NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from October 18-24. Albuquerque October 18-19 The Show – Albuquerque's longest-running comedy show happens every Friday and Saturday at 9:00 p.m. Tickets are $12. October 19 Downtown Growers' Market – This happens every Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to noon at Robinson Park. October 19 Trunk or Treat – Celebrate spooky season from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church. October 19 Drive-Up Vaccination & Microchip Clinic – This clinic is hosted by Watermelon Mountain Ranch Animal Center. It runs from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Cottonwood Mall. October 19-20 Harvest Festival at Big Jim Farms – Enjoy a pumpkin patch, live music, workshops, and family activities. Runs from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. October 19-20 Maize Maze Fall Festival – This event at the Rio Grande Community Farm runs from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. October 20 Duke City Marathon – With age groups from 0 to over 90 years old, there's a walk or run for everybody. Opening ceremonies begin at 6:45 a.m. Register online. October 20 Super Hero Day at the Rail Yards – This event at the Rail Yards Market goes from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. October 20 Fiestas de Barelas 2024 – There will be free dance performances, music, and free food in Barelas from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. October 24 Ancora and Albuquerque's Songwriter's Cooperative Open Mic – Every Thursday night at Ancora Cafe and Bakery, try your hand at performing some of your own music. Begins at 5:00 p.m. New Mexico October 18 Pokemon Club – Come play and trade Pokemon Cards from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at Popolo's Games in Taos. October 18-20 Silver City Community Film Festival – The inaugural film festival will take place at 311 N. Bullard St. at 5:00 p.m. Friday. October 19 2024 Silver City Farmers' Market – The market at 1120 N. Main St. in Silver City begins at 9:00 a.m. to noon. October 19 3rd Annual Mummy 5K Run & Walk – This event begins at 8:00 a.m. at the Gallup Municipal Fox Run Golf Course. Register online. October 19 Farmer's Market in Alamogordo – Check out offerings from local farmers, crafters, bakers, and more from Otero County. Runs from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. October 19 Santa Fe International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award – Bryan Cranston receives the SFIFF Lifetime Achievement Award followed by a showing of the movie Trumbo. October 19-20 2024 Las Cruces Air & Space Expo – This family-friendly event is from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days. October 20 Sunday Chess Club – Meet at Popolo's Games in Taos beginning at 1:00 p.m. This free event is all ages. October 21 Mask Making Workshop – This event at Meow Wolf Santa Fe begins at 4:00 p.m. Workshop is free. October 22 Swing on the Plaza – The free swing dance lesson begins at 7:00 p.m. at the Plaza De Las Cruces. Open dance follows at 8:00 p.m. Albuquerque Notices 🔶 APS looking into calendar year options including pushing start of school year back – It comes after years of complaints from parents, especially over hot classrooms at the beginning of the year. 🔶 Break-ins at vacant 'for sale' homes have Albuquerque brokers and realtors concerned – Albuquerque police are aware that vacant homes are targets for break-ins. APD recommends that if someone is selling their home to check back on it frequently or to have someone stay in the home that they can trust. 🔶 Albuquerque officials explain why it's taking months to replace broken trash bins – As many as three thousand people a month are asking the City of Albuquerque's Solid Waste Department to replace their trash bins, but over the summer, the city has been struggling to meet that demand while facing a limited stock of new bins streaming in. 🔶 Registration underway for Toys for Tots – The charity, spearheaded by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, provides holiday presents for local kids in need. This year, families with children 14 years old or younger can sign up. Registration will be open through December 8 and can be done online. 🔶 Project linking Sawmill Market to Rail Trail in Albuquerque to begin next week – The new streetscape will add traffic calming measures, new storm and sewer drainage, more parking, and additional lighting. The city said the $10 million project is expected to take a year and two months. 🔶 ABQ BioPark's Asia exhibit awarded for excellence in design – The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has presented the zoo with its prestigious Exhibit Award. The expansion and renovation project started in 2019 and has been the largest addition to the zoo in decades. Costing $35 million, the habitat spans 4.5 acres and sets "new standards for animal care at the BioPark," according to the press release. 🔶 Day of the Tread bicycling event returns October 26, 27 – There will be a road cycling event, a gravel event, and a 4k walk. Bikers can choose between different route lengths based on skill level. The start and finish area for all events will be the Sawmill district. 🔶 Albuquerque teen honored by First Lady as ‘Girls Leading Change’ honoree – Cheyenne Anderson is a 17-year-old and the creator of the book South Valley, showcasing the beauty and the poetry of the area. And her story has garnered the attention of none other than the First Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden. 🔶 2024 Twinkle Light Parade applications open – The event, which is family-friendly and free, is scheduled for December 15 at 5:15 p.m. It'll be in Nob Hill. Local businesses, the community, and school groups come together to present the dazzling sight. To get involved, you can apply here. Applications close October 21. 🔶 United's opening playoff date is set, tickets on sale now – It has now been revealed that the club's opening round match will take place on Sunday, November 3 at 6 p.m. Tickets for the match are currently on sale. New Mexico Notices 🔶 Early voting for 2024 general election begins in New Mexico – In Bernalillo County, in-person voting will be available at the Clerk's Annex on Lomas, from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday - Friday through October 18. 🔶 Santa Fe County launching #KidsVote initiative – At select early voting locations, kids will be able to come with their parents or guardians to the polls and cast a mock vote. The program will be available at the Santa Fe County Clerk's office and the Nancy Rodriquez Community Center. 🔶 ENMU offering 24/7 mental health care for students – The university has partnered with Timely Care to offer 24/7 mental health support and medical care. Students can access Timely Care through their phones and select from a wide range of options from licensed physicians and counselors in all 50 states. 🔶 Gilman Tunnels undergoing temporary closure – The U.S. Forest Service said the Gilman Tunnels, located in the Jemez Ranger District of the Santa Fe National Forest, will be closed as crews conduct a rock stabilization project. 🔶 NMSU launches online financial literacy game – The university's Learning Games Lab recently launched the web version of Night of the Living Debt. In this zombie apocalypse, people are fighting for financial survival. 🔶 Changes coming after union deal reached for Sandoval Regional health workers – Officials said, under the agreement, regular employees and freelancers will receive a 3% pay increase, which is the same amount as non-union employees received earlier this year. The union ratified the contract on Sunday. 🔶 Animal advocates urge chimp relocation amid deaths at Alamogordo facility – For more than a decade, animal rights advocates have tried to give some of the oldest and sickest chimpanzees in the state a better home but with little success. Now, following the death of several chimps over the last year, those advocates say the federal government needs to do better. 🔶 Drafted New Mexico bill aims to change guidelines on how board grants parole – It comes after lawmakers on the Court, Corrections, and Justice Committee got a look at a drafted bill during a meeting earlier this week. It's expected to be introduced to the legislature next year. If approved by the legislature during next year's session, members on the state's parole board will have new guidelines to follow when deciding if an inmate should be granted parole. 🔶 Deadline approaches for people affected by South Fork and Salt fires to apply for FEMA aid – The fires earlier this summer destroyed hundreds of structures including several homes before ensuing floodwaters caused more damage. FEMA has offered assistance for temporary lodging, basic home repairs, property loss, and other expenses. The deadline to apply is October 19. 🔶 Partnership aims to make it easier for New Mexicans to find careers in space industry – In 2022, President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law, paving the way for more jobs in the industries of the future.