor list in the remarks captured in the recording.