Upcoming Events for October 28, 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. There is no cost to publish upcoming events.

Federal Government

Department of Veterans Affairs

Flu and COVID Vaccines

Starting October 1, 2024
Walk-in shots at New Mexico primary care clinics from 8:30 AM to 3:30 PM
Drive-Through Clinic at the Raymond G. Murphy VA Medical Center, 1501 San Pedro Drive Southeast, Albuquerque, NM 87108, from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Pecos National Historical Park

Ancestral Sites Tour

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

Glorieta Battlefield Walking Tour

Friday and Sundays, weekly until November 11, 2024, from 1:30 PM to 2:15 PM
Meet at the visitor's center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Forked Lightning Ranch House Caravan Tour

Mondays and Saturdays, weekly until November 11, 2024, from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Meet at the visitor's center, 1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Geologic Crossroads at Pecos Pueblo

November 17, 2024, at 11:00 AM
Join a retired geologist for a 75-minute walk along the Ancestral Sites Trail. Learn about how the people of Pecos Pueblo used the unique geology and local resources of the area in their daily lives. This tour is free. Meet at the Visitor Center. Water, sunscreen, and clothing appropriate for walking in the high desert sun are recommended.
1 Peach Drive, Pecos, NM 87552

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

No events are scheduled at this time.

State Government

New Mexico Aging Services Aging & Disability Resource Center - New Mexico Medicare Assistance

Medicare open enrollment runs from October 15, 2024, through December 7, 2024
New Mexico Aging Services State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) counselors are available to assist people needing help signing up for Medicare via 1-800-432-2080 or via live chat at this link.

In-Person SHIP Medicare Counseling

October 29, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
Torrance County Senior Program, 120 Roosevelt Avenue, Moriarty, NM

New Mexico Department of Agriculture

No local events are scheduled at this time.

New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

Museum of Indian Arts and Culture

From November through April, the museum will be closed on Mondays.

Horizons: Weaving Between the Lines with Diné Textiles

November 2, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, 710-708 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Museum of International Folk Art

Film: In the Rearview (2023)

November 1, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
A small van traverses war-torn roads, becoming a fragile sanctuary for Ukrainians fleeing their homes. Through intimate confessions and shared fears, this film captures the transient refuge and relentless hope of those seeking escape from the ravages of war.
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Make and Take @ MOIFA: Make a Notched Frame, inspired by Tramp Art

November 3, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Film: Rule of Two Walls (2023)

November 8, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
This raw and atmospheric portrait documents the lives of artists who remain in Ukraine. Their creative practices, whether in visual art, music, or performance, become acts of survival and defiance, offering a glimmer of hope and resilience in the face of adversity.
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Folk Art Flea Fall Donation Days

November 9, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Donate folk art to the Folk Art Flea Market
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

On Display: Día De Los Muertos Altar

November 10, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Visitors can view the intricate artwork and learn more about the significance of ofrendas in Día de los Muertos, which serve as a way to welcome spirits back to the world of the living with love, food, and cherished memories.
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Make and Take @ MOIFA: Make a Notched Frame, inspired by Tramp Art

November 10, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

iNgqikithi yokuPhica / Weaving Meanings: Telephone Wire Art from South Africa

November 17, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
MOIFA invites you to experience this immersive celebration of South African telephone wire weaving and vibrant cultural traditions featuring:
1:00 - 1:30 pm Musical performance by Dr. Thokozani Mhlambi, South African composer and cellist from the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal.
1:30 - 3:00 pm Opening remarks by Charlie Lockwood, MOIFA’s executive director, and collector David Arment, followed by curatorial roundtable with Dr. Elizabeth Perrill and Muziwandile Gigaba, community curator and lead Indigenous knowledge expert.
3:30 - 4:00 pm Encore performance by Dr. Thokozani Mhlambi, South African composer and cellist from the coastal province of KwaZulu-Natal.
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Film: Intercepted (2024)

November 22, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Pairing compositions that capture the unsettled aftermath of invasion with intercepted phone conversations between Russian soldiers and their families back home, this film starkly contrasts Ukrainian’s everyday reality with Russia’s brutal propaganda machine, highlighting the callous disregard for civilian lives.
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Make and Take @ MOIFA: Make a Szopki Pop-up Card (Polish Folk Art)

December 1, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Film: 20 Days in Mariupol (2023)

December 6, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Trapped in besieged Mariupol, a team of Ukrainian journalists documents the atrocities of the Russian invasion. Their harrowing footage—dying children, mass graves, and the bombing of a maternity hospital—captures some of the war’s most defining and devastating moments.
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Make and Take @ MOIFA: Make a Szopki Pop-up Card

December 8, 2024, from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

Film: Porcelain War (2023)

December 13, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Amidst the chaos in war-torn Kharkiv, Ukrainian artists Slava, Anya, and Andrey choose to stay behind, defiantly creating beauty while defending their homeland. Their story showcases the indomitable human spirit and sustaining power of art, proving that even amidst war, the passion for life and creation prevails.
Museum of International Folk Art, 706 Camino Lejo, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

National Hispanic Cultural Center

Film: Coco (2017)

November 2, 2024, at 10:00 AM
Roy E. Disney Center for Performing Arts: Bank of America Theatre, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Día De Familia: Día De Los Muertos

November 2, 2024, from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
A special day for the whole family commemorating Día de los Muertos traditions. Contribute to our community ofrenda and view ofrendas created by local schools and community organizations. Decorate sugar skulls, craft paper flowers, enjoy face-painting, and sample Pan de Muerte. Visitors can also enjoy food from local food trucks, and dance and music performances from Voces de Coronado and Ballet Folklórico de Dolores Gonzales.
Please bring a non-returnable photo or item to contribute to our community ofrenda.
Free Community Event, generously supported by NM Gas.
Make (free) reservations here
Domenici Education Building, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102

Liberation Music Of The Americas

November 8, 2024, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
a night of Música y Platíca con Lasotras, a musical collective from Albuquerque with roots all over the Americas, moderated by Enrique Cardiel. This event, sponsored by Radical Harmonies, a Mellon Foundation Grantee, is the third in a series of events, offers inspirational spaces for exploration, dialogue, and the convergence of thought and action. As an intellectual expression and creative output, music can carry radical lyrical and rhythmic intonations that often contribute to challenging social boundaries and barriers, capturing aspirations for social freedoms among diverse communities.
Roy E. Disney Center for Performing Arts: Wells Fargo Auditorium, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Make reservations here

New Mexico Philharmonic: Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons and Mozart’s Symphony 29 in A Maj., K. 201/186a

What finer time than the fall to revisit Antonio Vivaldi’s all-time most loved work, The Four Seasons? With the excitement of spring, the storms of summer, autumn’s harvests, and the chill of winter, Vivaldi encompassed an entire year’s worth of life into four miniature concertos. Also on the program is Mozart’s Symphony No. 29, written by the prodigious 18-year-old composer who was just finishing a busy two-year period focused on symphonic writing. Experience the youthful Viennese flavor of this great work.
Roy E. Disney Center for Performing Arts: Wells Fargo Auditorium, 1701 4th Street SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Make reservations here

New Mexico Historic Sites

Los Luceros Historic Site

The Hacienda is closed through Spring 2025 for renovations.

Rio Grande Sky Fiesta

The first annual Rio Grande Sky Fiesta may be a more reasonable (financially speaking) alternative to the Albuquerque Balloonfest. Nearly a dozen balloons will partake in a mass launch on both days of the festival, weather permitting. Food trucks will be at the site throughout the weekend. On Sunday, there will also be free admission for the Los Luceros Historic Site, which includes a 19th Century chapel, a Victorian cottage, and a farmyard with Navajo Curro sheep and donkeys.
November 2, 2024, through November 3, 2024
Saturday, November 2, 2024: Mass ascension—Gates open at 6:40 AM, launch time will be between 7:15 AM and 7:45 AM
Balloon glow—Gates open at 4:30 PM, and balloons will be inflated by 5:30 PM.
Sunday, November 3, 2024: Mass ascension—Gates open at 5:40 AM, launch time will be between 6:15 AM and 6:45 AM.
Book talk with travel journalist Judith Fein and cowboy poet Paul Ross at 1 p.m.
Sunday is also Los Luceros’ monthly "Dawn ’til Dusk Day," with free admission for New Mexico residents with ID. Be sure to dress warm and bring a flashlight to handle the cool weather and dark, bumpy farm fields. The fields are not handicapped accessible.
Tickets for Saturday: $10 for adults, $5 for children 16 and younger. Includes admission to the morning mass ascension, entry to the site and historic buildings, and evening balloon glow. Admission is free to Museum of New Mexico Foundation members, Native/Tribal affiliations, and New Mexico disabled veterans with tickets at the admission desk. General admission tickets available at https://my.nmculture.org/33603/41755.
Tickets for Sunday: $7 for non-residents. Admission is free to New Mexico residents, children 16 and younger, Museum of New Mexico Foundation members, Native/Tribal affiliations, and New Mexico disabled veterans with tickets at the admission desk. General admission tickets available at: https://my.nmculture.org/33603/41756
Los Luceros Historic Site, 253 Co Rd 41, Alcalde, NM 87511

New Mexico Museum of Art

Halloween Organ Concert

October 30, 2024, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
A screening of the 1922 silent film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror with live organ accompaniment in St. Francis Auditorium by David Solem and an introduction by David N. Meyer. Reserve tickets here.
New Mexico Museum of Art, 107 W Palace Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

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

New Mexico State Parks

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
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. Participants will meet at the Candelaria Viewing Area (Northeast side of the parking lot).
Rio Grande Nature Center State Park, 2901 Candelaria Rd NW, Albuquerque, NM 87107.

New Mexico State University Cooperative Extension Services

Water Bath Canning Demonstration

Monday, November 4, 2024, at 11:00 AM
Bethel Community Storehouse, 1719 4th Street, Moriarty, NM 87035
For reservations please email @maberryd@nmsu.edu or call 505-544-4334

Ceramic Painting and Glazing Workshop

Monday, November 18, 2024, at 11:00 AM
Bethel Community Storehouse, 1719 4th Street, Moriarty, NM 87035
For reservations please email @maberryd@nmsu.edu or call 505-544-4334

Torrance County

Fire Extinguisher Safety Class

October 29, 2024, at 9:00 AM
Torrance County Administrative Offices, 205 South 9th Street, Estancia, NM 87016

Mountainair

Mountainair Town Council Regular Meeting (rescheduled due to Election Day)

November 12, 2024, at 6:00 PM
Mountainair Town Council Building, 107 1/2 North Roosevelt Avenue, Mountainair, NM 87036

Willard

Willard Village Council Regular Meeting (rescheduled due to Veterans Day)

November 18, 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.
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.

Evacuation Planning Strategies and Solutions

November 1, 2024, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
This event is by the Bernalillo County Office of Emergency Management and is recommended for citizens, first responders, emergency management personnel, school administrators, the transportation and logistics industry, and elected officials. It will cover (1) assessing risk in relation to evacuation, (2) key concepts in evacuation, (3) evacuation planning considerations, and (4) evacuation decision-making and strategies. It is eligible for continuing professional education credits through the American Planning Association and the International Association for Continuing Education and Training.
Register with Sara Luley, NM Department of Health, Safety, and Emergency Management at sara.luley@dhsem.nm.gov or online at preparingnewmexico.org (currently the server for this site is down, so consider the email option).
Bernalillo County Public Safety Training Center, 3801 Broadway SE, Albuquerque, NM 87105

MMAC Resource Center Grand Opening

November 3, 2024, at 1:00 PM
Home to local history curated by Dixie Boyle, an art library, and the Torrance County Archaeological Society’s 200 volume collection
Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036

November Music Series: Sandia Celtic Ensemble

November 3, 2024, at 2:00 PM
Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036 (all ages, no charge, donations are welcome)

November Music Series: Oscar Butler, Blues Stylist

November 10, 2024, at 2:00 PM
Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036 (all ages, no charge, donations are welcome)

Pesticide Public Applicators Certification Training

Thursday, November 14, 2024, from 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM
Certification Training includes content on weed identification, public applicator inspections and laws, agricultural pests, adjuvants/surfactants, calibration, overview of and changes to the New Mexico noxious weed list
6 CEUs will be provided for the training
Central Tri-County Soil and Water Conservation District Office, 2506 Route 66, Moriarty, NM 87035

Art Show Opening: Decay, Rust & Grunge

November 17, 2024, at 12:30 PM
Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036

November Music Series: Turquoise Trail String Band

November 17, 2024, at 2:00 PM
Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036 (all ages, no charge, donations are welcome)