NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events happening from May 20 – May 27 around New Mexico.

Albuquerque

Events

May 20 – Family Picnic Night at the Botanic Garden – Spend an evening with the family surrounded by floral landscapes. Start the summer season with food, fun, and live music. Event-goers can see local bands like The Cumberlands, Lone Piñon, MumboJumbo Jazz Band, The Porter Draw, and Mondo Vibrations perform live throughout the Garden. Kids can get their faces painted and scale a 25ft climbing wall for free. Visit Discovery Stations around the Garden and meet insects in the BUGarium. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

May 20 – APS Drive for Supplies – Albuquerque Public Schools is hosting a drive-up and drop-off supplies drive for the firefighters fighting the fires in Northern New Mexico. The Drive for Supplies will be from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. in front of Alice and Bruce King Education Complex (APS administrative offices), 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE. The public also can drop off items at the APS-owned KANW radio station.

May 20-22 – Special Olympics NM 2022 State Summer Games – More than 600 Special Olympics New Mexico athletes and 280 Unified partners will compete in the 2022 State Summer Games, presented by Chick-fil-A. Special Olympics athletes will compete in track & field events, skill events, bocce, softball throw, Unified flag football, and Unified volleyball. Friday and Saturday events will be held at the UNM Track and Soccer Complex. On Sunday the volleyball competition will be held at Sandia Preparatory High School. 

May 21-22 – Cross My Paws Adoption Event – Bike In Coffee will be hosting an adoption event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the dogs of Cross My Paws Animal Rescue. They will have five, 10-week-old Chihuahua mixes, as well as Summer and Ruby, two of their longest residents at the rescue. They are also taking any donations of supplies that will be used to take care of these animals while they find them their forever families.

May 21 – Free Historical Downtown Walking Tour – Learn how the 175-year-old Villa De Alburquerque changed radically with the arrival of the ATSF Railroad in 1880. Listen to the stories of the pioneers, merchants, lawmakers, bullfighters, and politicians who helped to shape our city, no reservation is necessary. Simply meet the guide at 10:00 a.m. at the southwest corner of 1st and Central, by Tucanos Restaurant. Wear comfortable shoes, bring your own water, and leave pets at home. This is a family-friendly tour. Allow one-and-a-half to two hours for this leisurely tour. If you have a group of five or more or want to schedule a weekday tour, you can call 505-289-0586 to make arrangements.

May 21 – Mobile Care Package Distribution – Who I Am Foundation Volunteers will be hitting the streets from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for their bi-weekly care package distribution to the homeless. Masks and gloves are required. This will be a mobile distribution in which they fill buggies, bags, and coolers on wheels with food, bottled water, snacks, hygiene products, and other essential necessities.

May 21 – Downtown Grower’s Market – Albuquerque’s longest-running farmers market, in its 26th year, takes place each Saturday in Robinson Park starting at 8:00 a.m. Vendors bring fresh food, jewelry, crafts, and more to the event. This year’s grower’s market will run through Nov. 5.

May 21-22 – Expo New Mexico Flea Market – New Mexico’s largest open-air market is located in Albuquerque at Expo New Mexico Fairgrounds on Central Avenue west of Louisiana Boulevard. The Flea Market will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., weather permitting.

May 22 – Rail Yards Market – The market hosts over 150 vendors of fresh produce, fine food, healing hands, and handmade art. It’s from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 27 – Friday Night Market – Stop by the Fusion Theater at 5 p.m. for live music acts such as Latin Music all-stars Nosotros, all local artisan vendors, food, and drinks from Tractor Brewing Company, at the indoor/outdoor campus. This event is community-powered, free, family and pet friendly.

Around New Mexico

Events

May 20-23 – Santa Fe Literary Festival – The inaugural Santa Fe Literary Festival will take place May 20–23, 2022. The festival is a four-day, multievent gathering where local and global writers and readers will connect in a shared love of language, storytelling, books, ideas, and more. Tickets can be purchased online.

May 21 – Rio Rancho’s Biggest Yard Sale – It’s that time to clean out your garage and sell those items collecting dust. Browse Rio Rancho’s Biggest Yard Sale. Craft vendors and food trucks will also be joining in the fun. The event runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

May 21 – Elephant Butte H20 Crisis Parade– On Saturday, May 21, supporters of Elephant Butte Lake will be holding a parade and rally to draw attention to the continuing plight of New Mexico’s oldest lake and one of the nation’s first western reservoirs. The parade will begin at 10 a.m. on Beach Blvd. in Elephant Butte and continue to the Event Grounds on Water Street.

May 21 – Saturday Mornings on Becker – Saturday Mornings on Becker is a women-led initiative that seeks to engage the community with the joy of artful living. They welcome all local farmers, artists, and artisans as market vendors. Their events are family-friendly and appropriate for all ages. The event begins at 8:00 a.m.

May 21 – Las Cruces Farmers & Crafts Market – Local food, crafts, and entertainment every Wednesday and Saturday in downtown Las Cruces. Market hours are Wednesday and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

May 21 – Socorro Farmers’ Market – Visit the Socorro Farmer’s Market, part of the New Mexico Farmers’ Market Association. The only continuous market in New Mexico, during the winter from November through May, you will find them in the Teen Center at 1002 Ake Ave. on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

May 21 – Glenwood Street Market – The vendors sell hand-crafted items, food, jewelry, metal art, cutting boards, gourd art, plants, canned goods, organic vegetables, and a variety of the usual to the unusual. It takes place on Mile Marker 51 on Highway 180 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

May 21 – Saturday Skate Night – Rockin’ Rollers is happy to announce their weekly event:
Saturday Skate Night. The event is for 18+ and kicks off at 8:00 p.m. at Rockin’ Rollers Event Area.

May 22 – The Railyard Artisan Market in Santa Fe – The Railyard Artisan Market, started in 2009, represents a wide variety of New Mexico’s artists and craftspeople. The Sunday market offers a unique opportunity to enjoy local art and music inside the Farmers’ Market Pavilion. From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., you can find pottery, painting, jewelry, sculpture, fiber arts, photography, hand-blown glass, artisanal teas, and handmade herbal body products. Location: 1607 Paseo de Peralta in Santa Fe, 87501.

Albuquerque Notices

🔶 City Online Map Shows Construction and Potential Slowdown Areas – The Department of Municipal Development (DMD) maintains an online interactive map of traffic barricade locations that are accessible by the public. This map provides a quick and easy way to get information about construction activities and other closures on city streets and includes City projects as well as special events, utility projects, and other reasons for barricading. You can click on any of the “highlighted” streets for details on the barricading, including start and stop dates. The map may not reflect emergency activities such as water, sewer, or gas line leaks or closures on streets owned or maintained privately, by the County, or the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

🔶 Keep American Beautiful Offering Free Neighborhood Cleanup Kits – If your neighborhood is looking for additional supplies for volunteers to host future neighborhood cleanup events, or if you’re looking for some other ways to engage neighborhood volunteers to help with clean-ups, Keep America Clean is offering free individual cleanup kits for volunteers. The kits include a trash grabber, a hi-visibility vest, re-usable gloves, bags, and even a scale. You can apply for a cleanup kit online.

🔶 311 Survey Seeks Feedback from Public – The City is again seeking feedback from the public about the 311 Call Center and you are encouraged to take the survey and share your thoughts. 311 is an essential City service and is always working toward improvement and making the service better and easier for residents. The survey is available in both English and Spanish at: https://www.cabq.gov/311

🔶 Free Safety Assessments Offered to Downtown Albuquerque Residents and Businesses – The Valley Area Command of the Albuquerque Police Department is offering residents and businesses a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) survey for homes or facilities located in and around the Albuquerque Downtown area. A CPTED is a free service offered by the Valley Area Command (and by all Area Commands citywide) in which Crime Prevention staff conduct a site visit and look for potential vulnerabilities on the exterior and interior of homes and businesses, and generate a report with recommendations on deterring crime. To schedule a CPTED in the Downtown or surrounding neighborhoods, contact Laura Trujillo, Crime Prevention Specialist, at: ljtrujillo@cabq.gov. 

🔶 City Office of Consumer Protection Offers Tips on Tax Refund Loans – Monday, April 18 was Tax Day, and the City’s Office of Consumer Protection is offering information about tax refund loans. There are many tax preparers who offer products to get your tax refund immediately, instead of having to wait for the IRS to send it. These products are actually loans – the tax preparer is loaning you money and taking your IRS refund to repay the debt you owe on the loan. For consumers looking to get their refund as soon as possible, this might seem like a great option, but consumers should consider the cost in interest and fees they are paying by taking out one of these loans.  

  • For electronically filed returns, the IRS can issue a refund by direct deposit in as little as 2 weeks.
  • Worried your refund will take longer because you don’t have a bank or credit union account? Find safe and affordable account options with Bank On Burque. https://www.cabq.gov/legal/bank-on-burque.

New Mexico Notices

🔶 SNAP recipients can temporarily buy prepared food from providers – In light of the wildfire emergency, the state of New Mexico is allowing families on SNAP benefits to buy prepared meals from certain providers. Usually, the benefit only applies to grocery products. Under the temporary rule, SNAP recipients can buy hot and ready-to-eat foods from deli counters at retailers that are already SNAP-authorized. That does not include restaurants.

🔶 FEMA reminds New Mexicans to read disaster assistance letters carefully – FEMA is reminding New Mexicans affected by wildfires to read assistance letters carefully. Residents who applied for FEMA assistance will get a letter determining an eligibility decision and the reason for it. FEMA says a “no decision” letter does not mean you have been denied. You may be missing documents or need to provide more information. You are able to appeal the decision if you do not agree with it. Residents can check the status of their application online or by calling the FEMA help line at 1-800-621-3362.

🔶 Officials warn of new scam targeting New Mexico wildfire victims – The attorney general is warning New Mexicans about a new scam making the rounds targeting fire victims. The scammers call, claiming to be a FEMA representative, and ask for some sort of payment. FEMA does not ask for payment for services and will only reach out if a person has first contacted FEMA, or applied for relief. Anyone who believes they are a victim of this scam is asked to report it to local law enforcement or the attorney general’s office.

🔶 State Hosting Donation Drive for Those Affected by Wildfires in Northern New Mexico – The State of New Mexico is seeking donations of clothing, socks, toiletries, and bedding to help residents and families impacted by the terrible wildfires in the northern part of the state. Cash donations can also be made. To find out where to drop off donations and to learn more about how you can help, visit:  https://www.alltogethernm.org/

🔶 Camp Pops Up Children’s Camp in Response to Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak Fires – Project: Camp staffers have deployed to Glorieta, New Mexico to provide free, trauma-informed day camp services to children ages six to 16 in response to evacuation orders that have impacted hundreds of families displaced by the Calf Canyon and Hermit’s Peak fires. Project: Camp is offering day camp from 9 am to 3 pm starting Wednesday, May 4. Parents can drop their children off at Aspen Auditorium at the Glorieta Adventure Camp