Free Junior Ranger Day for Kids at Petroglyph
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To celebrate National Junior Ranger Day and National Park Week, Petroglyph National Monument hosts a day of free activities for kids on April 20, 2013, including see a wolf!
Pack a picnic lunch and take the family to join in the free events at Petroglyph National Monument Visitor Center this Saturday April 20 from 10 am to 3 pm. Here’s the Junior Ranger Day schedule:
- 10 am: See a live wolf with Wild Spirit Wolf Sanctuary
- 11 am: Safe solar viewing – I guess that’s the solar telescopes!
- 1 pm: See a raptor presentation
- 2 pm: String a shell necklace
Usually, all the participating children have received Junior Ranger awards too. I’ve no idea if that will be happening this year (there’s no mention of it) but we can hope so!
No reservations are needed, and there’s no fee to enter Petroglyph National Monument or to join in the activities. Call them at (505) 899-0205 x333 for any other info.
–Tania
Free Meet A Wolf
Meet a friendly wolf (or two!) on Sunday December 16, 2012.
This free wolf encounter event is one to note on your calendar for Sunday if you’re as fascinated as I am by these beautiful and mysterious beasts. Meet the real thing for yourself in a Wolf Meet and Greet presentation on December 16 at 12:30 pm at the Open Space Visitor Center.
Stephanie Kaylan of the Wanagi Wolf Fund will take at least two of her friendly wolves or wolf-dogs along. I know from experience that Stephanie is a very lively and interesting speaker on the subject of wolves and their relationship with humans. In fact, you can read my profile of her in a recent series I wrote of MSN.com Albuquerque Insider Profiles for their Re:Discover Albuquerque project.
The family-friendly event is free, although donations to the non-profit Wanagi Wolf Fund are welcome as this is a holiday fundraiser. There will also be a photo-op with Hokshila the timber wolf for a $10 donation (I think Bindi the wolf will be there too, but don’t hold me to that) and you can shop for wolf calendars, stocking stuffers and wolf-fur filled ornaments, plus buy raffle tickets, to be drawn straight after the presentation.
Arrive early to be sure of a seat at the beginning of the presentation, as late arrivals are not guaranteed admission.
Interesting note: Wanagi is Lakota for “The one who guards and protects the spirits of those who have passed onward.”
- When: Sunday December 16, 2012
- Time: 12:30 – 2 pm. Arrive promptly for the 12:30 start as late arrivals aren’t guaranteed admission.
- Where: Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center
- Price: Admission is FREE but donations to the Wanagi Wolf Fund and Rescue are very welcome.
Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center is located at 6500 Coors Boulevard NW. (East of Coors at the end of Bosque Meadows Road, between Montano Boulevard and Paseo del Norte.)
–Tania
Bugg Lights Christmas Display
December 4, 2012 by Tania
Filed under Attractions, Holiday Events, Kids
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The Bugg Lights Christmas Display twinkles on selected evenings until December 24, 2012.
Albuquerque’s traditional Christmas show of the Bugg Lights is free to visit through the holiday season, although it’s not open every evening – see the schedule below. The intricate display featuring animals and popular characters was originally created by the Bugg family (talk about one-upmanship on your holiday lights!) but has found a home for the last several years at Menaul School.
You can also see Santa Claus and enjoy festive entertainment with a different line-up of performers each evening including Sunset Mesa Choir, Dukes of Albuquerque, Bill Kent Brass Quintet, Holy Ghost Choir, Second Presbyterian Choir, United Methodist Church Choir, Folkorico Community Group, and more.
Although it’s free and open to all, you gotta bet your big black Santa boots that they do accept donations.
The Bugg Lights Christmas Display is on show on the evenings of:
- Friday December 7 and Saturday December 8, from sundown to 9 pm
- Thursday December 13 through Saturday December 15, from sundown to 9 pm
- Thursday December 20 through Sunday December 23, from sundown to 9 pm
- Christmas Eve, Monday December 24, from sundown to 11 pm.
The Bugg Lights Christmas Display is located at Menaul School, 301 Menaul Boulevard NE, just east of the Broadway intersection. Access the campus from the Menaul entrance.
–Tania
Return of the Sandhill Cranes Festival
The annual Return of the Sandhill Cranes celebration is back on November 17, 2012, offering plenty of free fun, including Tai Chi. (You do it with the cranes, although who knows if the cranes will join in?)
Albuquerque’s Return of the Sandhill Crane Celebration this weekend at the Open Space Visitor Center is mainly on Saturday November 17, although there are some activities on Sunday November 18 too. It’s a great opportunity to join with others to see the sandhill cranes traveling south for the winter. Whenever I see the large flocks of cranes migrating along the Rio Grande Valley I’m awed by their beauty and grace. I often want to fly away with them but I haven’t got the hang of that bit yet.
The free family event is not just about birdwatching through the viewing scopes, however. The line up includes:
- Tai Chi with the cranes
- Make origami cranes with the Albuquerque Origami Society
- Two performances of the musical Love in the Bosque by Phil Bock, about a romance between cranes who pass through Albuquerque along the Rio Grande. (Cute! They’re requesting advance reservations on 505-897-8831 for performances at 1:30 and 3 pm.)
- Storytelling and talks
- Guided nature walk
- See Wildlife Rescue birds (I always love that!)
- See the short film Waking Up Crane by Joanne Schmidt
- A Tin Punch Workshop for families, although registration is required. (The Open Space number is 505-897-8831)
- Kids’ activities
See the full Return of the Sandhill Crane Celebration schedule as some events only happen once. (And all events are subject to change.)
Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center is located at 6500 Coors Boulevard NW. (East of Coors at the end of Bosque Meadows Road, between Montano Boulevard and Paseo del Norte.)
–Tania
Free Urban Farm and Harvest Festival: September 16
They’re making hay while the sun shines at the annual Urban Farm and Harvest Festival at the Open Space Visitor Center on September 16, 2012. It’s a free event for all the family, and the festival at the 24-acre working farm and wildlife preserve celebrates urban farming and traditional local agriculture – and offers lots of free kids’ activities too!
The Albuquerque Urban Farm and Harvest Festival includes:
- Live music including the Tumbleweeds and Apple Mountain
- Hay bale rides
- A farm-themed kids’ costume parade (11 – 11:30 am)
- Magic, juggling, harvest games, and a kids’ art table
- Beekeepers and a presentation on beekeeping at 11:30 am and honey harvesting at 1 pm
- Live raptors from Wildlife Rescue (1:30 pm)
- The Home Farming Revolution Book signing and talk at 3 pm with authors Zoe Wilcox & Melanie Rubin
- Other workshops and demonstrations including a tin punch workshop, the history of food in New Mexico, water harvesting, and beneficial bugs!
I’ll be there with Mr Cheap, because he’s a “beneficial bug” and I’d love to find out more about him 
Well, also I love the Open Space Visitor Center, and I wrote about them and this event in a magazine article for Urban Farm magazine as well as for MSN.com, so I’m not going to miss this fifth annual festival!
They’ll also have green chile roasting, and local artisans and farmers will do their thang in the booths, including sales of local foods. It should be a lovely way to spend a Sunday, celebrating Albuquerque’s food and farming heritage.
See the full Urban Farm and Harvest Festival schedule.
- When: Sunday September 16, 2012
- Time: 10 am – 4 pm
- Where: Open Space Visitor Center
- Price: FREE!
Albuquerque Open Space Visitor Center is located at 6500 Coors Boulevard NW. (East of Coors at the end of Bosque Meadows Road, between Montano Boulevard and Paseo del Norte.)
–Tania
Civic Cinema Free: July 27
Enjoy an outdoor movie viewing experience like no other with Civic Cinema – films shown on a giant screen on the Downtown Civic Plaza! It’s a cool, fun, free family event, just like an old-fashioned drive-in, except it’s a walk-in.
The next City of Albuquerque Civic Cinema movie will be on Friday July 27 and the movie is Back to the Future. The free movie screening will start at darkness, at approximately 8:30 pm, but it’s wise to arrive early to nab your space. The city will provide seating, but you’re welcome to take your own blankets. Heck you can even take Fido, as long as he’s leashed.
After this movie, the final free Civic Cinema screening for 2012 will be on Friday August 3, so save the date!
Civic Cinema takes place at the Harry E. Kinney Civic Plaza in the heart of downtown Albuquerque.
–Tania
Bernalillo County Free Movies in the Park
June 22, 2012 by Tania
Filed under Art & Entertainment, Movies
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Here’s another free Albuquerque movies series this summer, making a great excuse for a picnic while watching family-friendly films.
Thanks to reader Eric for tipping me off to the Bernalillo County Free Movies in the Park 2012 series, on various Friday and Saturday evenings until August. (And also check out Eric’s cool Follow Eric blog, where he’s doing the 505 Project challenge to shop locally in Albuquerque for 30 days.)
The next free movie dates are:
July 27
July 28
August 4
August 10
August 11
August 17
However, the schedule may change, and the movies start at dusk at different locations each time, so check out the full Bernalillo County Free Movies in the Park program.
It’s fine to take blankets, lawn chairs, and coolers with a picnic, but no alcohol, and other beverages must be in a sealed (unopened) container. And of course all outdoor movies are weather-permitting.
For more outdoor movies this summer, see the earlier posts on:
Civic Cinema free movies in Albuquerque Civic Plaza
Rio Rancho free Movies Under the Stars (next one June 23!)
–Tania
Free Bee & Pollinator Celebration: June 23
Free honey tasting, meet the beekeepers, and learn all about making your garden bee-friendly, or even keeping bees yourself, on June 23, 2012.
Oh yes, it’s a free bee freebie!
So no, you don’t get free bees, but when you buzz down to the bee celebration and pollinator awareness day at the Open Space Visitor Center you do get to taste honey, see a bee hive, feed a butterfly, see and learn about pollinator-friendly plants you could grow in your garden, and meet Albuquerque beekeepers to find out how you could do it yourself. We’re told there will be children’s activities, and (at 3 pm) a screening of the film Queen of the Sun about why bees are disappearing.
- When: Saturday June 23, 2012
- Time: 10 am to 5 pm
- Where: Open Space Visitor Center (see the full schedule at the link)
- Cost: Free!
This is part of New Mexico Pollinator Week, an initiative to raise awareness of pollinator species vital to our food systems and economy. We love the bees here at Albuquerque on the Cheap, so kudos to all, including the Albuquerque Beekeepers Group which is a great resource for anyone interested in urban beekeeping.
Open Space Visitor Center is located at 6500 Coors Boulevard NW (between Montano and Paseo del Norte).
–Tania
Albuquerque Coop and Garden Tour: June 9-10
The Albuquerque Coop and Garden Tour 2012 offers inspiration to grow your own backyard edibles and keep chickens. But even if you aren’t ready to take the plunge into poultry-rearing just yet, this free tour looks like a fun way to get outside this weekend!
The Albuquerque Coop and Garden Tour tour was established in 2008 as a celebration of backyard gardens, city chickens, community food efforts, school gardens and anything else connected to growing food and sustainable gardens in the city.
Join the city-wide tour to see a range of gardens open to the public for the event, most of which contain chickens. I reckon kids will love it! And if you’re interested in gardening or keeping chickens yourself, there will be people around to share information about urban farming and coop design.
- When: Saturday June 9 and Sunday June 10, 2012
- Time: 10 am to 2 pm
- Price: Free and open to all!
Check out the Albuquerque Coop and Garden Tour map for all the stops. At time of writing, it works like this: On Saturday June 9, the tour will be only at the map stops north of Central Avenue, on Sunday June 10 only at stops south of Central.
–Tania
Free Films on Civic Plaza: Civic Cinema
Enjoy an outdoor movie viewing experience like no other with Civic Cinema – films shown on a giant screen on the Downtown Civic Plaza! It’s a cool, fun, free family event, just like an old-fashioned drive-in, except it’s a walk-in.
The City of AlbuquerqueCivic Cinema for the 2012 season runs on this evenings:
- Friday June 1 – UPDATE: the movie is Jaws.
- Friday July 27 – UPDATE: The movie is Back to the Future at 8:30 pm.
- Friday August 3
The free movie screening will start at darkness, but it’s wise to arrive early to nab your space. The city will provide seating, but you’re welcome to take your own blankets. Heck you can even take Fido, as long as he’s leashed.
Civic Cinema takes place at the Harry E. Kinney Civic Plaza in the heart of downtown Albuquerque.
–Tania
