Find out how you can get tickets for this year's Luminaria Tour

For 60 years, ABQ Ride’s Luminaria Tour has kindled a glowing trail on Christmas Eve through Albuquerque.

“The Luminaria Tour is a very special Albuquerque tradition where city buses wind people through historic, beautifully lit neighborhoods,” Madeline Skrak, the Transit Department public information officer, said.

Luminaria Tour tickets go on sale Friday, Nov. 28, at 8 a.m. and 1,000 tickets are available this year. The ticket price is $1.50, which Skrak said covers the credit card fee from the ticketing site.

“My best advice would be to be online right at 8 a.m., be ready to buy the tickets. Refresh your browser, make sure you’re all set,” Skrak said.

“And then advice number two is, don’t give up.”

She said that often people fill their carts with tickets, and it looks like none are left. However, Skrak suggested checking every 10 to 15 minutes, and more tickets will likely become available as people empty their carts.

Skrak said that if an eventgoer has a last-minute cancellation and cannot use their ticket, they should pass it along to someone else, so more people can enjoy the event.

“If people cannot join, say they get a ticket and then can’t join, we really, really ask to keep the holiday energy and the filled, packed buses with Christmas cheer,” Skrak said. “We ask that they pass that along to others, to keep the seats filled.”

Those who miss out on a ticket, Skrak said, can walk or bike through the neighborhoods and enjoy the route outside the bus system.

The bus tour begins at the Albuquerque Convention Center, where guests can park and board the buses. It then winds through Old Town, the Country Club area and Huning Castle, according to Skrak.

“If you’re not doing the Luminaria Tour, you can always park nearby those neighborhoods in the Country Club area and just walk …” Skrak said. “People always have fires in their front yards and are out and about, and it’s a very friendly atmosphere to enjoy Christmas lights and luminarias and just to say hello to neighbors and build community.”

“I think it’s a beautiful tradition.”