Dust Off the Letterman Jackets: The Great Moriarty ’90s Pinto Stampede Is Coming

MORIARTY — If you hear a sudden, collective popping of knees and a sharp rise in demand for Ibuprofen this October, don’t panic. It is just the homecoming of the 90s Moriarty Pintos.

Former Moriarty High School students from across the decade are preparing to converge on their old stomping grounds Oct. 2-4 for an “All-90s” MHS Reunion. It’s also International Balloon Fiesta weekend, the three-day gathering promises to bring alumni back from as far as San Diego to relive the era of flannel, dial-up internet, and Friday night lights.

The multi-year gathering is being spearheaded by 1996 graduate—and current San Diego UNM Alumni Chapter President— Veronica (Garcia) McDermott (along with Shirley (Burnett’s) Payne), who was drafted into service after successfully orchestrating a centennial event for UNM’s Chi Omega chapter. Realizing that limiting the party to just the Class of 1996 meant leaving out half the friends who shared their hallways, lockers, and questionable haircut choices; organizers decided to throw open the doors to the entire 1990s roster.

The jam-packed weekend itinerary includes:

• Day 1 (Friday, Oct. 2): A classic tailgate followed by the Moriarty High homecoming football game, where alumni can test whether they can still yell as loud as they did in high school without losing their voices.
• Day 2 (Saturday, Oct. 3): Guided school tours to marvel at how much smaller the buildings look, followed by a designated “Adults Night Out” where no curfew will be enforced (though bedtime may still come earlier than it used to).
• Day 3 (Sunday, Oct. 4): A full autumn send-off combining morning balloon watching with a trip to McCall’s Pumpkin Patch.

Organizers have established dedicated Facebook and Instagram pages to coordinate the event, which will transition into a permanent MHS Alumni platform following the reunion weekend.

Whether you graduated at the peak of the grunge era or made it out just before the turn of the millennium, local alumni are encouraged to dust off their school spirit, double-check their ibuprofen stash, and head back to the East Mountains for the ultimate decade throw-back.