<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=46FajO_18QZ527500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=46FajO_18QZ527500" width="1058" height="752" ></figure>BELEN — It was a good day for a matanza.Fans and organizers of the annual event held their breath last week, watching the weather to see if the predicted snow storm would materialize on Saturday.2026 World’s Largest Matanza Winners<h2>Teams Awards</h2>2026 Grand Champion &amp; Runner Up: Rio Grande MatanzerosRookie of Year: Bloom Flowers &amp; GiftsPeople’s Choice: Tierra del Sol Golf ClubCarne Adovada: 1. Bloom Flowers &amp; Gifts; 2. Isleta Casino (Rez Hogs); 3. Los Lunas SchoolsSpecialty Pork Dish: 1. Rio Grande Matanzeros; 2. Gallegos y La Familia New Mexico Plaster &amp; Supply; 3. Farmers Insurance (Traditional Team)Iron Pig: 1. Isleta Casino (Rez Hogs)Chicharrones: 1. 150th Special Ops Wing, Crusty Taco; 2. Bloom Flowers &amp; Gifts; 3. Los Lunas Schools<h2>Public Awards</h2>Biscochitos: 1. Roseann Peralta; 2. Carolyn Johnson; 3. Alan SanchezNatillas: 1. Roseann PeraltaPastelitos: 1. Tee Cee Centeno; 2. Beverly MartinezRed Chile: 1. Rose Garcia; 2. Tee Cee Centeno; 3. Malachi TrujilloSalsa: 1. Greg Trujillo; 2. Malachi Trujillo; 3. Brendon AlarconTortillas: 1. Anna Sisneros; 2. Savannah Flores; 3. JR MartinezThe day didn’t so much “dawn” as simply begin, with low-hanging clouds and fog blocking the New Mexico sun, but the 26th annual Hispano Chamber of Valencia County’s World’s Largest Matanza drew a crowd of nearly 8,100 this year, with some repeat attendees and some brand new faces.Megan Wang and Temes Czimege saw a social media post about the annual matanza.“Reddit, maybe?” Wang said.That was four years ago, and the Albuquerque couple has made the trip each year since then.“I’m originally from New York, so this is very different,” she said. “It’s fun. The food, the people, it’s so great. We’ve been coming every year since we heard about it, weather be damned.”A couple of hours after the 7 a.m. opening of the gates, a few random drops of rain could be felt as attendees lined up for plates of food at the 10 team booths.White flecks drifted through the air, leading to the speculation of “snow or ash?”<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1hFF8b_18QZ527500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1hFF8b_18QZ527500" width="960" height="624" ><figcaption>Julia M. Dendinger | News-Bulletin photo</figcaption></figure>Wood burning fires going since the wee hours of the morning had settled down to beds of fierce coals, heating cauldrons of chicharrones to perfection and keeping the carne adovada bubbling.The inclement weather kept Ezequiel Tena home from work, so when he saw a Facebook post about the matanza on Saturday morning, he and wife, Cindy, decided to bundle up with their two young children and head to Belen.“This is our first time coming,” said Ezequiel, who lives in Los Lunas. “We’ve only gone to one booth so far.”Only 30 minutes into the event, the Los Lunas foursome were eagerly standing in their second line, on their way to a truly local experience.Attending for their second year, Gemma, Patricia and Jake, 4, were big fans of the food. For Gemma, it was a welcome surprise to find a steaming bowl of fresh posole during the chilly morning.Patricia was excited about everything she’d had — so far.“The pork is so tender. The chile. Everything is so good,” she raved.As for Jake, the tortillas were where it’s at that day.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1LJyAX_18QZ527500" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1LJyAX_18QZ527500" width="1334" height="948" ><figcaption>The 26th annual Hispano Chamber of Valencia County World’s Largest Matanza drew about 8,100 spectators out on Saturday. The yearly event is a fundraiser for HCVC scholarships to support local students. Julia M. Dendinger | News-Bulletin photo</figcaption></figure></div></body>

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BELEN — It was a good day for a matanza. Fans and organizers of the annual event held their breath last week, watching the weather to see if the predicted snow storm would materialize on Saturday. 2026 World’s Largest Matanza Winners. Teams Awards. 2026 Grand Champion & Runner...

2026 World’s Largest Matanza

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BELEN — It was a good day for a matanza. Fans and organizers of the annual event held their breath last week, watching the weather to see if the predicted 

2026 World’s Largest Matanza

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