December 2024 NM History & Culture Opportunities

The Albuquerque Historical Society & the Historical Society of NM

Encourage your participation in the following history & cultural events:

DECEMBER 11-15 — 35TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF CRANES, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, south of Socorro and the Socorro Convention Center. Includes some 85 workshops, hikes, tours, photography expo and more. Registration Fees, Information and schedule at FriendsofBosquedelApache.org.

GREAT HOLIDAY GIFTS – BUY YEARLY PASSES AT VARIOUS LOCAL MUSEUMS & CULTURAL CENTERS. Most museums have special prices for family, military, and seniors.

THE ALBUQUERQUE HISTORICAL SOCIETY takes a December break and returns January 19. Free parking & free admission to the ABQ Museum in Old Town. albuqhistsoc.org.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEW MEXICO. New Mexico became the 47th state on January 6, 1912. Read about it, https://newmexicohistory.org/nm-journey-to-become-a-state/. Visit – NewMexicoHistory.org to view thousands of entries: photos, videos, podcasts, Timelines for the five periods of NM History & More! The New Mexico State Historian Rob Martinez can be reached at 505-476-7911.

ART PROJECTS, GAMES, BIRDS & NATURE STUDY, CONCERTS, CAREER EXPLORATION, COMPUTER TRAINING, COOKING, & MORE – ACTIVITIES FOR ALL AGES AT THE BRANCHES OF THE ABC LIBRARY SYSTEM, Go to abqlibrary.org to review listing by location, days and times! Be sure to look for all kinds of free family & children’s activities.

Guided hikes at Piedras Marcadas Canyon starting at 10 am, Thursday, December 5,12,19,26. These hikes are 1.5 miles total in length with little to no elevation gain. There are no amenities in the Piedras Marcadas Canyon parking lot. Bring water with you and dress for the weather. Located at 9501 Golf Course Rd NW in Albuquerque. Double check for unexpected closures. Call 899-0205.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument ranger led hikes at 11 am. Saturdays at Abo and Sundays at Quarai. More information at nps.gov/sapu/planyourvisit. or Call 847-2585 X 221.

Hundreds more events detailed at AbqToDo.com.

DECEMBER 4, 12 noon by Zoom, free. Retired journalist & editor Jack McElroy speaks on “Carl Magee, The Editor who cracked the Teapot Dome, Shot a Judge and Invented the Parking Meter”. Learn about this part of NM history from the late 1800s. NM History Museum Friends of History. Go to the website FriendsofHistoryNM.org/lecture-series/ to watch this and the past lectures on their YouTube channel.

DECEMBER 6, 5-8 pm, free. ALBUQUERQUE ARTS CRAWL, artscrawlabq.org. Open house at various art galleries around ABQ, meet and visit with artists in person.

DECEMBER 6/7, 9-4 pm, free. Craft Fair with over 60 vendors. Also holiday cactus and poinsettias for sale. ABQ Garden Center, 10120 Lomas NE.

DECEMBER 6, free. Begins at 5:30 pm at the UNM Bookstore. UNM traditional “Hanging of the Greens“. Enjoy some 10,000 farolitos on the UNM campus. Carolers lead the way to the president’s house then conclude at Hodgin Hall for refreshments.More information at 505-277-4706 or sac@unm.edu.

DECEMBER 6, 5-9pm, free. Old Town Holiday Stroll. Christmas tree lighting at 6pm. Streets around Old Town closed at 3 pm. Carolers, musicians, dancers. Stores open with festive decorations.

DECEMBER 6, 5-9 pm, free. Albuquerque Art Walk– Various activities along Central downtown.

DECEMBER 7   PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY, remembering the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor at the beginning of WW II.

DECEMBER 7, 9-12 noon. Come help clean up Historic Fairview Cemetery, 700 Yale SE. Wear hard soled shoes and bring your own tools. Garbage bags provided. The cemetery is open dawn to dusk and accessible through the gates of Fairview Memorial Park. www.HistoricFairviewCemeteryABQ.org or Facebook.com/The communityofHistoricFairviewCemetery. “Where the Past meets the Present”.

DECEMBER 7, 5-9 pm, $7 adults. Winter Letters & Farolitos Tour …. interactive, interpretive experience at Bosque Redondo Memorial in Fort Sumner, NM. Learn about the winter months of the 1860s when the Navajo & Mescalero people were incarcerated at Ft. Sumner. Over 1,000 farolitos will be on the trail.More info at 575-355-2573 or nmhistoricsites.org>bosque-redondo.

DECEMBER 7, 2-4 pm, free. Make holiday trees from old paperback books. All materials provided. Juan Tabo Library, 3407 Juan Tabo Blvd. NE, 291-6260.

DECEMBER 7, 2-6 pm, free. “Holiday Stroll” market with numerous vendors and food trucks. Winrock Park at east end of shopping center.

DECEMBER 7, 10-11:30 am, 2 pm, free. Christmas Celebration with the Enchantment Handbell Choir and pictures with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Enjoy biscochitos, cider and cocoa. Martha Liebert Library in Bernalillo, 145 Calle Malinche, 867-1440.

NOVEMBER 7/14/21, free. 10AM, free.  Guided hike (1.5 miles) in Piedras Marcadas Canyon unit of Petroglyph National Monument. Bring plenty of water.  9501 Golf Course Rd. NW.

DECEMBER 7, 1-3 pm, free. “Constructive Conversation with Maylor Keller-Learn ABQ’s efforts related to homelessness and housing including reports on the Gateway Center and the Community Safety Dept.  Repeats Dec. 11, 6-8pm, Bear Canyon Senior Center and Dec. 12, 6-8 pm, Westgate Community Center. Reserve seat at cabq.gov/connectABQ. More information 311.

DECEMBER 7, 2-3 pm, free. New Mexico Women’s Chorus sings at Tramway Lomas Library, 908 Eastridge NE.

DECEMBER 7, 2-3 pm, free. Sandia Mountain Dulcimers: Sweet Sounds of History. East Mountains Library, 487 NM highway 333(old 66) Tijeras.

DECEMBER 7, 8-11 AM, free. Bosque Wild Hike. Open Space Visitor Center, 6400 Coors Blvd. NW.

DECEMBER 7, 5-7 pm, free. South Broadway Cultural Center opens exhibit of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the community altar. On view through Dec. 28. Contact tlenti@cabq.gov or 768-2000. SBCC 1025 Broadway SE.

DECEMBER 7, 4-5:30 pm, free. Sunset Hike in the Bosque. Open Space Visitor Center, 6400 Coors NW. 505-768-4951

DECEMBER 7/8, 12 noon, fee. Cultural dances, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. indianpueblo.org.

DECEMBER 8, 3 pm, free. Albuquerque Concert Band performs a concert of holiday music, KiMo Theater, 5th & Central NW. More information at abqband.org>concerts.

DECEMBER 9-16, various times, free. Come celebrate the birthday of author Jane Austen at Cherry Hills Library 6901 Barstow @ Harper. 

December 8, 2-3 pm, New Mexico Women’s Chorus. Cherry Hills Library.

DECEMBER 8, 12 noon, annual luncheon. Father Juan Romero speaks about the History of the Duran Chapel in Talpa. Taos County Historical Society. Kit Carson Board Room, 118 Cruz Alta Rd. Information at TaosCountyHistoricalSociety.org. More information from Ernestine Cordova, cordova@newmex.com or call 575-7700681.

DECEMBER 7/8 10am-4pm, free. Native American Portal Youth Winter Show under the portal of the Palace of the Governors. NM History Museum.

DECEMBER 8, 1-4 pm, free. Holiday Open House for the  Sandoval County Historical Society & Museum.  Music by Candy Wiggins Lopez & friends, tour the exhibits. Complimentary green chile stew and posole while it lasts. 161 Homestead Lane, located between the Santa Ana Star Casino and Coronado Historic Site, just north of 550, turn at the dirt road by the IHOP. SandovalHistory.org. 505-867-2755.

DECEMBER 9, 11:30am, free.  Albuquerque Press Women & Friends. Cyndy McCrossen from the ABQ Film Office speaks about “projects and programs to promote local film labor and screen artists”. In-person at Weck’s Restaurant, 7301 Paseo del Norte NE.  (You may purchase food/beverage.) More info from lockettabq@comcast.net. Sponsored by Albuquerque Press Women and Friends

DECEMBER 10, 6 pm, free. Las Posadas at the historic San Ysidro Church in Corrales. The bilingual Spanish Choir from San Ysidro Church presents. More info at CorralesHistory.org.

DECEMBER 11, 6-7 pm, free. Enjoy the unique music of Laurianne Fiorentino and Michael Kott. Includes flute, harmonica and electro-cello bringing to life the Periodic Table. Come see and learn. Erna Fergusson Library, 3700 San Mateo NE, 888-8100.

DECEMBER 12, POJAQUE PUEBLO feast day.

DECEMBER 12, 7-8:15 PM, free. First annual Luminito Celebration. Enjoy the giant metal 20′ luminito. Go on the flashlight story walk of Rudolfo Anaya’s children’s story “Farolitos”. Also with matachine dancers, music, food truck. More information at National Hispanic Cultural Center, nhccnm.org.

DECEMBER 13/14, $7 adults. Lights of Gisewa at Jemez Historic Site. Presented by Friends of Jemez and Coronado Historic Sites. Bonfires, farolitos, pueblo food, music and dancing. More information at CoronadoJemezFriends.org.

DECEMBER 14, 10:30-12 noon, free. Around the Campfire with Smokey Bear and Stories of NM Forests. Special Collections Library, Edith and Central NE. Watch for parking restrictions around the Library.

DECEMBER 14, 3-4 pm, free. Holiday Dulcimers program of music. International District Library, 7601 Central NE.

DECEMBER 14, 5 pm, free. Twinkle Light Parade down Central from Washington to Girard. Streets close at 3pm. Come early to shop and eat. More info at cultureabq@cabq.gov or 768-3556.

DECEMBER 14, 10am-5pm, free. Belen Christmas Craft Fair on Becker Street with 6pm “Miracle on  Main Street” Holiday Parade.

DECEMBER 14, 7:30 pm, free. Belen Harvey House hosts the Young at Heart Choir (follows Belen parade). 104 N. 1st St. In Belen next to the railroad tracks.

DECEMBER 14, 10 am-4pm, free. Regular monthly book sale by the Friends of the ABQ BernCo Public Library. Main branch, 5th & Copper NW. Two hour free parking across the street at the City garage. Bring your ticket in to be stamped

DECEMBER 14, 9am-2pm, free. Make a “seed mandala” to feed birds all winter and celebrate winter solstice. Open Space Visitor Center. ContactDionne Epps, 768-4960 or depps@cabq.gov.

DECEMBER 14/15, 9am-4pm, free. Annual Festival of the Nativities, view almost 100 nativity sets from across the world. Old San Ysidro Church. More info corralesHistory.org.

DECEMBER 14/15, 11am-4pm. Old Town Cookie Crawl. Buy a collectible cookie tin for $10 then fill it with complimentary cookies from various merchants.

DECEMBER 14/15, 12 noon, fee. Cultural dances, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. indianpueblo.org. 2401 12th St. NW

DECEMBER 15, 5:30-7:30 pm, free. Wear “Victorian period” clothing and Celebrate the birthday of author Jane Austen at a “Dancing Ball”. Enjoy tea, dancing and parlor games. Cherry Hills Library.

DECEMBER 15, 2pm, free. The Young Voices from Santa Fe Opera sings. Placitas Community Library. Music relates to holidays of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa. 453 Highway 165 in Placitas. Or call 505-867-3355

DECEMBER 15, 10am, RSVP at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church  820 Broadway SE, 243-5201. 100th anniversary of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast. Mass celebrated by Archbishop John Wester followed by reception & procession.

DECEMBER BREAK, The Albuquerque Historical Society takes a December break and will meet again January 19, 2025.Free parking & free admission to the ABQ Museum in Old Town. albuqhistsoc.org.

DECEMBER 17 – JANUARY 5, free in the lobby of the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. See the spectacular “pueblo New Mexico style” gingerbread houses. 2401 12thSt. NW

DECEMBER 18, 5:30-7 pm, free. Wrap & Roll for ages 13 & up. Come wrap Gifts. Wrapping paper and all equipment provided.Pat Baca Library at Central & Unser NW.

DECEMBER 18, 12 noon, virtual or in-person. Los Pastores, Las Posadas & the Christmas Pageants of New Mexico given by Deputy State Historian Nicolasa Chavez and state arhives director Jonathan Pringle. State Records Center, Pinon Room, 1205 Camino Carlos Rey in Santa Fe.  Get link from Nicolasa.chavez@scra.nm.gov. More info at NewMexicoHistory.org, Office of the State Historian.

DECEMBER 21, 9-11 am, free. Wheels Museum celebrates the Holidays. Contact 505-243-6269 or info@WheelsMuseum.com, leba4@aol.com, 1100 2ndSt. SW.

DECEMBER 21, 6-9 pm, free. Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, Luminaria Walk and Star Party. Enjoy the luminarias at the Visitor Center and watch stars with the ABQ Astronomical Society, 7851 2nd St. SW. More info at 505-248-6667 or valledeoro@fws.gov.

DECEMBER 21, Winter Solstice, shortest day of light of the year.

DECEMBER 21/22, 12 noon, fee. Cultural dances, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. indianpueblo.org.

DECEMBER 23 Winter break begins for APS, students return Jan. 7, 2025.

DECEMBER 25, OBSERVATION of Christmas

DECEMBER 25, HANUKKAH BEGINS and continues through 1/2/25.

DECEMBER 26-, KWANZAA begins. Weeklong Celebration of African-American culture and themes of unity, creativity, faith and giving.

DECEMBER 27, 10am-12 noon, free. Candelaria Nature Preserve Hike. Meet at the west end of Arbor Rd, west of Rio Grande Blvd. Must register at play.cabq.gov.

DECEMBER 27/28, 12 noon, fee. Cultural dances, Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. indianpueblo.org.

DECEMBER 31, 10:30am-1pm, free. Come make a New Year’s Eve Party Hat. All materials provided. Patrick Baca Library, 8081 Central Ave at Unser NW.

DECEMBER 31, 11am, free. Early New Year’s Eve party at the Taylor Ranch Library, 5700 Bogart NW at Unser.

DECEMBER 31, free. Special Collections Library celebrates early New Year’s Eve with movie The Poseidon Adventure. 423 Central NE at Edith. Watch for parking restrictions on surrounding streets.

DECEMBER 31, 10 am-1pm, FREE. “New Year’s Eve Before Dark” at ABQ Museum. Exhibits open, music and more. Call 311 for more information.

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument near Mountainair.  Contact Natalia Sanchez Hernandez for more info. Call 505-847-2585, ext. 221.

NATIVE DANCERS AT INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER WINTER SCHEDULE: SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS, 12 NOON. HUNDREDS MORE EVENTS LISTED ON ABQTODO.COM

Randall Davey Audubon Center and sanctuary, 1800 Upper Canyon Rd. in Santa Fe. Tour the gardens and historic Randall Davey house. Fridays @ 2 pm are docent led house tours, $5. Saturdays @8:30 am are guided bird walk. More info at RandallDavey.audubon.org. Monday – Saturday, 8am-4pm.

The historic court case involving Isleta pueblo member Miguel Trujillo and voting rights for Native Americans. To request traveling exhibit contact tasneem.bsaies@dca.nm.gov. There is a six part podcast available at podcast.nmculture.org

INDIAN EDUCATION AT UNM, iaie.unm.edu. Watch several previously recorded programs about Native American education, the Dine language and more.

HISTORIC SANTA FE FOUNDATION (historicSantaFe.org) offers many free programs to watch: Ron Duncan Hart speaking on the Early Jews in NM; Rob Martinez – The Enduring Hispanic Music of NM.

The Wheels Museum, 1100 2nd St. SW. Monday -Thursday, 9 am-12 noon, Sat. 12 noon-2pm. Call first to confirm, 243-6269 or info@wheelsmuseum.org

MURALS OF ALBUQUERQUE (www.murosabq.com) This shows over 130 murals in the ABQ metro area. You click on each picture and it shows the mural, gives its title and address, describes the image, and the artists.

ONLINE TOUR OF THE 15 HISTORIC MURALS AT THE INDIAN PUEBLO CULTURAL CENTER The tour gives details  of the artist and the dance or ritual illustrated in the mural. https://indianpueblo.org/pueblos-pigments-and-prominence-the-murals-of-ipcc/

Cibola County History Museum, 525 West High St., Grants NM. Go to the museum’s Facebook page for more information.

NUCLEAR MUSEUM – The Museum has a huge collection of oral history interviews (also transcribed) called Voices of the Manhattan Project. There are some 600 interviews of individuals who were either at the Manhattan Project or a family member who worked there. The  interviews are organized into 39 categories such as: Internment of Japanese Americans, Life in the Secret cities,  Hispanic employees, Native American. https://www.nuclearmuseum.org/educate/atomic-heritage-foundation  https://www.manhattanprojectvoices.org/

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Historic Fairview Cemetery, 700 Yale SE. invites anyone to come and hoe tumbleweeds and goat heads. The cemetery is open dawn to dusk and accessible through the gates of Fairview Memorial Park. Wear hard soled shoes & bring your own tools. www.HistoricFairviewCemeteryABQ.org or Facebook.com/HistoricFairviewCemetery. “Where the Past meets the Present.

AMAZING HISTORY / CULTURE OPPORTUNITIES ONLINE

Many of the museums and cultural centers in the ABQ metro area have put programming on their websites, Facebook pages or YouTube links. This includes everything from:

  • concerts, history lectures, video tours of various museum collections,
  • photograph pod casts, curriculum and study guides for children, audio interviews,

All of this is free and even “low tech” individuals can navigate these websites. There are YouTube channels available at no cost to watch to all. You are urged to explore many websites but especially these:

  • CORONADO HISTORIC SITE – Watch numerous programs from the website of the Friends of Coronado Historic Site. Kuaua.org/presentations. All info on their website.
  • NEW MEXICO HISTORY IN TEN MINUTES (newmexicohistory.org) On the home page, go to the bottom and click on Video of the Month. The entire list of episodes will appear by clicking on the corner of the video. NM State Historian Rob Martinez is most engaging and informative and there are more than 40 Episodes. The episodes may be heard in chronological order or by topic which is introduced in the first minute or so of the episode.
  • CIVIC AUDITORIUM HISTORY VIDEO (1957-1986) www.modernabq.org. Go to the Resources Tab, then the drop down to the three Civic Auditorium videos. They tell the story of the structure: why it was built, how it was used and why it was ultimately demolished.
  • HOLOCAUST MUSEUM and GELLERT EDUCATION CENTER NM, 616 Central SW. Go to the website nmholocaustmuseum.org. Questions call 247-0606.
  • ALBUQUERQUE OASIS LIFELONG LEARNING PRESENTS VARIOUS NM TOPICS www.albuquerque.oasisnet.org  or 884-4529.

ALBUQUERQUE HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARCHIVED VIDEO PROGRAMS

The Albuquerque Historical Society provides videos of scheduled program presentations. The videos are linked from the appropriate AHS Program pages. Presentations captured on videos to date include: