D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
July 2010
The To-Do List
Declare your independence from boredom!
Star-Spangled Celebrations: Sometimes it seems there's nothing to do in Southwest New Mexico in the sweltering summer except wait for the monsoons. But this month's events calendar proves otherwise. Start, naturally, with Independence Day celebrations, which this year stretch over two days since July 4 is a Sunday. (Three days, actually, since Monday is the federal holiday.)
The fun even starts on Friday, July 2, with a special family-focused First Friday in downtown Silver City. Shops and galleries will be open late as usual, but families strolling downtown can also enjoy the Monsoon Puppets and live music.
The extended Independence Day weekend means you can celebrate in Silver City on July 3, taking in the popular downtown parade and then the festivities in Gough Park and the Ice-Cream Social at the Silver City Museum. Plus you can still catch the fireworks in Las Cruces on July 4, with entertainment by country music singer Clay Walker. Or head for Mesilla, where the fireworks are preceded by a pops concert by the New Horizons Symphony.
When making Independence Day weekend plans, don't overlook the charming (and cooler) mountain town of Glenwood, whose Back with a Bang celebration promises two full days of patriotic fun. Saturday features the Cowbelles' annual barbecue, a Western art auction and dancing to the Yarbrough Family Band. Then Sunday brings live music with Dee Ford and Friends, followed by fireworks at dusk.
If heavy metal is more your style, don't miss the sonic fireworks at the 1st Annual Silver City Metal Fest at The Drifter on July 3 Performers include Mortis Messor, SFP, Pray Among Wolves and Krysis.
More Hot Stuff: The fun's not done after the 4th, however. On July 23, A Delicate Balance opens the No Strings Theatre Company's 10th season at the Black Box Theatre in Las Cruces. Edward Albee won a Pulitzer Prize in 1967 for this play about friendship, loyalty and family ties. It's directed by Ceil Herman and stars Wynne Broms, Carmen Call, David Edwards, Cindy Murrell, Katie Richardson and Jeff Peckham. Performances run through Aug. 8.
The Hummingbird Festival returns to Lake Roberts on July 24-25, this year based at the Breathe Inn Lodge. Besides hummingbird banding, local artists, crafters and other vendors will have their wares for sale. Buzz on up, and tell 'em Desert Exposure sent you.