D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
June 2010
The To-Do List
Tuning in to summer.
ANNUAL PLEASURES:
STAGE SPECIALSJune is traditionally a quiet month in our corner of the Land of Enchantment, as the mercury climbs and folks wait for the monsoons. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to do. For starters, the Ambank Wild Wild West Pro Rodeo continues through June 4 at the Southwest Horseman's Rodeo Grounds in Silver City. And that Wild West spirit carries over to June 5, when Cowboy Days takes over the town's Gough Park.
If your tastes are a bit more sedate, the afternoon of June 6 offers both the Evergreen Garden Club Annual Garden Tour and the 24 Club Historic Home Tour. We're betting that with some savvy map-reading and route planning, you could take in both.
And just because most of the early-summer festivals center on Memorial Day, don't think the fun's all over. June 5 is also the date for the WCC&D 26th Annual Fiesta. A parade, BBQ dinner, craft fair and flea market, cow chip poker, climbing wall, games for kids of all ages and western dance to the music of Cactus Flats will make the day worth the drive to Winston. What's WCC&D, you ask? That's short for Winston, Chloride, Chiz and Dusty, the charming little towns that cluster west of T or C.
This month has its share of concert and theatrical entertainment, too, starting with two performances by local singer-songwriter-made-good Ana Egge. She's back home on June 10 at Living Art Studio in the Mimbres and then June 11 at the Opera House in Pinos Altos. Lucinda Williams calls Egge "the folk Nina Simone," while Shawn Colvin says, "Ana has the rare gift of being so eloquent and simple that she takes your breath away."
June 11 is also the premiere of the Virus Theater's production of Shakespeare's The Tempest. It runs through June 26 at the Wherehouse in Silver City. That same day starts the run of Joseph and His Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Las Cruces Community Theatre, through June 27.
Then June 16 brings LUEY, short for "Let Us Entertain You," a performance by Theatre Group New Mexico's Young Entertainers on Stage Summer Camp. It's at the WNMU Fine Arts Center Theater and it's free.
HAITI AND THE HEAVENS:
To feast your eyes and feed your soul, two special Silver City events — both free — deserve big circles on your calendar. On June 3, local physician Dr. Fred Fox shares his first-hand experiences on a medical aid mission to Haiti with a narrated photo-essay program, A Silver City Doctor in Haiti. Sponsored by the Western Institute for Lifelong Learning (WILL), it's at the WNMU Global Resource Center.
On June 12, the Silver City Astronomical Society holds its first public first public Star Party at the golf course. Note the special instructions to preserve night vision included in our writeup in this month's calendar, then go do some gazing.