ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – After more than two years, the City of Albuquerque is back to throwing a big celebration for the mayor’s annual State of the City address. The 2022 event at the Rail Yards near Downtown Albuquerque will mark the first in-person address since January 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in New Mexico.

Before the speech, the city is inviting the public to take part in what it’s calling a “community celebration” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. According to the city, the celebration will include live music and entertainment, local food offerings, and opportunities to meet representatives from various city departments and “organizational partners.”

Keller is expected to deliver his State of the City speech at the Albuquerque Rail Yards at 1:00 p.m. this Saturday, June 25, 2022. The address will also mark Mayor Tim Keller’s first State of the City speech since voters elected him to a second term in November 2021 as the city’s chief executive.

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Taking office in December 2017, Keller’s administration began hosting State of the City parties in January 2019, turning the traditional political speech into a large-scale public party. The COVID-19 pandemic forced 2021’s State of the City address to go virtual.

Despite a recent increase in COVID-19 cases pushing Albuquerque City Council to return to virtual meetings, the Keller administration says the 2022 State of the City party and speech will happen “rain or shine.” Keller himself recently recovered from a COVID-19 infection in early June.

This year’s event is free and all ages are welcome, according to a city news release. However, city officials are asking anyone interested in going to RSVP through an online portal on eventbrite.com. For a list of more details about the event, visit the CABQ.gov web post about the event.