D e s e r t E x p o s u r e
August 2010
The To-Do List
August occasions.
Fun for good causes: Some familiar Grant County institutions celebrate red-letter days this month. The Town and Country Garden Club will be holding a Customer Appreciation Day on August 14 at its downtown Thrift Shop as part of celebrating 50 years in Silver City. And on August 24, members will model clothes purchased at the shop in a fashion show and salad potluck at Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. Founded on Feb. 9, 1960, the club's stated objective has always been "to stimulate the knowledge and love of horticulture among amateur gardeners, to encourage the keeping of the laws of conservation of our native plant material and to aid in all civic projects of beautification." The club determined its main focus would be what's now Memory Lane Cemetery. Other charitable projects have ranged from fighting litter to helping Habitat for Humanity, from a botany scholarship at WNMU to supporting veterans.
On August 14-15, the historic St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church invites folks to Gough Park for an Old West Fiesta. The fun includes live music, bingo, food, arts and crafts, a cake walk, ice cream, roping, train rides, a dime toss, face painting and a raffle. The church was founded in 1874 by Father Rueullan, who came from Brittany, France, to what was then the Wild West and chose the site on which today's structure, completed in 1876, still stands.
And August 21 marks the 144th birthday of Fort Bayard. You can celebrate with a guided walking tour that concludes with a visit to the 1911 Commanding Officer's home/museum. Pete Kennedy will perform cowboy poetry, while local rancher Deily Crumbly talks about the history of Grant County ranching.
Not quite such an institution, but getting there, the Southwest Activities Network Society (better known simply as "SWANS") holds its annual dinner and art auction this month, also on August 21.
Everything's ducky: Summer can't end without the annual Great American Duck Race in Deming, August 26-29. This year's theme is pirates, and if you can imagine how the creative minds behind the duck race could possibly combine swashbuckling with racing fowl, well, just wait. Before the feathers start flying, check out the complete schedule in our events listings.
The Copper Country Cruizers Car Show is getting to be another late-summer tradition. This year's show, August 20-21, gets going with oldies music--and, of course, cars--on Friday night, then continues with a free car show at Gough Park on Saturday. And all those cool-looking cars you'll see "cruizing" downtown — yup, that'll be them.
Speaking of downtown Silver City, you can put in your two cents' worth on August 31 at the Downtown Action Plan Community Open House. The confabbing takes place at the historic Silco Theater — downtown, naturally.
Breaking a sweat: The actively inclined can get off your duffs this month with two big sweat-inducing events. On August 14, it's the Signal Peak Downhill Challenge, biking through the Gila National Forest. Then on August 28, the Boston Hill Half-Marathon foots a 3.1-mile race on Silver City's favorite sun-baked, hard-rock trail system. For the less-athletically ambitious, there will also be quarter-marathon and relay options. Us? We get winded just thinking about it.
We'll be breaking a sweat instead from the hot flavors at Las Cruces' Second Annual MainStreet SalsaFest on August 29. According to Emma Johnson-Ortiz, Salsa Competition Chair, both commercial and amateur salsa makers are invited to enter (for info, call 525-1955 or e-mail downtown@dlcp.org). "Salsa chefs from as far north as Santa Fe are applying to participate," she says. "This year we hope to see teams competing business to business, families, restaurants, chile growers, non-profits and even contestants from White Sands Missile Range." Tasters may vote for their favorite salsa by purchasing a $3 wristband. There's also dancing from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. with the Sobradosis del Sabor band, salsa dance lessons and a dance competition at 3 p.m.
Bluegrass in the City Different: Finally, if you're up north in the Land of Enchantment, August 27-29 once again brings the Santa Fe Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival. See www.southwestpickers.org for performers and complete schedule. The pickin' and strummin' runs 7-10 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. It all takes place at the Santa Fe County Fairgrounds, 3229 Rodeo Road. As always, if you go, tell 'em Desert Exposure sent you!