What’s happening around New Mexico May 17-23

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from May 17-23.

Albuquerque

New Mexico

  • May 18 Rio Rancho’s Biggest Yard Sale – The event will take place at the Cabezon Park and Community Center from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

  • May 18 Saturday Farmers Market – The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market is open year-round on Saturdays in the heart of the Santa Fe Railyard.

  • May 18 Farmers Market in Alamogordo – Local farmers, crafters, and bakers from Otero County will be selling their wares at 2900 N. White Sands Blvd. beginning at 8:30 a.m.

  • May 18 ArtWalk Santa Fe @ MoCNA – The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is holding this event at 108 Cathedral Pl in Santa Fe starting at 11:00 a.m.

  • May 18 THRIVE in Southern New Mexico – 5K Colorfest Fun Run – Griggs Field in Alamogordo will host this event beginning at 8:00 a.m.

  • May 18 Native Flute at Riverbend – Saturday evening at 7:30 p.m. at the Riverbend Hot Springs, the Native Flute at Riverbend will perform in Truth or Consequences.

  • May 19 Sunday Chess Club – Popolo’s Games in Taos will host this free chess club open to all ages beginning at 1:00 p.m.

  • May 20 Open Space-Time – Free art making happening at Meow Wolf Santa Fe’s community space. Begins at 12:00 p.m.

  • May 21 Swing on the Plaza – This free event on the Plaza De Las Cruces offers a free swing dance lesson at 7:00 p.m. and a free dance at 8:00 p.m.

  • May 23 Club Francais – This free French class at the Taos Public Library begins at 5:00 p.m. All ages are welcome.

Albuquerque Notices

🔶 Registration open for Albuquerque Little Theatre summer camps – Albuquerque Little Theatre Education and Youth Program offers classes, workshops, and summer camps that cater to students of all ages. Kids can register for Disney’s Descendants musical camp, the play actors mini camp, the Play Builders summer camp, and more.

🔶 Albuquerque Westside Animal Shelter will be closed Monday, May 20 – While the Westside shelter is temporarily closed for intake and reclaims, the city’s eastside shelter will be open for emergency intake of stray animals from 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 20.

🔶 Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office plans DWI checkpoints in May – Deputies will be looking for people driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs. Community members are asked to report drivers they believe are impaired by calling 911.

🔶 Collecting underwear and socks with the ‘Seats and Feets Clothing Drive’ – Crossing guards across Albuquerque are teaming up with Locker #505 to collect socks and underwear in the Seats and Feets Clothing Drive. The drive runs through May 21.

🔶 Rail Yards Market ‘Burque Bake-on’ fundraising competition – The event is a competition between 12 local bakers that will compete for the top spot. Order your Burque Bake-on box online by May 16 and choose between three different tiers of fundraising support. On May 19 during Rail Yard Market hours pick up your box that includes 12 items, one from each contestant.

🔶 Albuquerque has a new fire marshal – The city promoted Jason Garcia to fire marshal. With the role, he will oversee fire inspections, investigations, and community fire risk reduction. Garcia has been with Albuquerque Fire Rescue since 1998, the city says.

🔶 ABQ BioPark selling tickets for ‘Twilight Tours’ & ‘Night Walks’ – Tickets for the first Twilight Tours and Night Walk are now available to purchase. The Twilight Tours will allow guests to experience the sights and sounds of the zoo after hours all while led by a personal guide. Night Walks will let guests explore the botanic garden under moonlight as a guide takes them to search for night-blooming plants and nocturnal animals.

🔶 New Mexico State Fair holding auditions to sing the National Anthem – The live auditions will be at the Boxcar Stage from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the EXPO New Mexico on August 6. To audition live, you must sign up by August 5.

🔶 Registration open for Bernalillo County summer camps – The summer camps run from June 10 to July 26, and registration is now open at this link. The seven-week program costs $290. The summer programs run from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

🔶 Constructive Conversations series with Albuquerque city leaders – The city is holding the series to help bridge the gap between what the community wants and what the city can do. The constructive conversation series runs through the month of May and will reach all over the city. The events are free to attend, but guests must RSVP in advance, by clicking here.

New Mexico Notices

🔶 Rio Grande Theatre offering 2024 Summer Camp – Registration is now open for the inaugural year of the Rio Grande Theatre Camp. Theater and tech classes will be offered. The last day to register is May 24 at 4:00 p.m.

🔶 Two New Mexico restaurants rank as Yelp’s ‘Top 100 Barbecue Spots 2024’Mad Jack’s Mountaintop Barbecue in Cloudcroft ranked as No. 22, and Watson’s BBQ in Tucumcari ranked as No. 24. Mad Jack’s is located on James Canyon Highway and is open Thursday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. until they sell out for the day. Watson’s BBQ is located on South Lake Street and is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

🔶 Forest road near Cuba, New Mexico closed for elk calving – Spring brings the annual calving season for elk in New Mexico. To protect the animals, forest officials are closing Forest Road 69. The road reaches into the Santa Fe National Forest. It will be closed to all vehicles from May 15 to June 30.

🔶 New Mexico has new absentee ballot tracker – The system is called “Ballot Scout.” Absentee voters can access Ballot Scout from this link after they’ve submitted an absentee ballot.

🔶 PNM: Graduation balloons can cause power outages – Mylar balloons, in particular, are made of a conductive material and can cause power line malfunctions. They can also create safety hazards.

🔶 Archbishop of Santa Fe calls for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas War – A coalition of faith-based members of the community represented by Archbishop John Wester of the Santa Fe Diocese called for in-depth documentation of possible Israeli war crimes regarding the war in Gaza.

🔶 Fuelwood permits on sale for Mount Taylor Ranger District – Permits at the Mount Taylor District Office are being sold Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. – Noon and 1 – 4 p.m. The fuelwood permits will cost $2 per cord, with a minimum purchase of $20.

🔶 CDC: E.coli outbreak linked to walnuts sold in New Mexico, 18 other states – Seven people have been hospitalized and two have developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a dangerous kidney disease, the CDC said. There have been no deaths reported. Almost all of the people infected purchased walnuts in bulk that were originally supplied by Gibson Farms, Inc., which has since recalled the products.

🔶 New Mexico legislature taking applications for internships – Applications are now open for undergraduate students and those who have recently graduated from college. Interns help with day-to-day staff work and are paid $17 per hour.

🔶 BLM looking for comment on oil and gas leases in New Mexico – In 2021, BLM approved leases for about 6,000 acres of land in New Mexico. Then, Citizens Caring for the Future sued BLM over the plan. Now, as that lawsuit remains pending, the federal government is asking the public to comment on a new analysis of the leases. The deadline for commenting is May 21, 2024.

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