What’s happening around New Mexico September 22 – September 28

NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from September 22 – September 28.

Albuquerque

Sept. 22-23 – New Mexico Ice Wolves 2023 – The New Mexico Ice Wolves kicks off the 2023 season with two home openers. Prices vary.

Sept. 22-24 – Albuquerque Funny Fiesta – Head to a unique-filled show. Guests can enjoy burlesque. dance, sketches and an evening full of comedy. The festival will feature a variety of events. Some events are free and other ticket prices will vary.

Sept. 22-28 – 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. 27-28 – Albuquerque Film and Music Experience Festival – Head to five days filled of film, music, and art. There will be a variety of film blocks, conversations, after-parties and more. Ticket prices vary. The events will take place from September 27 to October 1.

Sept. 22 – 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. 22 – 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. 22  – 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. 23 – Movies in the Park – Head to Pacific Rim Food Park to enjoy a free screening of Frankenweenie. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the movie starts at 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 23 – 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. 23,27 – 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. 24 – Aki Matsuri (Fall Festival) – Head to EXPO New Mexico for the Aki Matsuri. The event is held by the New Mexico Japanese-American Citizens League. Tickets are $10.

Sept. 24 – Blues Night on Civic Plaza – Head to Civic Plaza to enjoy a night of music. The event is free to attend and guests will be able to enjoy a variety of items from food trucks. The event kicks off at 6 p.m.

Sept. 24 – The Rail Yards Market of Albuquerque operates on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Sept. 26 – Tracks, Tunes and Taps – Head to Tractor Brewing Company -Well Park to experience the New Mexico Steam Locomotive & Railroad Historical Society move the locomotive. Attendees will be able to see, hear and feel the 2926 in action. The event is free to attend.

Sept. 26 – Autumn Ornaments Workshop – Learn and get creative with red chiles, native corn, beautiful branches and other natural elements harvested from the Los Poblanos farm. Guests will get a tour of the farm, taste some crops and participate in a crafting workshop. Tickets are $65.

New Mexico

Sept. 22-24 – 2023 Hawgfest – Head to Carlsbad, NM to experience a carnival and music event for all ages to enjoy. There will also be food, face painting and more.

Sept. 23 – White Sands Missle Range Oktoberfest – White Sands Missle Range, NM will be home to German beer and food, and Bavarian singing and dancing. The event is open to all ages. Ticket prices range.

Sept. 23 – Night Wonders Program – Take a trip to Watrous, N.M. to hear about the night sky and hear stories about nocturnal wildlife. The event will be a night guided tour. The event is free to attend.

Sept. 23 – Moonlight Alpaca Yoga at Windrush Alpacas – Clovis, NM will be hosting a charity event to help Clovis Meals on Wheels. Attendees can enjoy yoga with the alpacas. Attendees will also need to bring their own yoga matt and light refreshments will be offered at the event.

Sept. 23 – 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. 23 – 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. 24 – UFOSKATEBASH Art Show & Live Music! – Head to Roswell, NM to experience a art and music show. Skaters will also be showing individuals about the skate community in the area The event is free to attend.

Sept. 23,16 – 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. 28 – Wheels on Fire 100 – Head to Tucumcari, NM to support or participate in an endurance bicycle event.

Sept. 28 – 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

🔶 El Vado Dam’s temporary closure contributing to metro’s dry Rio Grande –From overflowing this summer to almost nothing. The Rio Grande in the metro is nearly dried up. “It’s been a hot summer, and the spring runoff is gone, and you’re seeing a river section that doesn’t have access to the infrastructure that we normally store water in for late seasons like this.” Jason Casuga, the CEO and Chief Engineer for the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, said while a lack of rain is partly to blame for a nearly dry river, the closure of a northern New Mexico Dam is playing the biggest role.

🔶 Albuquerque Public Schools announces snow day changes – Albuquerque Public Schools announced they will be moving to asynchronous learning on days when school is canceled due to weather.

🔶 The Rio Grande in Albuquerque is drying, can you go in it? – If you’ve seen the Rio Grande in Albuquerque in recent weeks, you may see that a large portion of the river is dry and only a few pools of water remain. While some experts say it may be a frequent sight each year, the city’s Open Space superintendent is asking people to be mindful if they visit the drying riverbed.

🔶 Sensory room planned for Balloon Fiesta this year – All of the colors and shapes of Balloon Fiesta will fill the Albuquerque skies in just over two weeks. This year, a new four-wheeled addition at the Fiesta aims to make it easier for families and kids with sensory needs. Games, bean bags, and a relaxing feel are what a special trailer called “S.A.V.E.” is bringing to New Mexico’s biggest event for the first time.

🔶 City of Albuquerque acquires 145 acres of Open Space property – The City of Albuquerque acquired 145 acres of property that will become part of the Manzano/Four Hills Open Space. The land, known as the Diamond Rock Property, will be used for public recreation, education and to preserve wildlife habitats. The new acquisition will connect the Four Hills Open Space to the Tijeras Arroyo Bio-Zone. The city is considering multiple projects in the area including a new open space center which will include an ADA trail.

🔶 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.

🔶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.

🔶 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

🔶 Game and Fish offering free fishing weekend September 23-24 – September 23 marks National Hunting and Fishing Day. To celebrate, the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish is letting anglers fish state lakes and rivers for free without an official fishing license.

🔶 New Mexico awards more than $1.7M for youth outdoor programs – The state announced Wednesday that 54 organizations in 16 counties have received more than $1.7M to make sure New Mexico kids have access to outdoor activities. The Outdoor Equity Fund grant aims to ensure kids have access to the outdoors while teaching them to respect the land, water, and cultural heritage of New Mexico. Funding for this round of grant funding came from the American Rescue Plan Act, private donations, and the Land of Enchantment Legacy Fund.

🔶 New Mexico educators work to curb teacher shortage – It’s no secret public schools across the state are struggling to fill teacher vacancies. Now, a New Mexico group is highlighting issues they claim could be contributing to the shortage. New Mexico school leaders and prospective teachers shared their ideas on Wednesday, discussing how they think New Mexico schools can get better at recruiting and retaining educators. The Golden Apple Foundation has made it a mission to find and keep good teachers in New Mexico schools, and they say the job has never been harder.

🔶 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.

🔶 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.

🔶 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.

🔶 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.