Upcoming Events for July 29, 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

Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans Benefits Festival (with the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services)

• August 2, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
• Will include toxic exposure screening, applications for PACT Act benefits, and enrollment in VA healthcare
• New Mexico Department of Veterans Services, Pinetree Business Park, Building 2, First Floor, 4801 Indian School Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110

Pecos National Historical Park

Due to a special event, there will be no tours or programs on August 11, 2024.

Ancestral Sites Tour

• Daily until September 7, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
• Meet at the visitor's center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Trading Post Chats

• Daily until September 7, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Meet at the trading post (look for the pink building), 1/2 mile south of the visitor's center, off of NM-63, Pecos, NM 87552

Glorieta Battlefield Walking Tour

• Mondays, Tuesdays, and Sundays, weekly until September 7, 2024, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
• Meet at the visitor's center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Forked Lightning Ranch House Caravan Tour

• Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, weekly until September 7, 2024, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
• Meet at the visitor's center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

‌Due to recent and continued rainstorms, the Quarai Convento remains closed.

Ranger Choice Program

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

Abó Ranger-Led Hike

• every Friday at 11:00 AM until August 30, 2024
• Abó Unit, Salinas Pueblo National Monument, 69 Ruins Road, Mountainair, NM 87036

Gran Quivira Ranger-Led Hike

• every Saturday at 11:00 AM until August 31, 2024
• Gran Quivira Unit, Salinas Pueblo National Monument, 4030 Quivira Flats Rd, Mountainair, NM 87036

Quarai Ranger-Led Hike

• Every Sunday at 11:00 AM until August 25, 2024
• Quarai Unit, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, 122 Manzano Quarai Rd, Mountainair, NM 87036

Pueblo and Mission Program

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

State Government

New Mexico Department of Veterans Services Benefits Outreach Visit

• Albuquerque: every Monday and Wednesday, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the VA Regional Office, 500 Gold Ave SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102 (inside the Albuquerque Federal Building and Courthouse)
• Truth or Consequences: Wednesdays, from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, at the New Mexico State Veteran Home, 992 South Broadway Street, Truth or Consequences, NM 87901

Cerrillos Hills State Park

No events are scheduled at this time.

Elephant Butte State Park

No events are scheduled at this time.

Leasburg Dam State Park

No events are scheduled at this time.

Manzano Mountains State Park

No events are scheduled at this time.

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).

Summer Wings BioBlitz

• Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM
• Learn how to observe and identify plants and animals, add your sightings and chat with local naturalists.
• 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.

Wonderful World of Hummingbirds

• Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM
• Kim Score will dive into the fascinating world of nature’s smallest birds. Discover more about the curious habits of hummingbirds and what makes them so unique. Explore their incredible adaptions and behavior - from mating and migration to feeding and fighting - and learn to identify the four species common to Central New Mexico. Part of Summer Wings Festival. Meet in Education Building.
• 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.

Dragonflies and Damselflies of New Mexico

• Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
• Presentation by Karen Gaines. Meet in the Education Building at the Rio Grande Nature Center State Park. Karen will discuss the amazing species diversity and ecology of the dragonflies and damselflies found in New Mexico. Also, check out the Discovery Pond Open House from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Learn about dragonflies and damselflies and see snails and other small aquatic living creatures in the pond. Chat with experts from NM Game & Fish and UNM. Part of Summer Wings Festival.
• 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.

Torrance County

DWI Planning Council Regular Meeting

• July 31, 2024, at 3:00 PM
• County Offices, 205 South Ninth Street, Estancia, NM 87016

Torrance County Fair Fairgrounds Clean-Up Day

• Saturday, August 3, 2024, from 7:00 AM-12:00 PM
• Torrance County Fairgrounds, Leonard Ave, Estancia, NM 87016

Torrance County Fair

• Tuesday, August 6, 2024, to Friday, August 9, 2024 (full details here)
• Torrance County Fairgrounds, Leonard Ave, Estancia, NM 87016

Torrance County Planning and Zoning Board

• Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at 9:00 AM
• Torrance County Government Offices, 205 S 9th Ave, Estancia, NM 87016

Estancia Basin Water Planning Committee Meeting

• Thursday, August 8, 2024, at 9:00 AM
• Location not provided (see image above); no further information available.

Estancia

Estancia Board of Trustees Meeting

• Monday, August 5, 2024, at 6:15 PM
• Estancia Town Hall, 513 Williams Ave, Estancia, NM 87016

Mountainair

Mountainair Municipal Court

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

Willard

Village Council Special Meeting

• July 29, 2024, at 5:30 PM
• Willard Village Hall, 720 Dunlavy Ave, Willard, NM 87063

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.

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.

Mountainair Gymkhana Rodeo

• Sunday, August 4, 2024, at 8:00 AM
• JP Helms Rodeo Arena, 609 3rd St, Mountainair, NM 87036

Manzano Mountain Art Council Exhibit: Inspired by the Land

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