What’s happening around New Mexico September 15 – September 21

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from September 15 – September 21.

Albuquerque

Sept. 16-21 – U-Pick Produce and Flowers – Big Jims Farms will allow attendees to pick local produce and flowers through October 2023. Individuals can attend the farm for free but will have to pay for items picked. There will also be farm tours, markets, farm animals, and more.

Sept. 16-17 – New Mexico State Fair – The New Mexico State Fair is starting on Sept. 7 and runs til Sept. 17. There will be a variety of events, rides, food, live entertainment and more. Ticket prices vary.

Sept. 15 – Science on Tap – Head to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History for a series of informal talks on science and technology. The event is $5 to attend and individuals will also get one beer ticket. Individuals must be 21 and over to attend and the event runs from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Sept. 15 – Adult Night Explora – Adult Night at Explora allows anyone over 18 to enjoy the museum. This month explores the science of gaming; attendees will explore the tech, art, and science that led to the games we play today. The event runs from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $11 for adults and $8 for students, military, and seniors.

Sept. 15 – Brews and Boos – Head to the Painted Lady to experience a tour of a haunted location. Guests will be able to view historic photos, receive a complimentary beer and even experience paranormal activity. Tickets are $35.

Sept. 15 – Food Truck Fridays – Every Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., food trucks will be set up along Civic Plaza. The event will include a variety of food trucks, live music, and a sitting area to dine.

Sept. 15  – La Familia Grower’s Market – Visit Dolores Huerta Gateway Park from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. for food trucks, produce, and live music. The event is free to attend.

Sept. 16 – Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA to perform free Downtown Albuquerque concert – The show will be from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. with Central Ave. closed from 5th Street to 8th Street. The show is free but people will have to register ahead of time online. GZA will also host a free chess tournament on September 16 for local kids in partnership with Learners Chess Academy. That will take place at the Downtown Convention Center. People can also register for that event online.

Sept. 16 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in Concert – Relive your Harry Potter at Popejoy Hall where you will be able to experience the movie and music live. Tickets range from $77 to $129.

Sept. 16  – 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. 4.

Sept. 16,20 – Read to the Dogs – Each Saturday and Wednesday from 1 to 2 p.m. attendees can learn how to read or advance their skills to therapy dogs. Children can pick any book they’d like and read along. The event is free to attend and occurs at the East Mountain Branch Library.

Sept. 17 – Bartending Class – Head to Hollow Spirits Distillery to take part in a bartending class. Attendees will learn how to make three cocktails with a local bartender. Tickets are $35.

Sept. 17 – The Rail Yards Market of Albuquerque operates on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sept. 9-10 – Mushroom Cooking Class – Learn to cook mushroom dishes from local produce and cook in a kitchen on the mushroom farm. There will be three different menu items and more. Tickets are $79.

Sept. 20 – Old Town Swing at the Orpheum! – The first and third Wednesday of the month attendees can head down to Old Town Swing. Attendees can learn swing dance lessons and more. The event is free but a $5 donation is suggested.

New Mexico

Sept. 8-14 – 49th Annual Taos Fall Arts Festival – Head to Taos, NM to view local galleries, museums and more. Each day will be filled with a variety of activities, shopping and other events. The event is free to attend and will run until September 17.

Sept. 15-16 – Concerts in the Park – Ruidoso, NM is home to live outdoor music. There will be performances from Josh Abbott Band, Kyle Park, Slade Coulter, and Sarah Row. Ticket prices range.

Sept. 15-16 – The PASEO 2023 – Head to Taos, NM to experience art projection, installation and more. The event will take place at the Kit Carson Park and is free to attend.

Sept. 15 – Dark Skies, Bright Stars – Head to Mountainair, NM to experience a dark sky event. Attendees will learn from lectures, view the sky through telescopes and more. The event is free to attend.

Sept. 16 – O, Fair New Mexico! Sing-Along Concert – Head to Aztec, NM to experience free admission to the Aztec Museum & Pioneer Village. There will also be a sing-along concert of old-time songs.

Sept. 16 – Santa Fe Indigenous Center’s Annual Indigenous Community Day Event – Head to Santa Fe, NM to honor the cultural heritage of Indigenous communities around Santa Fe, NM. The event is free to attend and there will be a variety of events happening.

Sept. 16 – Sierra County Farmers Market – Truth or Consequences, N.M. is home to this farmers market. The market runs each Saturday until October 2023. Individuals can enjoy the market for free from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. There will be produce, baked goods, live music, and more available for purchase.

Sept. 16 – Saturday Cooking Classes – Open Kitchen, LLC, will host cooking classes every Saturday. This weekend they will focus on preparing “cozy soups.” Classes are $115 plus tax. Classes take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sept. 16,19 – Santa Fe Farmers’ Market – Voted one of the “Top Ten Farmers’ Markets” by Sunset Magazine, the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market is one of the oldest, largest, and most successful growers’ markets in the country – serving more than 150 farmers and producers in Northern New Mexico. Open Saturdays and Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sept. 21 – Downtown Maker’s Market – Farmington, N.M. kicks off the first day of its Downtown Maker’s Market. The market will be held every Thursday until October. The market will be downtown where a variety of vendors will be selling items like produce, food, decor, and more. The event runs from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Albuquerque Notices

🔶 Federal judge temporarily blocks enforcement of New Mexico governor’s gun order – A controversial public health order in New Mexico has been stirring up frustration among politicians and civilians. On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled on the order. On September 8, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham created a public health order to ban open and concealed carry in public in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County.

🔶 Presbyterian Healthcare Services partners with third-party company to improve nurse schedules – The nursing shortage is forcing a New Mexico hospital to get creative with its recruiting efforts. They’re hoping flexible schedules will help persuade nurses to work for them. Now, with the hope of curbing that shortage, Presbyterian Healthcare Services is partnering with a third-party company to give nurses a more flexible schedule.

🔶 What is new at the 2023 New Mexico State Fair? – The New Mexico State Fair is bringing in new attractions, entertainment, and food for people to experience this year. The fair will take place Sept. 7-17 at Expo New Mexico in Albuquerque and is expected to bring in 500,000 guests.

🔶 New rides coming to the New Mexico State Fair – The New Mexico State Fair is quickly approaching, with just two days left until the 2023 events begin. Highlights of the upcoming fair include a new exhibit about New Mexico’s film and TV industry, selfie stations, concerts, rodeos, and four new rides at the Midway.

🔶Visit Albuquerque name places around town to watch Balloon Fiesta – Balloon Fiesta is an event that people travel from all over the world to witness. There is nothing like seeing hundreds of hot air balloons taking off right in front of you. Although there’s no better seat than watching it right from Balloon Fiesta Visit Albuquerque created a list of “The Best Places to Watch the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.”

🔶 New special shape balloons to keep an eye out for at the 51st Balloon Fiesta – The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has announced its special shape balloons for the upcoming 2023 fiesta. This year’s event will include 12 new shapes, adding up to 107 special shapes in total. View the shapes here.

🔶 Balloon Fiesta Schedule of Events 2023 – The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta starts on Saturday, October, 7, and ends on Sunday, October 15. All events below are in Mountain Time. Entertainment events will take place at The Main Street Stage. View the full list of events here.

🔶 Albuquerque will be getting its first year-round growers’ market – A Local Food Campus, developed by Three Sisters Kitchen and the Downtown Growers’ Market, is expected to come to Downtown Albuquerque. The campus will present opportunities for food entrepreneurs, a place for locals to shop, an event space, classrooms, and 45 new jobs – all while supporting food-insecure households with $500,000 in annual food assistance.

🔶 List: Places to get a pumpkin spice latte in Albuquerque – With fall just around the corner, many are anxiously awaiting the return of pumpkin spice lattes. Whether you love the sweet drinks or hate them, they will be hitting Albuquerque shops soon – with some even here already. View the full list of the fall menu release dates for some coffee shops around Albuquerque here.

🔶 Albuquerque FBI: Online scam reports on the rise in 2023 and how to avoid them – The Federal Bureau of Investigation tracks scam reports from across the nation. According to new data, New Mexicans have lost millions to online scams. “These numbers have continued to go up in all areas, which is surprising,” says Raul Bujanda, the special agent in charge of the FBI Albuquerque field office.

🔶 APS athletic event tickets shifting to online, cashless sales – With high school football right around the corner, Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) announced Wednesday, Aug. 9 they are moving to a cashless ticketing sales system for all athletic events. Prior to this year, all ticket sales were cash only.

🔶 How to prevent stormwater pollution in Albuquerque during monsoon season – Despite it being the driest start to monsoon season on record in Albuquerque, rain can come at any time before the season ends on Sept. 30. Last year, the National Weather Service in Albuquerque issued a record 249 flash flood warnings during the monsoon, nearly doubling the previous high. In the case that heavy rain does occur this year, there are steps residents can take to prevent stormwater pollution in the Rio Grande.

🔶 Albuquerque residents can apply for discount on their internet bill – Locals who need help covering the cost of the internet can apply for federal assistance. Those who qualify can get up to $30 per month off their internet bill. The discounts are part of a nationwide program overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). To apply, go to this link.

🔶 KRQE Cares: Providing shoes for kids – KRQE Cares has been distributing new shoes to students at Title One schools since 2015. These efforts would not be possible without generous donations from our KRQE News 13 viewers. Donate anytime online, here.

New Mexico Notices

🔶 New Mexico warns of delinquent tax notice scam – Officials are warning New Mexicans of a new scam that targets property owners. Scammers are sending fake delinquency letters demanding payment, according to the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD).

🔶 New Mexico State Fair 2023: What you need to know – The 2023 New Mexico State Fair is just around the corner and the entire state is invited. Before you go, it’s important to double-check you have everything you need, got your tickets, and know what you’re going to do when you get there. Find all you need to know here.

🔶 Halloween 2023 events in New Mexico – There’s nothing quite like getting the gang together and going out to a haunted house or event. The season is upon us and New Mexico is officially celebrating spooky season. Here’s a list of haunted houses and other events happening in the Land of Enchantment.

🔶 Carlsbad Caverns fire restrictions lifted – All preventive fire measures at Carlsbad Caverns recreation areas have been lifted. These have been in place since June 23.

🔶 Bernalillo County offering free vaccines and microchips for pets – The Bernalillo County Animal Care and Resources Center is giving pet owners in unincorporated parts of Bernalillo County a chance to get free vaccines and microchips. Starting September 6 through February 28, from 9 a.m. to noon every other Wednesday the county will be providing the free vaccine and microchipping services.

🔶 New Mexico looking to pay farmers to let their land go dry near lower Rio Grande – New Mexico’s Interstate Stream Commission is boosting its efforts to conserve water around the lower Rio Grande. The commission will take grant applications for farmers to let their land go dry.

🔶 U.S. Fish and Wildlife takes public comment on listing New Mexico lizard as endangered – A small, brown lizard could get federal protection. The public comment period on the proposal has been extended to add the lizard to the Endangered Species List, so the public can now comment on the idea until October 2, 2023. You can find more info and access the link to submit public comments online at this link.

🔶Airbnb reveals top New Mexico summer travel destination for families – Online rental company Airbnb released the top-booked summer travel destinations for families in every state. The mountain Village of Ruidoso took the top spot in New Mexico.

🔶 New Mexico eyeing nearly $3.5 billion in extra money – New Mexico’s lawmakers have even more money to play with than previously expected. The latest estimates by New Mexico’s economists show the state will likely have $3.482 billion in “new money” by fiscal year 2025. That new money is the cash left over after the state pays for all its yearly expenses.

🔶 Advocates worry about Mexican gray wolf population – While the population of Mexican gray wolves has grown in New Mexico over the last decade, environmental advocates are worried about the population of wolves south of the border. In a letter sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Center for Biological Diversity and others claim the population of Mexican gray wolves is “badly faltering” in Mexico.

🔶 New amendment allows buses to idle while heat advisory is in effect – Due to the excessive heat in New Mexico, an emergency amendment has been made to the New Mexico Administrative Code; it allows school buses to idle while students load and unload.

🔶 Special events planned for 2023 Balloon Fiesta during solar eclipse appearance – The most magical time of year in Albuquerque is quickly approaching. While the International Balloon Fiesta is always special, this year will be one for the books. Saturday, October 14, a little after 9 in the morning, the annular solar eclipse will be visible in the sky. It’s something the Balloon Fiesta team has had their sights set on for the past few years.

🔶 Official 2023 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta poster released – The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has released the Official Balloon Fiesta Serigraph Poster for its 2023, 51st annual event. This year’s serigraph poster was painted by Kevin A. Short.

🔶 2023 Music Fiesta headliner announced – The lineup for the 2023 Music Fiesta has been announced. Multi-Platinum selling country artist Lee Brice will be headlining the festivities on Saturday, October 14.

🔶 Here’s a list of New Mexico’s offerings for parents – With the new school year underway, New Mexico’s Early Childhood Education and Care Department is reminding parents of a range of resources that can help make life easier. View the list here.

🔶 List of haunted places in New Mexico – Around the world and the United States there are a variety of locations and places that are classified as haunted. Here in New Mexico, there is no shortage. View the list here.

🔶 Rio Rancho police taking applications for Citizens’ Academy – Applications are now open for Rio Rancho Police Department’s Citizens’ Academy. The academy offers an opportunity to learn about the inner workings of the agency. Those looking to apply need to do so online at this link or in person at 500 Quantum Rd NE Rio Rancho, N.M. by September 5, 2023.

🔶 Rough pavement alert: Contractor runs out of asphalt for I-25 repaving in Santa Fe – A one-mile section of I-25 is going to remain “rough” for a while. The New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT) says the contractor doesn’t have the asphalt to finish the road for now.

🔶 Arcosa in Belen to create 250 jobs –  The Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance is a nonprofit organization whose mission leads strategies designed to grow and diversify the economic base of the greater Albuquerque Region. In March, the company Arcosa chose a location in the Belen/Valencia County area for a new wind-tower production facility. This manufacturing facility will create roughly 250 jobs, with production to begin as soon as next year.