2008 Writing D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
September
2008
SEPTEMBER
Monday 1 LABOR DAY
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer — Through Sept. 4. $7 regular, $6 matinee, $5 Wednesdays, seniors, students with ID and Mesilla Valley Film Society Members. 7:30 p.m. nightly, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. What does female desire look like? And how do self-inflicted limitations and social expectations shade and color it? In her tenderly comic, richly textured feature debut, Georgina Garcia Riedel lovingly explores the terrain of longing, loneliness and self-realization among three generations of single women in a Mexican-American family as they grapple with romantic drought. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, www.fountaintheatre.org
New Mexico Wine Harvest Festival — $13 for 21 and over, younger than 21 free, $10 for active military. 12-6 p.m. Entertainment 12:15-3 p.m. Blues Messiah, guitar-driven blues; 3:15-6 p.m. Rebecca Owen. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 11 miles west on I-10, (866) 494-6366, www.wineharvestfestival.com
Teacher Open House — 3-5 p.m. All educators in the region are invited to meet staff and learn about programs of Las Cruces' city museums. Railroad Museum. 541-2219.
White Sands
Star Party — $3, 15 and under free. 8:30 p.m. Park entrance closes at 10 p.m. Exit by 11 p.m. White Sands National Monument, 679-2599, ext. 230.
Tuesday 2
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Harvest Cooking Class — $30. 2-4 p.m. Chef Carol Koenig. Dishes using cantaloupe, cauliflower and green beans. Pre-registration. Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100.
Truth or Consequences
Folk Music — Free. 7 p.m. Raina Rose and Johann Wagner. Riverbend Hot Springs. riverbendsprings@gmail.com, www.riverbendhotsprings.com
Wednesday 3
Silver City/Grant County
Diabetes Discussion — 12-1 p.m. "Stump the Educator" monthly brown bag lunch. Cooperative Extension Service Meeting Room, 2610 N. Silver St. 538-5318, ext. 129.
New Earth by E. Tolle — 6 p.m. Wednesdays. Reading group. Swedenborgian Church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Thursday 4
Silver City/Grant County
Dane Dexter — 7 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
NMSU Aggies Volleyball vs. Florida Gulf Coast — 6 p.m. NMSU Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Tom VandenAvond — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
What I Did Last Summer — Through Sept. 14. $9, $8 students/seniors, Thursdays $6. Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2:30 p.m., Thursdays 7 p.m. Growing up in the summer of 1945 isn't easy for a rebellious 14-year-old boy, but working for a bohemian art teacher greatly changes the way he views the world. By A.R. Gurney. $6. 7 p.m. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Radium Springs
Stars-N-Parks Astronomy Program — $5. 7 p.m. Leasburg Dam State Park. Venus, Mars and Mercury conjunction still low in the west, Jupiter in the south, the summer Milky Way still available. Jeff Jenkins presenting. 527-8386, 532-1486, 678-4138, www.astro-npo.org, astronpo@wildblue.net
Friday 5
Silver City/Grant County
2nd Annual Seniors Softball Tournament — Through Sept. 7. 30 softball teams from New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. Added this year: senior women's softball with eight teams participating, ages 71 to 85. 388-1087.
Gypsy Feet — 7 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Mayan Prophecy — $3, suggested donation. 6 p.m. The History Channel's documentary about predictions concerning the changing of our earth and times in 2012. Discussion follows the movie. Swedenborgian Church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Melodrama Theatre — Every Friday and Saturday. 8 p.m. "Dumb Guns, or I've Got Brains that Jingle Jangle Jingle." Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848, www.pinosaltos.org/melodrama
Las Cruces/Mesilla
ArtsHop — $20 advance, $25 event day. 5-9 p.m. Many local galleries will dish up hors d'oeuvres and stay open late to participate in the Dona Ana County Arts Council's ArtsHop, the annual fundraiser supporting the DAAC Career Art Path (CAP) program for middle school students and other youth arts programs. The event features food, prizes and new fine art exhibits. Tickets can be purchased at participating galleries or the DAAC office in the Rio Grande Theatre, 211 N. Downtown Mall. Participating galleries and featured art: Alegre Gallery, 1701 Calle de Mercado #1, Mesilla, Kathleen Squires, "Feels Like Home"; Blue Gate Gallery and Main Street Gallery, 311 N. Downtown Mall, featuring Timothy McAndrew's oil paintings and Maritza Jauregui and TJ Neely, "offbeat and edgy"; Connie Hines Interior Design @ The Studio, Hadley Center, El Paseo Road, eight female artists from the region supporting women with breast cancer; David Rothermel Gallery, 1701 Calle de Mercado #3, "The Man Show"; Glenn Cutter Jewelers and Gallery, Hadley Center, Sally McDeVitt, oil and acrylic landscapes; In Effect Gallery, Lynn Insolia, Susan Teague, Adrian Moreno and Dennis Lujan in a mixed-media show; Julienne Jewelry, 2329 Calle de Guadalupe, handmade clothing by Karla Kay and handcrafted fine jewelry; Justus Wright Galeria, 925 S. Walnut, works by Advanced CAP students and local sculptors; M. Phillips Fine Art Gallery, 300 N. Downtown Mall, Eric K. Wallis, Romantic Impressionism paintings of draped figures and landscapes; Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery, 2470A Calle de Guadalupe, "Celebrating Autumn," a wide variety of media; shops and galleries in the Old Tortilla Factory, 1910 Calle de Parian, including Black Gold from the Sun, Laughing at the Sun, drawings by Maria Cristina, Tres Manos and The Shalam Colony Museum; Tombaugh Gallery, 2000 S. Solano in the Unitarian-Universalist Church, "Masks and Mirrors," a juried exhibit, varied media; Unsettled Gallery and Studio, 905 N. Mesquite, Gabriella Denton, Jo Rango and Janice Cook, "Myth Makers," a collision of the bold and subtle. 523-6403, infodaac@daarts.org
David Taylor — 7 p.m. Conversational presentation with the Guggenheim-winning photographer, recognized for his work on the US-Mexican border. 1755 Avenida de Mercado, 523-8713, www.prestoncontemporaryart.com
NMSU Aggies Volleyball vs. Houston — 7 p.m. NMSU Pan American Center. 646-1420, 532-2060, (915) 544-8444.
Rodin: In His Own Words — 5-7 p.m. Opening reception for exhibit, through Nov. 22, featuring 42 sculptures, including various sized bronzes, as well as journal entries and letters by the famed French artist, Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). Museum of Art, 491 N. Main St.
Roxanne Quinell and Ray Baird — Opening reception in conjunction with ArtsHop. Mesilla Valley Fine Arts Gallery, 2470 Calle de Guadalupe, 522-2933.
Three Dreamers — 5-7 p.m. Opening reception for exhibit, through Oct. 25, featuring works by George Mendoza, Virginia Maria Romero and Paul Hoylen, Jr. Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main St., 541-2154, museums.las-cruces.org
Weather. Watch It! — 4-5:30 p.m. Opening of an exhibit, through Oct. 27, of new works by the Arts Association. Thomas Branigan Memorial Library Terrace Gallery, 200 E. Picacho. 528-4000.
Wendy Blackwell — 4-7 p.m. Exhibit of works in colored pencil and pastels, through Sept. 30. Convention and Visitors Bureau. 647-1793.
What I Did Last Summer — Through Sept. 14. See Sept. 4. $9, $8 students/seniors. 8 p.m. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Deming
First Friday — Remax Country.
Elephant Butte
New Mexico Shootout — LPGA members Nancy Lopez, Rosie Jones and Kristi Albers return to compete, as will Kathy Whitworth, to teach a golf workshop. Alena Sharp makes her first appearance at the tourney. Proceeds go to Sierra Vista Hospital. Sierra del Rio Championship Golf Course,. 744-GOLF (4653).
Saturday 6
Silver City/Grant County
2nd Annual Seniors Softball Tournament — Through Sept. 7. See Sept. 5. 388-1087.
Beaded Embroidery Pendant — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Instructor Shannon Curry. A Bead or Two, 703 N. Bullard St., 388-8973.
Day of the Dead Workshop — $95. 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Also Sept. 13. Linda Brewer on making clay "skellies." All materials included. Hands-On Market. 388-0649, bluedome@zianet.com
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Rhythm Mystic — 7 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Silver City Farmers' Market — Enjoy fresh produce from local growers. Every Saturday, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Main Street Plaza, 7th St. and Main, next to Big Ditch Park and San Vicente Creek. 534-1704, mehopper8@netzero.com
The Wolf and You — Through Sept. 14. Donation. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Traveling educational wolf display, courtesy of the SW Environmental Center. WNMU Fine Arts Center, 1000 Kentucky St. 956-5832.
Wally Lawder — 9:30 a.m. Solo busking. Silver City Farmers' Market.
Wally Lawder and the Flying Coyotes — 8 p.m. Isaac's Bar & Grill, 200 N. Bullard St. 538-5818.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Basic Dowsing Class — $20. 1-4 p.m. Learn the basics of dowsing (questing, divining or water witching), how to use the four basic dowsing tools and the benefits associated with dowsing. Frank Geisel instructs and participants will receive a set of four dowsing tools. Pre-registration required. Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100.
Grandparents' Day — 12-4 p.m. Eighth annual celebration in support of the organization, Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (see story in this section). Music, food, prize drawings and more. Young Park. 525-1060, granp@zianet.com
Create a Bird Habitat — $7.50, free to members. 2 p.m. Bring more color, life, and music into the garden by inviting birds. Learn how to create a natural habitat, and which plants entice particular birds. Reservations recommended. Enchanted Gardens, 270 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-1886, gardens@zianet.com
Dona Ana Doll Club Show & Sale — 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dolls, teddy bears, miniatures and toys. Best Western Mesilla Valley Inn. 523-1413.
Meditation Training Workshop — $33, discount for members. 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Registration 8:30 a.m. Learn to master an effective, clinically tested meditative method under professional supervision and guidance. Mountain View Market, 1300 El Paseo Road, 312-4976, meditosan1@yahoo.com
Moongaze — 8-10 p.m. Casual observation of the moon and planets. International Delights, Idaho and El Paseo. 522-1456.
NMSU Aggies Volleyball vs. University of Texas — 7 p.m. NMSU Pan American Center. 646-1420, 532-2060, (915) 544-8444.
Renegade Sprints, Street Stocks, Legends & X-Modified — $10, under 10 free. Gates open 5:45 p.m., racing starts 7:45 p.m. Southern New Mexico Speedway, 524-7913, (800) 658-9650, 642-2272.
Saturday Science — 11 a.m. Chemistry — go beyond your textbooks in this hands-on class. Pre-registration required. Museum of Natural History, Mesilla Valley Mall, 522-3120.
Seducing Dr. Lewis — $4, $1 for Mesilla Valley Film Society members. 1:30 p.m. (French, with subtitles) The movie finds humor in small-town idiosyncrasies, and also in economic hardship. The men of a grizzled fishing village who once rose before dawn to make their living from the sea, now line up every month for welfare checks. Germain Lesage , the portly, perpetually unshaven hero, is desperate to restore the town's decrepit pride. A plastics company is looking for a site for a new factory, and Germain places himself at the head of the campaign to promote the town. But the company stipulates that to be considered, the village must have a full-time resident doctor, one of many amenities it lacks. Through serendipitous circumstances, an ambitious young Montreal internist is lured away from the city, and what follows might be described as a subtitled version of the television series ''Northern Exposure.'' A warm funny film, whose sweet sentiments are genial and unchallenging, and whose jokes are low-key and gentle. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, 522-0286.
St. Genevieve's Annual Fiesta — Also Sept. 7. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Live entertainment with mariachi, band, DJ, children's games, jumping balloon, ring toss and more. Authentic Mexican food. Sunday: 11 a.m. Mariachi Mass, procession to the fiesta. St. Genevieve's Parish Hall. 524-9649.
Steve Smith — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
What I Did Last Summer — Through Sept. 14. See Sept. 4. $9, $8 students/seniors. 8 p.m. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Elephant Butte
28th Annual Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta — Park entry fee. Through Sept. 7. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Balloon ascensions, Splash-n-Dash balloon-boat relay. Elephant Butte Lake. 307-4142.
Drag Boat Racing — Through Sept. 7. Entry $75. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Elephant Butte Lake. 263-6568, styconley@aol.com, www.swdba.org
Sunday 7
Silver City/Grant County
2nd Annual Seniors Softball Tournament — See Sept. 5. 388-1087.
Chaco Canyon Revisited — 4-6 p.m. Opening reception for an exhibit of photographs by Michael Cook. Javalina Gallery, Bullard and Broadway.
Silver City Food Co-op Annual Potluck Picnic and Dance Party — Free. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Meet Co-op Board candidates and interim manager Terri Shettle. Dance to the music of The Silver City String Beans. Open to the public. Little Walnut Gomez Peak Picnic Area. 388-2343.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Girls Rock! — $5. 11 a.m. Special Sunday morning screening of this fun and liberating documentary film that follows the journey of four 8- to 18-year-olds as they are transformed by the cathartic powers of music at the Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Ore. Given the opportunity to bash the drums, wail like a banshee and take up space, the girls jettison gender stereotypes like old hats on their way to a joyous final concert that will change their lives forever. Admission price includes breakfast. Profits donated to the Rock and Roll Camp for Girls. Cinematinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, www.fountaintheatre.org
NMSU Aggies Volleyball vs. Utah — 7 p.m. NMSU Pan Am Center. 646-1420, 532-2060, (915) 544-8444.
Safe Haven Animal Sanctuary — 1-4 p.m. Open house at this "no kill" park-like facility for homeless cats and dogs. Refreshments, facility tours. 6890 Eagle Road, 527-4544.
St. Genevieve's Annual Fiesta — See Sept. 6. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. 11 a.m. Mariachi Mass, procession to the fiesta. St. Genevieve's Parish Hall, 524-9649.
What I Did Last Summer — Through Sept. 14. See Sept. 4. $9, $8 students/seniors. 2:30 p.m. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Elephant Butte
28th Annual Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta — See Sept. 6. Park entry fee. 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Elephant Butte Lake. 307-4142.
Drag Boat Racing — Entry $75. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Elephant Butte Lake. 263-6568, styconley@aol.com, www.swdba.org
Monday 8
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Silver City/Grant County Widowed Persons Service — $10 includes lunch. 11 a.m. Monthly meeting. Abe Villareal from Western New Mexico University will be the speaker. WNMU Cafeteria. 388-1072
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Arts Convention — Mondays through Sept. 22. 4-8 p.m. Contribute to action plans for making Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley known as an arts and culture destination. RSVP: dboje@peaceaware.com, trinadunbar@yahoo.com, agzromero@zianet.com NMSU Corbett Center. 532-1693.
Tuesday 9
Silver City/Grant County
Buddhist Group — 12-12:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays with Jeff Goin. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Historic Mining District Tour — $5. 10 a.m. Docent-led tour, brochure and Corre Caminos transportation provided. Meet in front of Bayard City Hall, 800 Central Ave. Reservations. 537-3327.
Sufism — $3, suggested donation. 6:30 p.m. Discussion follows the movie. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
WNMU Mustangs Volleyball vs. NM Highlands University — 7 p.m. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Cooking and Nutrition Classes — Free. Through Sept. 30. 6-8 p.m. Hands-on classes with recipes and informative talks. Participants will receive a certificate of completion. Part of the Dona Ana County ICAN Nutrition Program. Topics include: Preparing food, serving sizes, exercise, making the most of your food dollars, food safety, increase fruits and vegetables, cutting fats and sugars. Mountain View Market. 1300 El Paseo. Sign up at the information desk or call 525-6649.
Harvest Festival — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. An old-fashioned celebration of the harvest season. Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100.
Wednesday 10
Silver City/Grant County
Chamber of Commerce Luncheon — $10. 12 p.m. Red Barn, 708 Silver Heights Blvd. 538-3785.
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Thursday 11
Silver City/Grant County
Historic Mining District and Tourism Meeting — 10 a.m. Open to the public. Bayard Community Center, 290 Hurley Ave., 537-3327.
Remembering 9-11 — 6 p.m. Meditation and sharing. Bring photographs, poems, etc. to share. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Portrait/Figure Drawing — Also Sept. 25. $2 fee for models. 9 a.m. Sharpen your drawing skills. Museum of Art, 491 N. Water St., 541-2137.
Red Handed — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
Shalam Colony: Dream in the Desert — Free. 6-8 p.m. Exhibit opening (through May 2009) and lecture. Curators for the exhibit will be on hand to discuss the story of Shalam Colony and a preview of a documentary on the subject will be shown. Refreshments. Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100.
Friday 12
Silver City/Grant County
Conversations with God — $3, suggested donation. 6:30 p.m. The story of Neal Donald Walsch and his writings about God. Discussion follows the movie. Swedenborgian Church. 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Jazz Standards — 7 p.m. Music by the Continuum Quintet. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
What I Did Last Summer — Through Sept. 14. See Sept. 4. $9, $8 students/seniors. 8 p.m. No Strings Theatre Company. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Truth or Consequences
Wine and Art Dinner — $85. 7 p.m. Six-course wine dinner of food inspired by the works of artist Thomas St. Thomas. RSVP, seating limited. Cafe BellaLuca, 303 Jones St., 894-9866.
Saturday 13
Silver City/Grant County
Calico Critters Playday — Free. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Activities. Toy Town. 113 W. Broadway, 388-1677.
Dances of Universal Peace — $5 donation. 7 p.m. Circle dances that celebrate the unity of all spiritual traditions. Live music. No experience or partners needed. Church of What's Happening, 7th and Arizona St., 534-1441.
Day of the Dead Workshop — Nancy Phillips on making air dry clay dioramas and sugar skulls. Hands-On Market. 388-0649, ccstanford@zianet.com
Discover Your Dosha — $35. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Workshop with Angela Schofield. Learn about the ancient Ayurvedic system of the Dosha body types: Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Session includes yoga, meditation and flavorful, balancing foods. Dristi Studios, Bullard St. 956-3261, www.breathesilvercity.com
Felted Purses — $25 members, $30 non-members; $12 materials. 12-4 p.m. Fiber Arts Center, 211 D N. Texas St. 538-5733.
Global Health 5K Run/Walk — 7 a.m. check-in. Proceeds donated to the development of a Health and Human Rights Center in La Sierra Region of Chiapas, Mexico. This run on Boston Hill begins at the Senior Center. (505) 231-5961, hhillesland@salud.unm.edu, www.globalhealthrun.com
Household Hazardous and Electronic Waste Collection — 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Safely dispose of hazardous chemicals like paint and pesticides. Recycle old computers, TVs and other electronics. No explosives, no medical waste. Households only, no businesses. Bayard Community Center.
Jazz Standards — 7 p.m. Music by the Continuum Quintet. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Pickamania — Through Sept. 14. Free. Outdoor live music festival celebrating folk, bluegrass and Americana acoustic musical traditions. Food vendors, craft vendors. See story and complete schedule in this section. Mimbres Region Arts Council, 538-2505, www.mimbresarts.org
Red Hot Children's Fiesta — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Prizes, booths, raffle, Wilderness Kennel Club. Grant County Community Health Council. Penny Park. 1305 N. Grant St. 388-1198, ext. 10.
Silver City Farmers' Market — 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Main Street Plaza, 7th St. and Main, 534-1704, mehopper8@netzero.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
"Come One, Come All" Family Picnic — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Family activities and entertainment, games, arts and crafts and jumping balloons, indoor activities, prizes, music, demonstrations and displays. East Mesa Recreation Center. 382-1662.
"Visit Our Ancestors" Cemetery Tour — 10 a.m. Two-hour walking tour organized by Branigan Cultural Center. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water and be prepared for sun. Hillcrest Cemetery. 541-2219, 541-2154, mkshannon@las-cruces.org, museums.las-cruces.org
10th Annual Red Ribbon Bash — $75. 6 p.m. Awards dinner sponsored by the Camino de Vida Center for HIV Services and Southern New Mexico Cancer Center, Dr. C. Walsh. Sen. Jeff Bingaman will be awarded the Esperanza Award. No-host beer and wine social hour, gourmet dinner, live music and live and silent auctions. 523-0202, 800-687-0850, www.caminodevida.org
Baylor Canyon Boys — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
Cooking With Summer Vegetables — $7.50, free to members. 2 p.m. Learn new recipes for cooking with summer's bounty of fresh vegetables and herbs. The class will feature recipes with tomatoes, squash and peppers. Reservations recommended. Enchanted Gardens, 270 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-1886, gardens@zianet.com
Cultural Connections Fair — 8 a.m.-12 noon. Learn about the city's arts and culture groups. Representatives from area organizations will be on hand to provide information about their group's activities, events, volunteer programs and membership opportunities. 501 N. Main St., Downtown Mall. 541-2154, museums.las-cruces.org
Diez y Seis de Septiembre Fiesta — Through Sept. 14. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Mexican Independence Day. Folklorico dances, mariachi music, authentic Mexican cuisine. Old Mesilla Plaza. 524-3262.
Modifieds, Street Stocks, Super Trucks and Legends — $10, children under 10 free. Gates open 5:45 p.m., racing starts 7:45 p.m. Southern NM Speedway racetrack. 524-7913, (800) 658-9650, 642-2272.
New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase — Free. 1:30 p.m. 2008 New Mexico Filmmakers Showcase competition winners, including: "Time Assassins," a 6-minute film in which John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald are sent back in time to stop a maniacal priest from destroying the world; "A Day in Heaven," a 14-minute light-hearted comedic adventure about a man who, after the death of his beloved wife, builds a flying machine to see her in heaven; "Sounds Of The Underground," a 27-minute documentary about the lives and experiences of four groups of subway performers; "A Return Home," a 32-minute film in which Navajo artist B. Emerson-Kitsman, after 37 years in the city, learns how difficult life can be on the reservation — but, through her art, learns to bridge the gap; and "Underway," a 17-minute film in which a woman at a stopover between worlds discovers that her past and future are simultaneously in progress. The filmmakers are invited guests, and those in attendance will participate in a question and answer session. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, 522-0286.
Punt, Pass and Kick — Paz Baseball Field. 541-2563.
Volksmarch Fitness Walk — NMSU Campus. Sun Country Striders. 523-9605, 639-1863.
What I Did Last Summer — Through Sept. 14. See Sept. 11. $9, $8 students/seniors. 8 p.m. No Strings Theatre Company. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Deming
Curtis Fort and Elsie Dean — 1-3 p.m. Opening reception for the artists, featuring Fort's "Bronzes of the West," authentic Western bronze sculptures, and oil and pastel works of award-winning artist Silver City Elsie Dean. Show runs Sept. 11-Oct. 17. Deming Arts Council, 100 S. Gold St.
Truth or Consequences
Art Hop — 6-9 p.m. Many downtown galleries, studios, stores and restaurants stay open late. New fine art exhibits, live music. Information and walking maps online. torcgalleries@gmail.com, www.torcart.com
Winklers Distilled: 6-9 p.m. Opening reception for multi-artist exhibit, through Oct. 31. M Gallery, 406 Main St., 740-4526, iam@moshekoenick.com, www.moshekoenick.com/m
Barrel Racing — Practice runs start at 6:30 p.m.; races at 8 p.m. City Rodeo Arena, south of Sierra Feed & Mercantile. 894-1943 eragsdale@torcnm.org
Hispanic Heritage Celebration — 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Featuring a preview of "El Camino Real," a documentary film about the Spanish culture in the Southwest; colcha and weaving demos; living history of Spanish colonial life; a blacksmithing demo; a book signing event; a dance performance. El Camino Real International Heritage Center, north on I-40. 854-3600.
Sunday 14
Silver City/Grant County
Pickamania — See Sept. 13. See story and complete schedule in this section. MRAC, 538-2505, www.mimbresarts.org
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Diez y Seis de Septiembre Fiesta — See Sept. 13. 12-7 p.m. Old Mesilla Plaza. 524-3262.
Watercolor Society — 2 p.m. Spring Show winners discussing their winning paintings. Good Sam's, Arts and Crafts Room. 526-5374.
What I Did Last Summer — See Sept. 4. $9, $8 students/seniors. 2:30 p.m. No Strings Theatre Company. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Deming
St. Anne's Fiesta — Deming Courthouse.
Monday 15
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Side Street Strutters — $17 or membership. 7:30 p.m. This six-piece band features the sounds of Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller, popular Big Band tunes, and a down-home New Orleans repertoire. Colorful costumes, tap dancing, novelty numbers and rare instrument features. Grant County Community Concert Association. WNMU Fine Arts Theater. 388-2004. www.gcconcerts.org
White Sands
Full Moon Night — $3, 15 and under free. 8:30 p.m. Experience the beauty of the full moon on the white sands. Special programs presented by park rangers or guest speakers. Park entrance closes at 10 p.m. Exit by 11 p.m. White Sands National Monument. 679-2599 ext. 230, 479-6124 ext. 236.
Tuesday 16
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Cooking and Nutrition Classes — Free. See Sept. 9. Mountain View Market. 1300 El Paseo, 525-6649.
Wednesday 17
Silver City/Grant County
Town & Gown Meeting — 5:30-7 p.m. New Mexico MainStreet Resource Team Report on the Silver City Arts and Cultural District. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. Silco Theater, 311 N. Bullard.
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Million Voices Tour — $15 advance, $20 event day. 7-9 p.m. St. Paul's United Methodist Church. 526-6689.
Thursday 18
Silver City/Grant County
4th Annual Gila River Festival — Through Sept. 21. See story and schedule in this section. Experiential, educational and recreational events in a variety of locations in the Cliff-Gila Valley and in Silver City. www.gilaconservation.org
Dane Dexter — 7 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Dreams of Angels And Dust Storms: An Evening on the Rio Gila in 1848 — $5 donation. 7 p.m. Keynote address for Gila River Fest (see story in this section) featuring art historian Gray Sweeney, in a discussion of how survey artists of the US-Mexico Boundary Survey, led by literary scholar and artist John Russell Bartlett, utilized artistic renderings of the desert landscape of the Southwest to lure Easterners out in an effort to settle the land. Works by Bartlett, Henry Cheever Pratt and Seth Eastman will be highlighted. Exhibitors in the lobby before and after the program. Silco Theater, Bullard St., 538-2505, 535-2519, www.gilaconservation.org
Making a Living from Your Fiber Skills — $20 SWFAC members, $25 others. 1:30-4:30 p.m. Hands-on seminar with Nadine Sanders, an internationally known weaver, teacher and performer also known as the Singing Weaver. Sponsored by Southwest Women's Fiber Arts Center. Register by Oct. 1 by mail, phone, or in person at The Common Thread, 107 W. Broadway, 538-5733.Grant County Extension Office, 2610 N. Silver St.
The Secret — $22. 6 p.m. Workshop with Nasya Gelbart. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Deming Fuseliers — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
NMSU Aggies Volleyball vs. Fresno State — 7p.m. NMSU Pan Am Center. 646-1420, 532-2060, (915) 544-8444.
Truth or Consequences
Third Thursday Program — 7-8:30 p.m. Discussion and book signing for The US Army and Southern New Mexico from 1848-1919 by Richard Wadsworth. Geronimo Springs Museum, 894-6600, www.geronimospringsmuseum.com
Friday 19
Silver City/Grant County
4th Annual Gila River Festival — Through Sept. 21. See story and schedule in this section. www.gilaconservation.org
Fort Bayard Days — Through Sept. 20. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Two-day living history event at this US Army post, established in 1866. Over 20 living history centers will be set up around the parade grounds. Games, reenactments, square-dancing.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
The Elements: Forces of Nature — 7 p.m. A community arts performance piece based on the theme of "Inspiration," as part of the 2008 Gila River Festival. Silco Theater, Bullard St., 534-9005, 538-1040, hearth@cruzio.com
Wally Lawder — 7 p.m. Buckhorn Saloon, Pinos Altos. 538-9911.
Warping with Paddles, Shoestrings & The Kitchen Sink! — $71 SWFAC members, $76 others. $10 materials fee. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Hands-on practice while making a warp to take home. Register by Oct. 1 by mail, phone or in person at The Common Thread, 107 W. Broadway. SWFAC Fiber Arts Center. 538-5733.
World Music by DAGAZ — 7 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Pianist Willis Delony — $8, $5 students/seniors. 7:30 p.m. A combination jazz and classical recital by the internationally acclaimed performer, conductor and composer. Virtuoso tubist Jim Shearer will join Delony for a tuba/piano finale. Tickets at the door or through PanAm and Ticketmaster. Pan Am Center, 646-1420, panam.nmsu.edu
Saturday 20
Silver City/Grant County
4th Annual Gila River Festival — Through Sept. 21. See story and schedule in this section. www.gilaconservation.org
Fort Bayard Days — See Sept. 19. Two-day living history event.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Rhythm Mystic — 7 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Silver City Farmers' Market — 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Main Street Plaza, 7th St. and Main, 534-1704, mehopper8@netzero.com
The River — Opening reception for exhibit of new works by gallery artists. Leyba & Ingalls Arts, 315 N. Bullard St., 388-5725, www.LeybaIngallsARTS.com
Wally Lawder and the Flying Coyotes — 7 p.m. Buckhorn Saloon, Pinos Altos, 538-9911.
WNMU Mustangs Football vs. Mesa State College — 1 p.m. Ben Altamirano Stadium. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Antique Show and Sale — Through Sept. 21. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. American Legion Post 10. 526-8624.
Chooch — $4, $1 for Mesilla Valley Film Society members. 1:30 p.m. Partially shot in the Las Cruces area, this is the first feature film by Rajeev Nirmalakhandan, an instructor at NMSU's Creative Media Institute. The life of Queens resident Dino Condito is about to take a surprising turn. After letting down his softball team by striking out in the bottom of the ninth against Hoboken, his crew brands him "the chooch." Trying to cheer up his cousin, Jubilene Condito cashes in the savings from his first holy communion and springs for a vacation to Cancun. But there's a mix-up on the way to the airport involving a mysterious bag of money. As soon as Dino and Jube land in Mexico, they're abducted by a pair of thugs and left in the desert at the mercy of a trio of soldiers. It takes reuniting Dino's old Queens "crew," including Dino's beloved pet dachshund, to save the two cousins. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, 522-0286.
Dona Ana Modular Railroad — Also Aug. 21. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Village at Northrise. 644-7758.
First Annual Garden Expo — Through Sept. 21. Free. Weekend event by the Dona Ana Master Gardeners. Saturday: roses and cacti 10-11 a.m.; herbs and fruit trees 1 a.m.-12 p.m.; xeriscape, grasses and pruning 12-1 p.m.; winter gardening and orchids 1-2 p.m. Sunday: same topics running in 45-minute segments, 12:15-3:15 p.m. A team of Master Gardeners will be on hand to answer gardening questions. Enchanted Gardens, 270 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-1886, gardens@zianet.com
I've Got the Music in Me — $10. Presentation by the New Desert Harmony Singers. Tickets at the door or in advance at St.Paul's Methodist Church and White's Music Box. Onate High School.
Live Music — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
Roger Atkins — Free. 10:30 a.m. Conversation with wood sculptor Roger Atkins of Santa Fe, one of a series of Artists Dialogues. Preston Contemporary Art Center, 1755 Avenida de Mercado, 523-8713, www.prestoncontemporaryart.com
Wildlife of the Jornada Basin — $50. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. An exclusive guided tour of the Jornada Experimental Range with Jornada scientist and Asombro Institute for Science Education board president, Justin Van Zee. RSVP by Sept. 18.Call for information and directions to trailhead. Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park. 524-3334, www.asombro.org
Deming
Mariachi and Ballet Folkloric — 6-8 p.m. Rockhound State Park.
Music in the Park — 6-8 p.m. Rockhound State Park.
Rodeo
Marge Fagan — 2-7 p.m. Opening reception an exhibit of the Portal artist's watercolors, through October. Chiricahua Art Gallery.
White Sands
Annual Balloon Invitational — Through Sept. 21. $3 entrance fee, 15 and under free. 7 a.m.-10 a.m. A collection of colorful balloons will fill the air over the white gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument at sunrise. Other events will take place in Alamogordo. (800) 826-0294, 679-2599 ext. 230, 479-6124 ext. 236.
Sunday 21
Silver City/Grant County
4th Annual Gila River Festival — See story and schedule in this section. www.gilaconservation.org
Alexandra — 4 p.m. A loving story of a grandmother who sets out to visit her grandson on the Chechen front. He's an unmarried 27-year-old captain who's been away too long. She has been recently widowed and misses her grandson. She also wonders about this war in Chechnya, its effect on the young Russian soldiers and on the local Chechen people. WNMU-Silver City International Film Society. Real West Cinema II, Hwy. 180 E. 538-5659, www.silverfilm.org
Silver City Food Co-op Annual General Membership Meeting — 6 p.m. Board report on the state of the Co-op, counting of ballots for the new board members and announcement of the election results. Open to the public. Silco Theater, Bullard St. 388-2343.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
25th Annual Library Friends Author's Luncheon — $15. 12:30 p.m. Keynote address by Russ Bradburd, author of Paddy on the Hardwood, A Journey in Irish Hoops. Hosted by the Friends of Thomas Branigan Memorial Library. Local 2008 Author of the Year will be named. See story in Tumbleweeds section. Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 523-8713, FriendsofTBML@comcast.net
First Annual Garden Expo — See Sept. 20. Free. Enchanted Gardens, 270 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-1886, gardens@zianet.com
Antique Show and Sale — 9 a.m.-4 p.m. American Legion Post 10. 526-8624.
Dona Ana Modular Railroad — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Village at Northrise. 644-7758.
Mariachi Sunday — 4-6 p.m. Live mariachi music on Old Mesilla Plaza. 525-1735.
Wildlife of the Jornada Basin — See Sept. 20. $50. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park. 524-3334, www.asombro.org
White Sands
Annual Balloon Invitational — See Sept. 20. $3 entrance fee, 15 and under free. 7 a.m.-10 a.m. White Sands National Monument. Other events will take place in Alamogordo. (800) 826-0294, 679-2599 ext. 230, 479-6124 ext. 236.
Monday 22
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Tuesday 23
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Cooking and Nutrition Classes — Free. See Sept. 9. Mountain View Market. 1300 El Paseo, 525-6649.
Wednesday 24
Silver City/Grant County
Grant County Fair — Through Sept. 28. Ranch rodeo Sept. 24 and Sept. 25, pig show Sept. 26, lamb show Sept. 26, steer show Sept. 27. Livestock sale Sept. 27. Dances Sept. 26 and 27. Bull riding Sept. 26 and 27. Indoor exhibits of gardening, needlework, flowers, photography, art and more all four days. Cliff Fairgrounds.
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Deming
Southwest New Mexico State Fair — Through Sept. 28. Deming Fairgrounds.
Thursday 25
Silver City/Grant County
23rd Annual Purchase Prize Show — 6 p.m. Opening reception for Grant County Art Guild's annual show. Judge Bill Gallen of Santa Fe will be present to discuss the winning paintings. The exhibit runs two weekends, Sept. 26-28 and Oct. 3-5, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Hearst Church Gallery, Pinos Altos. 538-8216.
Grant County Fair — Through Sept. 28. See Sept. 24. Ranch rodeo. Cliff Fairgrounds.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Dan Lambert — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
Deming
Southwest New Mexico State State Fair — Through Sept. 28. Fairgrounds.
Friday 26
Silver City/Grant County
CD Release Party — 7 p.m. For the Conduit Trio. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Grant County Fair — Through Sept. 28. See Sept. 24. Pig and lamb show, bull riding, dance. Cliff Fairgrounds.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Rumi — $3, suggested donation. 6:30 p.m. Poetry of one of the world's greatest poets. Discussion follows the movie. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
The Cats of Mirikitani — 6:30 p.m. Lecture and documentary film with artist Linda Hattendorf. Eighty-year-old Jimmy Mirikitani survived the trauma of WWII internment camps, Hiroshima and homelessness by creating art. But when 9/11 threatens his life on the New York City streets and a local filmmaker brings him to her home, the two embark on a journey to confront Jimmy's painful past. An intimate exploration of the lingering wounds of war and the healing powers of friendship and art. Silco Theater. 538-2505.
WNMU Mustangs Volleyball vs. Fort Lewis College — 7 p.m. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
28th Annual The Whole Enchilada Fiesta — Through Sept. 28. Friday 6-12 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Big street party with food, dancing, parade, beer garden, 5K run and 1-mile fun run, and the making of the official world's largest enchilada, using 750 pounds of stone ground corn for the tortillas, 75 gallons of red chile sauce and taking more than two hours from start to finish. Spectators can enjoy free samples of The Whole Enchilada. Hadley Complex. 524-7824, 526-1938, www.enchiladafiesta.com
Annual Meeting of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico — Through Sept. 28. $65 members, $80 nonmembers. Experts presenting talks and workshops on native habitats along with numerous options for field trips and hikes. Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. 541-1877, rsbowers@zianet.com
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Wednesdays and Thursdays 7 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. Through Oct. 12. A dark and disturbing drama. A writer is questioned about uncanny resemblances between his stories and a series of gruesome murders. Is he guilty? Find out in this dark exploration of the power of literature in a police state. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Writing From the Creative Heart — Through Sept. 28. $90 for members of the Border Book Festival/Cultural Center de Mesilla, $100 non-members. A hands-on writing workshop with Denise Chave. RSVP. Cultural Center de Mesilla, 2231 Calle de Parian, 523-3988, 496-2351, bbf@zianet.com, www.borderbookfestival.org
Deming
Southwest New Mexico State State Fair — Through Sept. 28. Fairgrounds
Saturday 27
Silver City/Grant County
Dances of Universal Peace — $5 donation. 7 p.m. Circle dances that celebrate the unity of all spiritual traditions. Live music. No experience or partners needed. Church of What's Happening, 7th and Arizona St., 534-1441.
Desert West Auction — Also Sept. 28. 10 a.m. Online and live auction. Come out and be part of the live auction or participate via Internet. 3870 N. Hwy. 35, Mimbres, 536-9353, www.desertwestauction.com
Edie and the Silver Blue Roots — 7 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Fort Bayard Guided Tours — 9:30 a.m. 388-4477.
Grant County Fair — See Sept. 24. Steer show, livestock sale, bull riding, dance. Cliff Fairgrounds.
Magic and Fairy Wand-making Workshop — Free. 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Activities. Toy Town. 113 W. Broadway, 388-1677.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Short Introduction to Silver Clay — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Instructor Karen Rossman. A Bead or Two, 703 N. Bullard St., 388-8973.
Silver City Farmers' Market — 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Main Street Plaza, 7th St. and Main, 534-1704, mehopper8@netzero.com
Tapestry of Talent — $25. 1 p.m. Southwest Women's Fiber Arts Collective annual fundraiser, a multi-faceted fashion show. Proceeds help support outreach programs. Bayard Community Center. Tickets at The Common Thread, 107 W. Broadway, 538-5733.
WNMU Mustangs Volleyball vs. Western State College — 7 p.m. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
10th Annual Mesilla Valley Corn Maze — Through Oct. 26. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Take a hayride out to the pumpkin patch to look for the perfect Jack-O-Lantern, then discover the many twists and turns cut into a cornfield. 526-1919.
28th Annual The Whole Enchilada Fiesta — Through Sept. 28. See Sept. 26. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Hadley Complex. 524-7824, 526-1938, www.enchiladafiesta.com
Annual Meeting of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico — Through Sept. 28. $65 members, $80 nonmembers. See Sept. 26. Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. 541-1877, rsbowers@zianet.com
European Bread Baking Class — $4 co-op members, $5 nonmembers. 1-3 p.m. Class with master baker and author, Father Gabriel Rochelle (see July 2008). Sign up at Mountain View Market, 1300 El Paseo, 523-0436, www.mountainviewmarket.com
NMSU Aggies Football vs. NM "Legends Weekend" — 6 p.m. Aggies Memorial Stadium. 646-1420, 532-2060, (915) 544-8444.
NMSU Aggies Volleyball vs. Hawaii — 7 p.m. NMSU Pan Am Center. 646-1420, 532-2060, (915) 544-8444.
Soulshine — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing Co., 1201 W. Hadley Ave., 525-6752.
The Cats of Mirikitani — $25. 1:30 p.m. With special guest, filmmaker Linda Hattendorf. Jimmy Mirikitani, a now-88-year-old artist, was born in Sacramento, raised in Hiroshima, traveled the US and even cooked for artist Jackson Pollock. But by 2001, Mirikitani was homeless, living on the streets of New York City, drawing pictures of whimsical cats, bleak internment camps and the angry red flames of the atomic bomb. Hattendorf stopped to ask about his art, and has documented their resulting poignant friendship in this film. The tales of Mirikatani's life spill out in a jumble in his art: childhood picnics in Japan, lost citizenship, Pearl Harbor, thousands of Americans imprisoned in WWII desert camps, a boy who loved cats. Special event includes food and other activities; advance ticketing required. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, 522-0286.
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 8 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Writing From the Creative Heart — Through Sept. 28. See Sept. 26. Cultural Center de Mesilla, 2231 Calle de Parian.
Deming
Fall Native Plant Sale — 8 a.m.-12 p.m. Coffee and homemade cookies.
Southwest New Mexico State State Fair — Through Sept. 28. Fairgrounds.
Glenwood
6th Annual Labyrinth Walks & Talks — Donation; $14 for dinner. 10 a.m.-midnight. Talks, Q&A sessions, didgeridoo music and hands-on instruction in building a labyrinth. Equine labyrinth demonstration and Maypole Sail Dance. Evening session includes drumming, a circle ceremony, dancing under the stars to live didgeridoo music. BYO picnic lunch, BBQ brisket dinner available. RSVP. Whitewater Mesa Labyrinths. 539-2868, cordelia@starband.net
Sunday 28
Silver City/Grant County
Desert West Auction — See Sept. 27. 10 a.m. Online and live auction. 3870 N. Hwy. 35, Mimbres, 536-9353, www.desertwestauction.com
Intro to Colcha Embroidery — Members $38, non-members $43. 1-4 p.m. Fiber Arts Center, 211 D N. Texas St. 538-5733.
Songs of the Cowboy — Donation. 2 p.m. A presentation of cowboy songs performed by music historians Mark Gardner and Rex Rideout, including background on New Deal writer Jack Thorp, publisher of early cowboy music classics like "Little Joe the Wrangler" and "Chop." Silco Theater, 311 N. Bullard St.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
10th Annual Mesilla Valley Corn Maze — Through Oct. 26. See Sept. 27. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 526-1919.
28th Annual The Whole Enchilada Fiesta — See Sept. 26. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Hadley Complex. 524-7824, 526-1938, www.enchiladafiesta.com
Annual Meeting of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico — $65 members, $80 nonmembers. See Sept. 26. Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum. 541-1877, rsbowers@zianet.com
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 2 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Writing From the Creative Heart — See Sept. 26. Cultural Center de Mesilla, 2231 Calle de Parian.
Deming
Southwest New Mexico State State Fair — Fairgrounds.
Elephant Butte
2nd Annual Elephant Man Triathlon — 6 a.m.-1 p.m. Intermediate distance triathlon: 1-mile swim, 26.5-mile bike, 6-mile run. Elephant Butte Lake. 744-0055, kori@valornet.com
Hillsboro
Randy Granger 3 p.m. $5 donation. Concert at Community Center, 316 Elenora. 895-5797.White Sands
Lake Lucero Tour — $3, 15 and under free. 9 a.m. A ranger-guided trip to White Sands National Monument's Lake Lucero, the source of the white sands. Reservations required: 679-2599, 479-6124, ext. 236.
Monday 29
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Tuesday 30
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Cooking and Nutrition Classes — Free. See Sept. 9. Mountain View Market. 1300 El Paseo, 525-6649.
OCTOBER
Wednesday 1
Silver City/Grant County
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo — Through Oct. 5. $12 13 and up, $8 6-12, free age 5 and under. Midway, auction, food, music, livestock shows, speedway car racing and a cowboy rodeo. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 11 miles west on I-10. 524-8602.
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 7 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Thursday 2
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo — Through Oct. 5. See Oct. 1. $12 13 and up, $8 6-12, free age 5 and under. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 11 miles west on I-10. 524-8602.
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 7 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Friday 3
Silver City/Grant County
Dennis Weller — 5:30 p.m. Opening reception for solo show by local photographer Dennis Weller. MRAC Gallery, Wells Fargo Bank, 1201 Pope St., 538-2505, www.mimbresarts.org
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
200 Lap Enduro — $10, under 10 free. Gates open 5:45 p.m., racing starts 7:45 p.m. Southern New Mexico Speedway, 524-7913, (800) 658-9650, 642-2272.
Exhibits Opening — Show by Keith Wilson of images and poetry of native New Mexicans in the Shannon Gallery Room and an exhibit of works in a variety of media by Virginia Maria Romero in the Richardson Gallery. Shows run through Nov. 1. Branigan Cultural Center, Downtown Mall, 541-2219.
Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo — Through Oct. 5. See Oct. 1. $12 13 and up, $8 6-12, free age 5 and under. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 11 miles west on I-10. 524-8602.
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 8 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Truth or Consequences
Hot Springs/Cool Art Festival — Through Oct. 5. Formerly known as "Destination Sierra County, NM," this event has showcased Sierra County art (and other and cultural assets) for the past four years. Theme for 2008 is "Tale of the Art, Art of the Tale." Sierra County Arts Council. 740-4526, hotspringscoolart@gmail.com
Winklers Distilled — $35. 7 p.m. Attendees sample 10 bottles from Jim Beam to 20-year-old Rip Van Winkle bourbon, and enjoy culinary delights and the new art exhibit. Limited seating. M Gallery. 740-4526, iam@moshekoenick.com www.moshekoenick.com/m
Saturday 4
Silver City/Grant County
10th Pinos Altos Fiesta — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Outdoor annual fundraising event to benefit Pinos Altos Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department (see Tumbleweeds section). Food, music, entertainment, children's games, Gila Rangers in 1800s period costume, artisan and retail vendors. 574-8394.
Felted Slippers — Members $25, non-members $30, $12 materials. 1-4 p.m. Fiber Arts Center, 211 D N. Texas St. 538-5733.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Silver City Farmers' Market — 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Main Street Plaza, 7th St. and Main, 534-1704, mehopper8@netzero.com
Taste of Downtown — $15. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Walk-about tour of restaurants and businesses_ with a non-profit fair and live music. 534-9005.
WNMU Mustangs Football vs. Adams State College — 1 p.m. Ben Altamirano Stadium. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
10th Annual Mesilla Valley Corn Maze — Through Oct. 26. See Sept. 27. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 526-1919.
7th Annual Mesilla Jazz Happening — Through Oct. 5. The Mercado and Historic Plazas in Old Mesilla will host free live jazz music at two venues. A special Wine Garden at each venue featuring eight New Mexico wineries will provide wine tasting. Horse-drawn wagons will offer free transportation between the Mercado and the historic plaza. 524-3524, 524-3262, 523-6700.
Classics One with Manuel Barrueco — Through Oct. 5. Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. 646-3709.
Renegade Sprints, Limited Late Models, Street Stock & X-Modified — $10, under 10 free. Gates open 5:45 p.m., racing starts 7:45 p.m. Southern New Mexico Speedway, 524-7913, (800) 658-9650, 642-2272.
Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo — Through Oct. 5. See Oct. 1. $12 13 and up, $8 6-12, free age 5 and under. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 11 miles west on I-10. 524-8602.
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 8 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Radium Springs
Sky Safari — 8 p.m. View the night sky at Leasburg Dam State Park, with high-powered telescopes and expert guidance provided by the NMSU Astronomy Department. 522-3120.
Socorro
Trinity Site Tour — The Trinity site is the location of the first atomic bomb explosion, open to the public twice a year. Info: 678-1134, 678-1700.
Truth or Consequences
Hot Springs/Cool Art Festival — Through Oct. 5. See Oct. 3. Art showcase. Sierra County Arts Council. 740-4526, hotspringscoolart@gmail.com
Sunday 5
Las Cruces/Mesilla
10th Annual Mesilla Valley Corn Maze — Through Oct. 26. See Sept. 27. 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. 526-1919.
7th Annual Mesilla Jazz Happening — See Oct. 4. 524-3524, 524-3262, 523-6700.
Classics One with Manuel Barrueco — 3 p.m. NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. 646-3709.
Southern New Mexico State Fair and Rodeo — See Oct. 1. $12 13 and up, $8 6-12, free age 5 and under. Southern New Mexico State Fairgrounds, 11 miles west on I-10. 524-8602.
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 2 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Truth or Consequences
Hot Springs/Cool Art Festival — See Oct. 3. Art showcase. Sierra County Arts Council. 740-4526, hotspringscoolart@gmail.com
Monday 6
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Tuesday 7
No events listed for this date.
Wednesday 8
Silver City/Grant County
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 7 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Thursday 9
Las Cruces/Mesilla
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 7 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Truth or Consequences
Sierra County Fair — Through Oct. 12. Arts, crafts, livestock, food vendors, community groups. Enter a fancy cake, a quilt, a photograph or prize produce. Submit indoor exhibit entries (excluding livestock) Oct. 9, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Sierra County Fair Barn. 894-2375.
Friday 10
Silver City/Grant County
4th Annual Fiesta de la Luna — Through Oct. 12. $10, $20 three-day pass, $5 camping per person. Featuring Molehill Orchestrah, Salt Berries, Silver City Stringbeans, Cadillac Mtn., Good Kind and more. Tickets at Gila Hike & Bike, Javalina. Wildwood Retreat and Hot Springs, Gila Hot Springs, 536-3600, www.silvercity.net/wildwood
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Silver City Film Festival — Through Oct. 12. 8 p.m. During the Weekend of the Galleries, the film society will present special screenings and events, including short and feature length films, animation, documentaries, junior filmmakers program, artist biography films, guest speakers and filmmaker presentations, staged readings of selected screenplays. Silco Theatre, Bullard St., www.silvercityfilmfest.org
Weekend at the Galleries — Through Oct. 13. A jam-packed art weekend with artwalk, wine tasting, art auction, film festival, gallery openings. See complete guide in October issue. Mimbres Region Arts Council, 538-2505, www.mimbresarts.org
Las Cruces/Mesilla
25th Annual Cowboys for Cancer Research Team Roping & Dinner/Dance — Through Oct. 12. Friday 6:30 p.m., music by The Delk Band, Dickerson's Event Center. Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. at the Calhoun Arena, silent auction and vendor booths. Bring lawn chairs and sunscreen. Limited bleacher seating available. 526-6028, 642-5693, 521-1554, www.cowboysforcancerresearch.org
Anybody for Murder? — Through Oct. 26. $8 adults, $7 students/seniors, $5 children 6 and under, group discounts. Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. A tale of greed and murder punctuated by a delightful sense of humor and comedic circumstance. Max is planning to murder his wife Janet, collect her life insurance, and enjoy life with his girlfriend, when Mary and George arrive on their Greek island with news: Mary and Janet are beneficiaries of a huge fortune. Plans and plots hatch, and soon everyone is bent on murder. All that stands in their way is the presence of a neighbor who knows a thing or two about murder — crime writer Edgar Chambers. Who is left standing and who gets the money? Las Cruces Community Theatre, Downtown Mall, 523-1200, www.lcctnm.org
Fall Parade of Homes — Through Oct. 12. Friday 4-7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday 12-5 p.m. Scattered-site event, providing builders with an opportunity to display their product to the public, and promote the local residential home-building industry. 526-6126.
The Pillowman — $10-$15. Through Oct. 12. See Sept. 26. 8 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre. 646-4517.
Truth or Consequences
Sierra County Fair — Through Oct. 12. Sierra County Fairgrounds. 894-2375.