D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
December
2008
DECEMBER
Monday 1
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Bottle Shock — Through Dec. 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. The true and happy story of how the vintners of Napa Valley won the blind tasting known as the "Judgment of Paris" in 1976 and put their little piece of California paradise on the world wine stage for all time. Steven Spurrier, a Brit wine merchant in Paris, is prevailed upon to sponsor, arrange and produce the judgment, which compels him to visit the Colonies, where his snobbery gets a comeuppance, Yank-style. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, www.fountaintheatre.org
Tuesday 2
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Harvest Cooking Class — $30. 2-4 p.m. Chef Carol Koenig will prepare dishes using pecans, pistachios and walnuts. Pre-registration required. Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100. www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org
Sentenced Home — 6 p.m. Documentary film examines immigration policy and deportation of refugees to Cambodia, with a panel discussion about detention and deportation in the border region. Event commemorates the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Center for Latin American and Border Studies and the American Civil Liberties Union. Hardman Hall Room 106.
Wednesday 3
Silver City/Grant County
Joy! — Free. 6:30 p.m. Holiday celebration produced by Theatre Group New Mexico and WNMU Expressive Arts Department. Featuring Desert Larks, Country Silver, WNMU Singers, Hi-Lo Silvers, Jessica Juarez, Conservatory of Dance, Community Children's Chorus, Theatre Group Ensemble, Arnold the Elf, Santa and Mrs. Claus. WNMU Fine Arts Theater.
Grant Writers Guild Breakfast — 8:30-10 a.m. Discussion led by Nikki Zeuner of Z-A Resource Development on how the current financial crisis could impact locally grant-funded programs, non-profits and organizations. GRMC Conference Room, 1313 E. 32nd St., 388-1198, ext. 10.
ROAR — 6-8 p.m. Opening reception for a new exhibit of festive works by the artists of Blue Dome Gallery, with gourmet foods by Rob Connoley of The Curious Kumquat. 307 N. Texas St., 534-8671.
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Food and Culture in Michoacan, Mexico — 6 p.m. Presentations by three department of sociology/anthropology graduate students about research conducted the past two years regarding food ways and cultural identity in the Meseta Purhepecha of Michoacan, Mexico. Center for Latin American and Border Studies. Nason House, 1200 University Ave. across from Kinko's. 646-6814.
Deming
Tannenbaum Festival — 3-6 p.m. Holiday open house. Live entertainment, wassail bowl and refreshments, Santa's visit. Morgan Hall, 109 E. Pine St.
Thursday 4
Silver City/Grant County
Winter Wonderland — Through Dec. 6. Free, donations appreciated. Extensive exhibition of miniature Christmas villages, working miniature train and figurines of Santa Claus, cookie jars and gingerbread houses from several private collections. Santa on hand each evening 6-8 p.m. Holiday gifts, decorated Christmas trees, bake sale. Hurley Community Center. 537-2124.
Mr. FM on Piano — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Light Up a Life — 5-6:30 p.m. $5 donation requested for a light in memory of a loved one. Community tree-lighting ceremony. Gila Regional Medical Center, 574-4934.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Copenhagen — Through Dec. 7. $9, $8 students/seniors, all seats Thursdays $6. Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2:30 p.m., Thursdays 7 p.m. Tony Award Winning play in which Heisenberg meets Bohr in an electrifying exchange of ideas. No Strings Theatre Company. Black Box Theatre, 430 N. Downtown Mall, 523-1223, www.no-strings.org
Cinderella — $10-$15. Through Dec. 7. Thurs. 7 p.m., Fri. and Sat. 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. The classic tale: a poor girl, a handsome prince, a glass slipper and one magical night. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre, 646-4517.
Coming to Light: Edward S. Curtis and the North American Indians — 7 p.m. Part of an anthropological film series. NMSU Museum, Kent Hall, University Avenue and Solano Drive, 646-5161.
Latin American Social Movements: Redefining Power Struggles — 4:30 p.m. Lecture by Richard Stahler-Sholk, professor of political science at Eastern Michigan University, will examine field work in Zapatists communities in Chiapas, Mexico, and research on new forms of social movements in Latin America. Center for Latin American and Border Studies. Nason House, 1200 University Ave. across from Kinko's. 646-6814.
Science Cafe — 5:30 p.m. "Changes Happening with the Chihuahuan Desert Landscape," presented by Dr. Curtis Monger. Roundtable discussion. Museum of Natural History, Mesilla Valley Mall, 522-3120.
Two from Galilee — 7 p.m. Also Dec. 5 at 7 p.m., Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. Free, donation. Dramatic performance of an adaptation of Marjorie Holmes' bestseller, interspersed with music by chorus, soloists and orchestra. Music performed by the Chancel Choir along with singers from each of the participating churches. Tickets available through the church offices; Sew What's New, 3961 E. Lohman; and Hubbard's Music N More, 445 Foster Road; or at the door. St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 225 W. Griggs, 526-6689.
Deming Fusiliers — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Friday 5
Silver City/Grant County
Print Portfolio Project Preview — 5-6:30 p.m. Unveiling of the Mimbres Region Arts Council fundraiser with works on display and refreshments. Folios and books of the works of 25 artists for sale. Wells Fargo Bank Building, 1201 Pope St., 538-2505, www.mimbresarts.org
Continuum — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
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
Travelers and Magicians — $3 donation. 6:30 p.m. Documentary. Discussion follows the movie. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Winter Wonderland — Through Dec. 6. See Dec. 4. Hurley Community Center. 537-2124.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
2nd Annual Border Artist Event — Through Dec. 13. Benefit for KRWG FM. Almost 20 artists, catering by St. Clair Winery and Bistro, Toucan Market, music by La Cella Bella, art exhibition and sales. Works are watercolor, acrylic, oil, pastel, ceramic and sculpture, ranging from impressionistic to realistic. Fri. 5-8 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 6, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 13, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Exhibition at a Quinones Design-Build Showcase home, 4423 Organ Mesa Loop. 646-2222.
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. $8, $7, $6, $5. Fridays and Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. Styckes Upon Thump Repertory Company with 15th annual tour of Dickens' classic with comedic twists. Las Cruces Community Theatre, Downtown Mall, 523-1200.
Callejoneada Downtown Ramble — 6-8 p.m. Mexican and Spanish rambling street party with strolling Mariachis and Folkloric dancers.
Christmas Tree Lighting — Hot cocoa with Santa Claus. Albert Johnson Park. 541-2000.
Cinderella — $10-$15. Through Dec. 7. See Dec. 4. 8 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre, 646-4517.
Copenhagen — Through Dec. 7. See Dec. 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
I Served the King of England — Through Dec. 11. $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. Jan, the hapless hero, is a Middle-European Candide first seen as a worn, creased fellow released from a 15-year prison term. It's the 1960s in Communist Prague, and his crime was to have become a millionaire. Paroled to a deserted, former German town on the Czech border, old Jan goes about remembering, in flashback, the bygone days when he was young, a little fellow with Chaplinesque physical grace who climbed the ladder of ambition with amoral innocence, from hot dog vendor to lowly bar waiter to fancy Prague restaurant senior staffer and higher. In the 1930s, he falls in love with a Hitler-loving fraulein just as Germany invades Czechoslovakia, tormenting the suitor's fellow citizens. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, www.fountaintheatre.org
La Casa Holiday Bazaar — Through Dec. 7. Friday preview with refreshments $12, 5-7 p.m., Saturday $3, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday $3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dickerson's Event Center, 526-2819.
Opening Reception — 5-7 p.m. "Photos and Fibers," an exhibit of the photographic and fiber arts works of John Gustinis and Joan Jensen. thetheatregallery, Black Box Theatre, 430 Downtown Mall, 523-1223.
Raul Madrid — 5-7 p.m. Opening reception for the artist, who has cerebral palsy and creates art with one foot. Watercolor, collage, acrylics, more. "Howling Coyote Coffeehouse" open mic follows at 7 p.m. Mastery in Life Center, Downtown Mall. 373-1971.
Trail of Lights — 6-8:30 p.m. 5th Annual downtown stroll with holiday luminaries, hot cocoa, cookies, holiday carols. Model train displays and refreshments at Railroad Museum. 541-2288.
Deming
First Friday — Chamber of Commerce.
Lordsburg
Lighted Christmas Parade and Moonlight Madness — Also Dec. 6. 542-9864.
Saturday 6
Silver City/Grant County
Studio Sale — Through Dec. 7. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Hand-crafted items by local artists and artisans. Live music by Bayou Seco, door prizes, refreshments. Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch, Hwy. 152 to Mimbres 61 S. to Royal John Mine Road, follow signs.
Toys for Kids — 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Toy drive with "Show and Shine" by Copper Country Cruizers. All ages and styles of vehicles, motorcycles and bikes are welcome to participate. Entry fee or admission is a new toy in its original box, suitable for children infant through 12 years. Santa Claus on hand for photos. Gough Park. 388-3468.
Christmas Fundraising Bingo — Bayard Community Center.
Jammin' Jeff Quartet — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Winter Wonderland — See Dec. 4. Hurley Community Center. 537-2124.
Woman's Club Holiday Sweet Sale — 9 a.m. Traditional cookies, candies, See's Candy, seasonal items. 411 Silver Heights Blvd.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
2nd Annual Border Artist Event — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Through Dec. 13. See Dec. 5. Benefit for KRWG FM. 4423 Organ Mesa Loop. 646-2222.
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 8 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
Cinderella — $10-$15. Through Dec. 7. See Dec. 4. 8 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre, 646-4517.
Classics Three, Augustin Hadelich, Violin — Also Dec. 7. Saturday 7:30 p.m., Sunday 3 p.m. Brahms, Concerto in D; Bass, Exultate Justi; Ravel, Daphnis et Chloe: Suite 2. NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. 646-3709.
Copenhagen — Through Dec. 7. See Dec. 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
Desert Treks — $3, $1.50. 9:30 a.m. Field trip to Lake Lucero. Participants drive their own vehicles over paved roads across the White Sands Missile Range to the Lake Lucero trailhead, then hike 3/4 mile to the lake. Reservations required. Museum of Natural History, 522-3120.
Harry and Tonto — $4, $1 for Mesilla Valley Film Society members. 1:30 p.m. When his comfortable New York City apartment building is torn down, 72-year-old widower and retired college professor Harry (Art Carney) temporarily moves in with his eldest son but finds his daughter-in-law less than enthusiastic. Harry decides to postpone his search for new lodgings to fulfill a lifelong ambition to travel across the country to California. With his beloved cat Tonto, Harry hits the road, planning to stop and visit his other children, and during his journey, encounters several situations that cause him to examine what life means to him. Carney's touching and subtle performance won him an Academy Award. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287/522-0286.
Holiday Workshop Duo — 12:30 p.m. Holiday Kissing Ball craft workshop led by Joan Kief of San Ysidro Lavender Fields; $15, materials included. 2 p.m.: Gift wrap workshop; $7.50 or free to members. Reservations requested. Enchanted Gardens, 270 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-1886, gardens@zianet.com, nmenchantedgardens.com
La Casa Holiday Bazaar — Through Dec. 7. See Dec. 5. $3, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Dickerson's Event Center, 526-2819.
Saturday Science — 11 a.m. "Chemistry." Pre-registration required. Go beyond your textbooks in this hands-on class. Museum of Natural History, Mesilla Valley Mall, 522-3120.
Silver Anniversary Celebration Dinner — Mastery in Life Center, Downtown Mall. 523-4847.
Sky Safari — 7 p.m. View the night sky at La Llorona Park, with high-powered telescopes and expert guidance provided by the NMSU Astronomy Department. Museum of Natural History, 522-3120.
Momento Bello — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Columbus
Columbus Christmas Festival.
Deming
For Pet's Sake II — Free, dry pet food donations welcome. 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Fundraiser for Deming Animal Guardians' spay/neuter program. Raffles, refreshments, door prizes, silent auction. B&D Outback Framing, 2111 Columbus Road. 544-2209.
Christmas Light Parade — 6 p.m.
Hillsboro
Christmas in the Foothills — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Celebration of pre-Christmas with open houses at art galleries and historic homes in Hillsboro. 895-5797.
Lordsburg
Lighted Christmas Parade and Moonlight Madness — 542-9864.
Truth or Consequences
Breakfast with the Birds — 8 a.m. Join the Sierra Club, Sierra Soil and Water Conservation and the Healing Waters Trail for breakfast and a morning of learning about birding. Unveiling of proposed route and artist renditions of wetlands plan. Public input sought. Rotary Park, Daniels and Riverside. 744-5860.
Sunday 7
Silver City/Grant County
Community Chamber Singers — Free. 3 p.m. Holiday concert featuring the Magnificat by Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, solos by Martha Blalock, Bob Edgar, Tom Morrish, Doug Medin, John Brinker, Sherry Terrazas, Cheryl Speir-Phillips, Judy Ruth, Karen Fisher. Reception follows. First United Methodist Church.
A Classic Christmas — 4 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
I Served the King of England — 4 p.m. Jan, the hapless hero, is a Middle-European Candide first seen as a worn, creased fellow released from a 15-year prison term. It's the 1960s in Communist Prague, and his crime was to have become a millionaire. Paroled to a deserted, former German town on the Czech border, old Jan goes about remembering, in flashback, the bygone days when he was young, a little fellow with Chaplinesque physical grace who climbed the ladder of ambition with amoral innocence, from hot dog vendor to lowly bar waiter to fancy Prague restaurant senior staffer and higher. In the 1930s, he falls in love with a Hitler-loving fraulein just as Germany invades Czechoslovakia, tormenting the suitor's fellow citizens. WNMU-Silver City International Film Society. Real West Cinema II, Hwy. 180 E. 538-5659, www.silverfilm.org
Studio Sale — See Dec. 6. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mimbres Hot Springs Ranch.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
24th Annual Noche de Luminarias — 6-8:30 p.m. Live entertainment, refreshments, trolley rides and 5,000 luminarias lining the sidewalk from Educational Services Building to Jordan Street. 646-3200.
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 2 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
Artists' Reception — 12-2 p.m. Gourd art by Joanna Bradley and Kathe Stark. Tombaugh Gallery, Unitarian Universalist Church, 2000 S. Solano.
Cinderella — $10-$15. Through Dec. 7. See Dec. 4. 2 p.m. NMSU Hershel Zohn Theatre, 646-4517.
Classics Three, Augustin Hadelich, Violin — See Dec. 6. 3 p.m. NMSU Music Center Recital Hall. 646-3709.
Copenhagen — See Dec. 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
La Casa Holiday Bazaar — See Dec. 5. $3, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Dickerson's Event Center, 526-2819.
We Three Kings — 7 p.m. Perla Batalla Holiday CD release tour. Grammy-nominated world vocalist, composer, and arranger. San Albino Basilica, reception following at Yanez Hall.
Deming
Green Tea — Deming Mimbres Museum.
Monday 8
Silver City/Grant County
Widowed Persons Meeting/Lunch — $10. 11 a.m. Lunch and program. Entertainment: Hi Lo Silvers. WNMU Cafeteria. 388-1072.
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Sky Safari — 7 p.m. View the night sky at La Llorona Park, with high-powered telescopes and expert guidance provided by the NMSU Astronomy Department. View Andromeda, Cassiopeia, Cetus and Venus. Museum of Natural History, 522-3120.
Tuesday 9
Silver City/Grant County
Annual Chili Cookoff — 7:30 p.m. With Manda Clair and Pat Barsch Prizes for best traditional and best non-traditional chili dishes. No salsas allowed! Entries in by 5 p.m., judging at 6 p.m. Music by Pairadocs to follow. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
The Untouchable — 1:30 p.m. Irish author Louise Forshaw reviews her book. Refreshments. Dresp Room, Branigan Library, 200 E. Picacho Ave. 541-8073.
NMSU Choir — Free. 5:30 p.m. Rio Grande Theatre. 646-1420, 646-2067.
When Pigs Fly — 1:30 p.m. Bob Sanchez reviews his new book. Refreshments. Branigan Library, Dresp Room, 200 E. Picacho, 521-4845.
Wednesday 10
Silver City/Grant County
New Mexico Symphony Orchestra Holiday Program — $15, $5 under 16. 7 p.m. 48-piece orchestra, pre-concert lecture. Sponsored jointly by Grant County Community Concert Association and Mimbres Region Arts Council. Admission not covered by membership. WNMU Fine Arts Theater. 388-2004, www.gcconcerts.org 538-2505, arts@mimbresarts.org, www.mimbresarts.org
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.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta — Through Dec. 12. Wednesday, all-night wake with Native American dancers; Thursday, pilgrimage to Tortugas Mountain; Friday, Fiesta dancers. 526-8171, 522-0288.
Virgin de Guadalupe Feast Day Celebration — Through Dec. 12. Wednesday 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Mass, procession, rosary, dancing. Friday 7 a.m.-5 p.m. with 6 p.m. Mass for the Virgin. St. Genevieve's Church, 100 S. Espina. 524-0623.
Winter Sparrows — 7:30-10:30 a.m. Bird the north end of Las Cruces Dam, identifying winter sparrows. Meet at old Tee-Time driving range parking lot (intersection of Del Rey and Telshor/Northrise), be prepared to walk a couple of miles, some in soft sand. 521-8087.
Thursday 11
Silver City/Grant County
Good Food — 6 p.m. Potluck and film celebrating the future of family farms. Potluck at 6 p.m., film at 7 p.m. Lichty Center, 426 Box Canyon Rd., Cliff. 535-2519.
Jose Ski and Friends — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Cowgirl with Some Sand — 7 p.m. Gale Ginn, a retired bronc buster, cowgirl poet, and riding double in films, talks about her work with Hollywood stars like Shelley Winters, Alan Ladd and Joseph Cotten. (See the June 2007 Desert Exposure.) 75-minute feature film, Untamed Frontier. Also film buff, movie reviewer and Desert Exposure senior writer Jeff Berg. Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100, www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org
Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta — Through Dec. 12. Pilgrimage to Tortugas Mountain. 526-8171, 522-0288.
NMSU Men's Aggies Basketball vs. Sacramento State — 7 p.m. Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Steve Smith — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Friday 12
Silver City/Grant County
DAGAZ: World Music — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Eclectic Holiday Gift Market — 4-8 p.m. Through Dec. 14. Diverse array of handmade items by six local artisans. Fiber Arts Center, 211 D N. Texas St.
Fall Graduation — WNMU.
Indigo Revolution — $3 donation. 6:30 p.m. Documentary about the Indigo Children. Discussion follows the movie. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Native People of the Southwest — $350, includes 3 nights lodging, 3 dinners and one sack lunch. Through Dec. 15. Three-day workshop at Bear Mountain Lodge and nearby preserves. Apache and Mimbreno lore, presentations by local astronomer and archeologist. 2251 Cottage San Rd., 538-2538, innkeeper@bearmountainlodge.com, www.bearmountainlodge.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
August Evening — Through Dec. 18. (Theater closed Dec. 15 for private party.) $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. The late Japanese master Yasujiro Ozu's influence can be felt in the patient rhythms and thematic preoccupations of Chris Eska's film about an undocumented Mexican farmhand in San Antonio, Texas, named Jaime who, along with his widowed daughter-in-law Lupe, moves in with his ungrateful biological kids after the sudden death of his wife. Eska chronicles Jaime and Lupe's struggles with consideration for the burdensome toll loneliness, bitterness and regret can have on attempts to navigate present troubles and future hopes. Generational tensions are manifest in Jaime's fractured relationship with his living children, whose self-interest takes priority over familial loyalty, a push-pull between eras that's associated with Jaime and Lupe's shared heartache for an unrecoverable past. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, www.fountaintheatre.org
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 8 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
Lady of Guadalupe Fiesta — Through Dec. 12. Fiesta dancers. 526-8171, 522-0288.
Men's Shopping Night — 6-8 p.m. Gift ideas, refreshments, free gift wrapping. Reservations required. Enchanted Gardens, 270 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-1886, gardens@zianet.com, nmenchantedgardens.com
Tree Lighting — 6 p.m. Late shopping night, music by San Albino Church choir. Businesses have extended hours, some serving refreshments. 524-3262, ext. 116.
Virgin de Guadalupe Feast Day Celebration — 7 a.m.-5 p.m. with 6 p.m. Mass for the Virgin. St. Genevieve's Church, 100 S. Espina. 524-0623.
Truth or Consequences
Old-Fashioned Christmas and Art Hop — 6-9 p.m. Christmas tree lighting, Santa Claus, carolers, Christmas treats and bonfires. Downtown businesses open and serving hot drinks and treats. 740-3902, sierracountytourism@gmail.com, www.sierracountynewmexico.info.
Saturday 13
Silver City/Grant County
Christmas Art Fair — 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Local artists. Bake sale and raffle support student art scholarships. Silco Theater. 388-2079, luannebrooten@gmail.com
Eclectic Holiday Gift Market — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Through Dec. 14. See Dec. 12. Fiber Arts Center, 211 D N. Texas St.
Betty and the Diamondbacks — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
City Wide Christmas Shopping Clearance Event — Historic Downtown. 590-2006.
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.
FOL Book Sale — 9-10 a.m. members only, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. general public. 1510 Market St.
Fort Bayard — 10 a.m. Guided tour. Meet by northeast corner of hospital by theater. 388-4477.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Wally Lawder and the Artful Coyotes — 8 p.m. Isaac's, Bullard and Broadway.
WNMU Women's Basketball vs. University of Colorado-Colorado Springs — 6 p.m. Ben Altamirano Stadium. www.wnmumustangs.com
WNMU Men's Basketball vs. University of Colorado-Colorado Springs — 8 p.m. Ben Altamirano Stadium. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
2nd Annual Border Artist Event — 10 a.m.-2 p.m. See Dec. 5. Benefit for KRWG FM. 4423 Organ Mesa Loop. 646-2222.
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 8 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
Christmas in the Clouds — $4, $1 for Mesilla Valley Film Society members. 1:30 p.m. Back for its annual holiday season screening. Choctaw actor Tim Vahle is "Ray Clouds on Fire," a well-educated but overly conscientious divorced yuppie who is general manager to his tribe's struggling Utah ski resort. When a letter arrives from the exclusive Worthington Travel Guide to announce that an anonymous critic has booked a suite there for the holiday, Ray is determined to get his staff in shape and garner a four-star review. Ray's father has been corresponding with a woman everyone assumes is a senior citizen; when the actually much younger woman arrives and checks in using her maiden name, she is immediately mistaken for the undercover critic. In a matching comedy of errors, she erroneously believes that the handsome Ray is her pen pal. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287/522-0286.
Decorating for the Birds — $15/family, $7.50 or free to members. 2 p.m. Create seed decorations for garden or patio. Dress for a mess. Supplies included, reservations requested. Enchanted Gardens, 270 Avenida de Mesilla, 524-1886, gardens@zianet.com, nmenchantedgardens.com
Dan Lambert — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Deming
Cocoa, Cookies and Caroling — 1-3 p.m. Morgan Hall, 109 E. Pine St.
Hi Lo Silvers — $6. 2 p.m. Get into the Christmas spirit. Concert and sing-along by an entertaining women's chorus. Morgan Hall, 109 E. Pine St.
Holiday Lights — Free. 6-8 p.m. More than 1,000 luminarias illuminate the visitor's center and native plant gardens. Coffee, hot cocoa, Mexican cookies and caroling. Friends of Rockhound State Park. 546-6182.
Elephant Butte
Christmas Events — $35 per vehicle. 11 a.m. Christmas Crawl: 4-wheel drive vehicles are welcome to crawl over an obstacle course of rocks, concrete culverts and a challenging concrete pyramid. Luminaria Beachwalk and Floating Lights Parade, charity benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation follows at Elephant Butte State Park. Over 3,500 luminarias, boat and RV parade, campfires, Santa Claus, live Nativity scene, hayrides, caroling, hot chocolate, cider and posole. Awards ceremony and community Christmas follows, 9:30 p.m., Elephant Butte Inn. 894-3000/740-1777, xtreme@valornet.com, www.elephantbuttechamberofcommerce.com
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, walking maps online. torcgalleries@gmail.com, www.torcart.com
Greatest Hits of 2008 — 6-9 p.m. Opening reception for show, Dec. 1-Jan. 31, 2009. Featured artists include Moshe Koenick, Andrew Martinez, Bret, Joshua Frankel, Cecily Morganthaul, Roy Van Der Aa, Jeff Barbour, Josh Bond, Nick Peron, Al Harp, David Koch, R. Wm. Winkler, Nolan Winkler and Dan Bern. M Gallery, 406 Main St., 740-4526, www.moshekoenick.com
Christmas at El Camino Real — 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Merry-Achi Christmas, arts and crafts activities, Santa Claus. El Camino Real International Heritage Center, I-25 exit 115, 854-3600, elcaminoreal.org
Sunday 14
Silver City/Grant County
Eclectic Holiday Gift Market — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. See Dec. 12. Fiber Arts Center, 211 D N. Texas St.
Holiday Concert — 3 p.m. Hi Lo Silvers women's chorus. First Presbyterian Church, Swan St.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 2 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
NMSU Men's Aggies Basketball vs. UTEP — 2 p.m. Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Farmers and Crafts Market — 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mountain View Market, El Paseo & Idaho, 523-0436.
Passion and Power: The Technology of Orgasm — $4, $1 for Mesilla Valley Film Society members. 1:30 p.m. A delightful, even inspirational survey of the historical attitudes, treatments and controversies attending female orgasm — in particular, the vibrator. The fun mix of archival materials and interviewees make this brief feature hard to resist for non-prudes. Includes the case of Joanne Webb, a churchgoing Texas wife, mother and Chamber of Commerce member who earned some extra cash hosting Passion Parties. When she sold items to two undercover cops posing as a sexually dysfunctional married couple, she was arrested on obscenity charges. The movie takes a lighthearted view of the subject, and is unlikely to discomfort any but the most easily offended viewers. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287/522-0286.
Watercolor Society — 2 p.m. Brief business meeting followed by artists exchanging original watercolor paintings. Refreshments. Arts and Crafts Room, Good Sam's Retirement Home, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. 526-5374.
Monday 15
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Exhibit Opening — Elements from the Front Range Contemporary Quilters. 40 works by regional artists. On display through Feb. 8, 2009. Traditions Gallery, Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100, www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org
Tuesday 16
Silver City/Grant County
Farhad's Flamenco Farewell — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
FOL Book Sale — 9-10 a.m. members only, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. general public. Bonus book sale. 1510 Market St.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Descubra El Desierto — 7 p.m. "The Coming of the Civil War in New Mexico" by Dr. Dwight T. Pitcaithley, professor of history, NMSU. Museum of Natural History, Mesilla Valley Mall, 522-3120.
Wednesday 17
Silver City/Grant County
Trivia — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
NMSU Men's Aggies Basketball vs. Prairie View A&M — 7 p.m. Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Glenwood
The Cactus Christmas Tree — 7 p.m. Glenwood School play. Community Center.
Thursday 18
Silver City/Grant County
24th Annual Victorian Christmas — 4-9 p.m. Traditional decorations, music, hot mulled cider and holiday treats, in the spirit of an old-fashioned community celebration. Visitors are welcome and need not be dressed in clothing from the period to enjoy the evening. Silver City Museum, 312 W. Broadway, 538-5921.
A Cowboy Christmas — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Nutcracker — $15-$18. Thurs., Fri., Sat. 7 p.m., Sun. 2 p.m. Through Dec. 21. The classic chamber ballet. NMSU Pan American Center. 646-1420.
Live Music — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Friday 19
Silver City/Grant County
Gabriel Ayala — 7 p.m. Classical guitarist performs at Red Paint Powwow benefit concert. WNMU Fine Arts Center Theatre. 534-1379.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Noel! — $3 donation. 6:30 p.m. Discussion follows the movie. Swedenborgian church, 1302 Bennett St., 590-2979, www.southwestswedenborgians.com
The Gypsy Feet Band — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Wally Lawder, Solo Show — 6 p.m. Buckhorn Saloon, Pinos Altos, 538-9911.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 8 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
Christmas Lights Guided Night Walk — 5:30-8 p.m. Volkmarches Fitness Walk with Sun Country Striders. Trails West Senior Community Clubhouse. 523-7034.
In the Nick of Time — $5. 1-4 p.m. Also Dec. 20. Drop-in craft workshops to create holiday gifts and/or decorations. Painted tin ornaments, paper flowers, papel picado banners. All ages, children 6 years and under must be accompanied by an adult. Supplies, materials and instruction included. Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main, downtown mall, 541-2154, www.museums.las-cruces.org
Mr. Hulot's Holiday — Through Dec. 23. $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. One-of-a-kind film that chronicles the seaside resort vacation of M. Hulot, the goofy, accident-prone, pipe-smoking alter ego of director Jacques Tati. Tati was France's most treasured screen comedian, and this film is widely considered his masterpiece. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, www.fountaintheatre.org
Nutcracker — $15-$18. 7 p.m. Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 18. NMSU Pan American Center. 646-1420.
Traditional Posada — 7 p.m. Traditional celebration with Bishop Ricardo Ramirez with singing, pinata and hot chocolate. Downtown Mall. 524-9649.
Deming
Holiday Open House — 6-8 p.m. Caroling by Deming High School Chorus, raffle drawing, gift trees for needy children, canned and non-perishable goods collection. Gold Street Gallery, 100 S. Gold St.
Saturday 20
Silver City/Grant County
Black Tie at the Buffalo — $25, plus hors d'oeuvres offering. "Best of the Season" party to benefit the Mimbres Region Arts Council. Live music by Bad News Blues Band. Cash bar, must be 21. Buffalo Dance Hall, 211 N. Bullard. 538-2505, www.mimbresarts.org
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Mercado del Sol Indoor Holiday Sale — 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Gifts and art crafted by local artisans, music, food, door prizes and raffle to benefit Volunteer Center. Donate a non-perishable food item at the door and receive a free door prize ticket. Silco Theater, 311 N. Bullard St. 534-8285.
Nizhoni Pottery Studio Sale — 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Award-winning artist Romaine Begay's latest work. 3235 Little Walnut Road.
Rhythm Mystic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Wally Lawder and the Flying Coyotes — 6 p.m. Buckhorn Saloon, Pinos Altos, 538-9911.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
A Dickens Christmas Carol — Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 8 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
Animal Encounters — 4 p.m. Staff and volunteers available to answer questions about the animals. Nature Center residents on hand for your first snake experience or turtle adventure. Museum of Natural History, Mesilla Valley Mall, 522-3120.
Festive Family Fun — $20 per one child and adult, $5 additional children and adults. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Spend a fun-filled day at the museum with your child, ages 4-12, learning how different cultures have celebrated the winter holidays. Create imaginative decorations, take a musical trolley ride and hear stories about the past. BYO lunch. Pre-registration required. Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road, 522-4100, www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org
In the Nick of Time — $5. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. See Dec. 19. Drop-in craft workshops. Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main, downtown mall, 541-2154, www.museums.las-cruces.org
Joyeux Noel — $4, $1 for Mesilla Valley Film Society members. 1:30 p.m. Based on the true story of the World War I Christmas truce of 1914, two days when men laid down their arms, came out of their trenches, and celebrated the holiday together. As Christmas nears, the German command sends Christmas trees with lights and tinsel to their troops. The Scottish and French troops receive packages with liquor and trinkets. On Christmas Day, the commanders call an "official" truce to allow everyone to bury the dead. This accidentally allows for the opposing sides to mingle and for peace and understanding to reign, albeit temporarily. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287/522-0286.
NMSU Women's Aggies Basketball vs. UNM — 2 p.m. Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Nutcracker — $15-$18. 7 p.m. Through Dec. 21. See Dec. 18. NMSU Pan American Center. 646-1420.
Winter Nature Walk — 9 a.m. Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park. 524-3334.
Live Music — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Radium Springs
Stars-N-Parks Astronomy Program — $5. 6:10 p.m. Jupiter, Venus above Jupiter in Southwest, winter sky rising, Jeff Jenkins presenting. Leasburg Dam State Park. 527-8386/532-1486/678-4138, www.astro-npo.org, astronpo@wildblue.net
Sunday 21 HANNUKKAH BEGINS
Silver City/Grant County
Holiday Sing-Along — 2 p.m. Brandon Perrault. Silver City Museum, 312 W. Broadway, 538-5921.
Piano Bar with Dane Dexter — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
A Dickens Christmas Carol — See Dec. 5. $8, $7, $6, $5. 2 p.m. Las Cruces Community Theatre, 523-1200.
Festivity Celestial Sounds — Free. 1:30 p.m. Monthly meeting of the Las Cruces Art Association, with holiday entertainment. Open to the public. Good Samaritan Society, Las Cruces Village, 3011 Buena Vida Circle. 496-8834.
Nutcracker — $15-$18. 2 p.m. See Dec. 18. NMSU Pan American Center. 646-1420.
Sierra Club Hike — 9 a.m. $3 BLM fee. Fillmore Canyon in the Organ Mountains. Moderate, 8 miles, elevation gain. Meet on north side of Pan American Center parking lot. Bring food and water. 526-7116.
Monday 22
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Tuesday 23
No events listed for this date.
Wednesday 24 CHRISTMAS EVE
Silver City/Grant County
Christmas Eve — 12-8 p.m. Trivia, 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Christmas Eve on the Plaza — 5:30-7:30 p.m. Mesilla Singers choir leads in carol singing, candlelight vigil for public safety and military personnel, luminarias. Call to help light the 6,000 luminarias. 524-3262, ext. 116.
Thursday 25 CHRISTMAS DAY
No events listed
Friday 26 KWANZAA BEGINS
Silver City/Grant County
Scott van Linge and Friends — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Tell No One — Through Jan. 1. (Theater closed Dec. 31.) $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. Pediatrician Alexandre Beck still grieves the murder of his beloved wife Margot eight years earlier. When two bodies are found near the scene of the crime, the police reopen the case and Alex becomes a suspect again. The mystery deepens when Alex receives an anonymous e-mail with a link to a video clip that seems to suggest Margot is somehow still alive. The message says to "Tell No One." Based on Harlan Coben's bestselling thriller. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287, www.fountaintheatre.org
Saturday 27
Silver City/Grant County
Desert West Auction — Also Nov. 23. 10 a.m. Online and live auction. Come out and be part of the live auction or participate via Internet. See November 2008 Desert Exposure. 3870 N. Hwy. 35, Mimbres, 536-9357, www.desertwestauction.com
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.
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
Stringbeans — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Outrageous Fortune — $4, $1 for Mesilla Valley Film Society members. 1:30 p.m. Precedent-setting teamwork of comediennes Bette Midler and Shelley Long, the first female buddies ever to match wits with the CIA and the KGB and the no-good lout who done them wrong. They make a colossally madcap mismatch — natural adversaries who become best pals as they pursue their two-timing lover (Peter Coyote) from Manhattan to New Mexico. High-speed hi-jinks in high heels ensue. CineMatinee. Fountain Theatre, 2469 Calle de Guadalupe, 524-8287/522-0286.
Dusty Low — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Deming
Lindley Creek Bluegrass — $6. 2 p.m. Missouri-based group. Morgan Hall, 109 E. Pine St.
White Sands
Lake Lucero Tour — $3, 15 years and under free. 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Ranger-guided trip to White Sands National Monument's Lake Lucero, source of the white sands. Reservations required: 679-2599 or 479-6124, ext. 236.
Sunday 28
Silver City/Grant County
Desert West Auction — See Nov. 22. 10 a.m. Online and live auction. 3870 N. Hwy. 35, Mimbres, 536-9357, www.desertwestauction.com
Piano Bar with Dane Dexter — 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
NMSU Men's Aggies Basketball vs. Loyola Marymount — 1 p.m. Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Monday 29
Silver City/Grant County
Open Mic, Potluck and Jam — 6 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Tuesday 30
Silver City/Grant County
Potluck — 7:30 p.m. With music by Brandon Perrault and Rhythm Mystic. 7:30 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Las Cruces/Mesilla
NMSU Men's Aggies Basketball vs. UNM — 7:30 p.m. Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Wednesday 31 NEW YEAR'S EVE
Silver City/Grant County
The End — 5-10 p.m. Twisted Vine, 108 E. Broadway, 388-2828.
Deming
New Year's Eve Party — $6. 7 p.m. Dance the evening away, nibble on finger foods and sip bubbly. Morgan Hall, 109 E. Pine St.
Glenwood
World Healing Day — Donation. 4:45 a.m. Labyrinths will be lit with fairy lights. Meditate, walk a labyrinth, share with others celebrating World Healing Day. Whitewater Mesa Labyrinths. Second house on the left on Whitewater Mesa, past mile marker 3 on Hwy. 159 towards Mogollon, off Hwy. 180. 539-2868, cordelia@starband.net
JANUARY 2009
Thursday 1 NEW YEAR'S DAY
no events listed
Friday 2
Silver City/Grant County
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
Saturday 3
Silver City/Grant County
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.
WNMU Men's Basketball vs. Sul Ross State University — 3 p.m. Ben Altamirano Stadium. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
Soulshine — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Sunday 4
No events listed for this date.
Thursday 8
Silver City/Grant County
WNMU Women's Basketball vs. Metro State College — 6 p.m. Ben Altamirano Stadium. www.wnmumustangs.com
WNMU Men's Basketball vs. Metro State College — 8 p.m. Ben Altamirano Stadium. www.wnmumustangs.com
Las Cruces/Mesilla
NMSU Men's Aggies Basketball vs. Nevada — 7 p.m. Pan American Center. 646-1420/532-2060/(915) 544-8444.
Steve Smith — 8 p.m. High Desert Brewing, 1201 W. Hadley, 525-6752.
Friday 9
Silver City/Grant County
Santa Cruz River Band — 7:30 p.m. Xelebrated Southwestern troubadours, Ted Ramirez, Gilbert Brown and Michael J. Ronstadt. Mimbres Region Arts Council Folk Series. Pinos Altos Opera House, 538-2505, www.mimbresarts.org
Melodrama Theatre — 8 p.m. Pinos Altos Opera House, 388-3848.