Upcoming Events for March 25, 2024

Do you want to advertise your Torrance County event in the Mountainair Dispatch? I’d love to publish it. Email todd@mountainairdispatch.com with the details.

Federal Government

Pecos National Historical Park

Ancestral Sites Tour

• every Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM, until April 20, 2024
• Meet at the visitor's center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Trading Post Chats

• Every Monday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM, until April 20, 2024
• Drop in at the trading post (0.5 miles south of the visitor's center on HWY 63), 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Battlefield Hike

• Every Saturday from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM, until April 20, 2024
• Discover the story behind the Battle of Glorieta Pass
• The tour begins at the visitor's center, and attendees caravan to the Battlefield Trail in their own vehicles.
• Meet at the Visitor's Center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Birding the Pecos

• Saturday, March 30, 2024, from 8:15 AM to 12:00 PM
• Join volunteer and birder Albert for a guided bird walk along the beautiful South Pasture Loop Trail! The hike is free, and no registration is required.
• Meet at the Trading Post (approximately 0.5 miles south of the main visitor center, off Highway 63), and be prepared to hike up to 4 miles on uneven ground with limited tree cover. Water, snacks, sun protection, and sturdy shoes are recommended. Bring binoculars if you have them!
• Visitor's Center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

Ranger Choice Program

• every Friday at 11:00 AM, no registration required
• Abó, Quarai, and Gran Quivira unit visitors centers.

Pueblo and Mission Program

• Every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 AM
• Abó, Quarai, and Gran Quivira unit visitors centers.

Total Eclipse in the Heart of New Mexico

• Join park rangers and volunteers to view the total eclipse at the park! Approximately 75% coverage of the total eclipse will be viewable from the park units. Park staff will have telescopes with solar filters, eclipse explorer jr. ranger books, and eclipse glasses at Abó, Quarai, and headquarters. Interested in capturing the solar eclipse with your camera? Bring a solar lens filter and learn how at the eclipse photography station at headquarters. Check out the timeline of the eclipse and experience this unique event at the park!
• Partial Eclipse Begins 11:15 a.m.
• Maximum Eclipse 12:30 p.m.
• Full Eclipse Ends 1:47 p.m.
• Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Headquarters, 105 South Ripley Avenue, Mountainair, NM 87036-0517
• Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Abó Unit, 69 Ruins Road, Mountainair, NM 87036
• Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Quarai Unit, 122 Manzano Quarai Rd, Mountainair, NM 87036

State Government

Manzano Mountains State Park

Opening Day

• Saturday, April 6, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
• The state park will be revealing what are described as exciting new features and accommodations at the park, to include an all-terrain wheelchair, “wildlife drinkers,” and a self-guided nature trail brochure.
• The event will also include a ranger-led hike and a talk by a representative of the Manzano Land Grant community.
• Manzano Mountains State Park, County Rd B062, Mountainair, NM 87036, (34.6033481, -106.3610180)

Solar Eclipse Viewing

• Monday April 8, 2024, from 11:00 AM to 1:45 PM
• Mile Marker 3, Hwy 131, Mountainair, NM 87036
• Solar eclipse glasses will be available to visitors on a first come first served basis. The regular Park Entrance Fee applies. Please bring exact cash or check or display a valid New Mexico State Parks annual pass.

Rio Grande Nature Center State Park

Guided Bird Walk

• Every Saturday and Sunday - 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
• Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, 2901 Candelaria Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107. The Park’s Day-Use Fee is $3.00 per vehicle (exact cash or check). Friends of the RGNC and NM State Parks annual permit holders enter free with a valid permit displayed.
• Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars, insect repellent, and sunscreen as needed. Meet at the Candelaria Viewing Area (Northeast side of the parking lot).

New Mexico Boating Safety Course

• Free, 8-hour class offered by New Mexico State Parks. There is no fee to take this class. Education is the key to becoming a better, more knowledgeable boater. In New Mexico, many boaters are required by law to complete a boating safety course and receive a boater education card. Everyone is eligible and encouraged to take the course and receive a card. Registration is required. Register using link below.
• Fees: None
• Contact: Scott Chalmers 505-490-3507
• Register Online
• Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, 2901 Candelaria Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107.

Torrance County

Local Emergency Planning Committee Regular Meeting

• March 26, 2024, at 9:00 AM
• Torrance County Administrative Building, 205 S 9th St Estancia, NM 87016

Torrance County Commission Regular Meeting

• March 27, 2024, at 9:00 AM
• Torrance County Administrative Building, 205 S 9th St Estancia, NM 87016

Torrance County Commission Regular Meeting

• April 10, 2024, at 9:00 AM
• Torrance County Administrative Building, 205 S 9th St Estancia, NM 87016

Torrance County Commission Regular Meeting

• April 24, 2024, at 9:00 AM
• Torrance County Administrative Building, 205 S 9th St Estancia, NM 87016

Torrance County Commission Regular Meeting

• May 8, 2024, at 9:00 AM
• Torrance County Administrative Building, 205 S 9th St Estancia, NM 87016

Mountainair

Mountainair Municipal Court

• Monday - Thursday, 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM, with arraignments from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM and trials from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM

Mountainair Town Council

• First and third Tuesdays of each month at 6:00 PM
• Mountainair Town Council Building, 107 1/2 North Roosevelt Avenue, Mountainair, NM 87036

Mountainair Easterfest

• March 30, 2024
• Easter egg hunt and meal, starting at 2:30 PM, Mountainair High School, 901 West 3rd Street, Mountainair, NM 87036
• Easter dance featuring Perfect Strangr and B&X Sound, from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM, Dr. Saul Community Center, 109 N Roosevelt Ave, Mountainair, NM 87036

Mountainair Public Schools Board of Education Regular Meeting

• April 23, 2024, at 6:00 PM
• Mountainair Public Schools Administrative Building, 512 N Ross Ave St, Mountainair, NM 87036

Other Organizations

Mountainair Rotary Club

• 12:00 PM every Thursday
• Claunch-Pinto SWCD Conservation Center, 1206 NM-55, Mountainair, NM 87036
• Attendees should bring lunch.

Mountainair Gymkhana Rodeo

• Sunday, April 7, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• Sunday, April 28, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• Sunday, May 12, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• Sunday, June 9, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• Sunday, June 30, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• Sunday, July 14, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• Make-up dates:
  • Sunday, July 21, 2024, at 8:00 AM
  • Sunday, August 4, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• JP Helms Rodeo Arena, 609 3rd St, Mountainair, NM 87036

Free Sunday Mornings at the Albuquerque Museum

• Every Sunday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM; EXCEPTION: No free admission during Balloon Fiesta (October 7–15, 2023).
• Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM, 505-243-7255
• Timed ticketing applies. Before your visit, please reserve your tickets to Albuquerque Museum online at HOLD MY TICKET. Free admission applies to general museum admission only. Fees for special exhibits and events still apply.

Family Art Workshops

• March 30, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM
• Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104

Manzano Mountain Art Council Exhibit: Inspired by the Land

• March 23, 2024 through July 31, 2024
• Artists can apply online at https://forms.gle/gLB7wCQsodRMMLUG8
• Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036

Heritage Spinning and Weaving: Fiber Prep and Spinning with Myra Chang Thompson and Carla Wackenheim

• March 30, 2024, 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
• Price included with admission to Casa San Ysidro
• Casa San Ysidro, 973 Old Church Road, Corrales, NM 87048

Closing Soon! Masks and Metals Art Exhibition

• November 17, 2023 to March 30, 2024
• Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036

Basketmaking Workshop with Darlene Ryer

• April 6 and 13, 2024, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (this is a two-part workshop)
• Learn how to begin a coil basket & add color on the first workshop, & how to refine stitches & finish basket in the second workshop.
• Register online with the Manzano Mountain Arts Council
• Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036

Tales of Witchcraft and the Supernatural in New Mexico

• April 13, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, no cost

“Dr. Nasario Garcia will present traditional tales on the evil eye, witches, the bogeyman, and balls of fire, and how this history of witchcraft and the supernatural connects Spain to Latin America and Latin America to North America. Garcia, a native New Mexican and leading folklorist in New Mexico, is the author of a multitude of publications on New Mexican literature and folklore. He has compiled 150 firsthand accounts of supernatural experiences and traditional stories from the people of the Pecos Valley.”

• Casa San Ysidro, 973 Old Church Road, Corrales, NM 87048

Across the Lake

• April 18, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 8:30 PM
• Interdisciplinary artist and assistant professor of art history at the University of New Mexico, Marcella Ernest (Ojibwe), will present an experimental film and photographic essay, Across the Lake (Free)
• Albuquerque Museum, 2000 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104

Culpepper & Merriweather Great Combined Circus

• April 19, 2024, with two shows, one at 5:00 PM and another at 7:30 PM
• Mountainair

Blacksmithing Basics

• April 20, 2024, from 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM
• Payment and registration via UNM Continuing Education
• Casa San Ysidro, 973 Old Church Road, Corrales, NM 87048

Words that Endure

• April 20, 2024, at 2:00 PM (Free but donations are appreciated)
• Learn about the differences between the Mescalero Apache & Chiricahua Apache and view coming of age ceremonial clothing with speaker Debi Cochise (Mescalero Apache & Chiricahua Apache)
• Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036
  

Cibola Arts Gallery Community Talent Show and Silent Art Auction Fundraiser

• Sunday, April 28, 2024, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
• To Audition, send a recording or a link to a recording to anannforallseasons@gmail.com by March 15, 2024
• Acts are limited to 8 minutes in length
• Art donations for the silent auction (i.e., paintings, photos, ceramics, wood carvings, jewelry, etc.) will be accepted until March 15, 2024
• Tickets: $10, individual; $20, family (2 adults and 4 children); talent show participants receive one free ticket for a guest; tickets include one raffle ticket eligible for prizes from multiple drawings through the evening
• Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036

DaVinci Machines: The Exhibition

• Now through May 16, 2024
• The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History, 601 Eubank Street SE, Albuquerque, NM, 505-245-2137
• Exhibit Information

Kitchen Creations: Free Diabetes Cooking Classes

• April 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Torrance County CES Offices, 205 9th Street, Estancia, NM
• To register call 505-544-4334, email maberryd@nmsu.edu or sign up at kitchencreations.nmsu.edu

Free Community Dinner

• Donald and Jaqueline Zahnke are hosting a free community spaghetti dinner on April 11, 2024, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM; to-go boxes will be available
• Moriarty Civic Center, 202 Broadway St, Moriarty, NM 87035
• For questions, please contact 216-466-3928