NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from December 13-19. Albuquerque December 13-14 Luminaria Flamenca – Flamenco Works, Inc. presents its annual winter recital featuring all students. Tickets are $15, and the event starts at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. December 13-14 The Show – Albuquerque's longest-running comedy show happens every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12. December 13 & 15 NMGMC's "Heaven & Nature Sing" – Accompanied by a talented orchestra, "Heaven & Nature Sing" is a festive holiday choral concert that celebrates the beauty and joy of the season through uplifting music. Performances start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and 1 & 5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets start at $20. December 14 Albuquerque Santa Bar Crawl – Grab your Santa suit and get ready for the most festive bar crawl of the year. The event starts at the Historic Lobo Theater and runs from 2 - 5 p.m. Tickets start at $14.99; must be 21+ to attend. December 14 Twinkle Light Parade – Get into the holiday spirit with this year’s Twinkle Light Parade. This family-friendly event will light up Central Ave. in Nob Hill from Washington Blvd. to Girard Blvd. starting at 5:15 p.m. December 14-15 Holiday Market at the Rail Yards – Over 200 vendors, plus free parking and entry. Event begins at 10 a.m. on both days. December 14-15 Old Town Cookie Crawl – For $10, get a 2024 Collectible Cookie Tin and visit participating locations to receive a homemade cookie. The event starts at 11 a.m. on Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sunday. December 17 Open Mic Night in Old Town – Visit The Taproom in Old Town for Happy Hour, discounted appetizers, and some great performances on the patio stage. The event lasts from 5 to 8 p.m. December 17 Open Art Night – Bring a current project, start a new one, or just chat with other local artists and makers in the community at Lost Cultures Tea Bar. This event runs every Tuesday from 6 to 10 p.m. December 17 Holiday Giftwrapping & Giveaways – From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., stop by the Overture Andalucia Clubhouse to have your gifts for loved ones neatly wrapped with joy. Make yourself a cup of hot cocoa or coffee and enjoy. Residents can even enter a chance to win a surprise gift of their own. New Mexico December 14 Alamogordo Farmer's Market – This year-round farmer's market goes from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at 2900 N. White Sands Blvd. December 14 Holly Jolly Market – Find holiday gifts, free digital photos with Santa, hot cocoa bar, delicious food, and your favorite beverage at the Brew Lab in Rio Rancho. The event runs from 12 to 5 p.m. December 14 Winter Wonderland Craft & Vendor Fair – From 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., come to Early College Opportunities School in Santa Fe for a day of creativity and fun—at no cost to you. December 14 3rd Annual Taos Pueblo Winter Market – The market features over 40 Taos Pueblo artists and crafters in one location to help you get your Christmas shopping done locally. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. December 15 Sunday Chess Club – Meet at Popolo's Games in Taos beginning at 1:00 p.m. This free event is for all ages. December 15 Paint-N-Sip – Join Create U 505 mobile art parties at Corrales Teas & Chocolates for a memorable holiday experience. Customize your very own with acrylic paint and various greenery and fillers in Corrales. All supplies are included for $35 per person. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m. December 15 Holiday Stroll – Find a delightful winter celebration at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Each site has offerings—performances, dances, holiday card making, ornament making, cookies, hot cider, red chile posole, and more. Free admission from 1 to 7 p.m. December 16-20 5 Days of GRINCHMAS! – Free cookies, hot chocolate, and pictures with the Grinch in Las Cruces. This event runs from 2 to 5 p.m. each day. December 18 Desert Chorale Pop-Up Carols – The Santa Fe Desert Chorale is joined by the Young Voices of Santa Fe Opera for a free holiday caroling performance at the Southside Library. The event runs from 5:30 to 6 p.m. December 19 Valles Caldera's 10th Birthday Party – Come celebrate Valles Caldera National Preserve's 10th anniversary in the National Park Service with a day-long birthday party in the Ranger Station in Jemez Springs. There will be party games, cake, birthday card writing, and ranger programs from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Albuquerque Notices 🔶 CABQ holds warm clothing drive with drop boxes all over city – The “WarmtHHH for All" drive is held by the City's Health, Housing, and Homelessness Department and will last until December 20. For the drive, officials accept gently used or new coats, jackets, beanies, and gloves. 🔶 Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque putting on holiday performance – Symphony Orchestra of Albuquerque offers a youth outreach program that gives young people an opportunity to perform with an orchestra. The group is putting on its annual holiday performance coming on December 8, at 2 p.m. at Heights Presbyterian Cumberland Church and December 15, at 2 p.m. at John XXIII Catholic Community. 🔶 Albuquerque Little Theatre presents: Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" – The production of Beauty and the Beast will run December 6 - 24. For a full schedule of performances and to purchase tickets, click here. 🔶 Upcoming winter break camps at the Nuclear Science Museum – Registration is open to students K – 6. Camps are divided into single-day camps, each featuring a different topic. Each camp follows a STEAM topic and is full of activities to engage and educate students. 🔶 Operation Silent Night collects donations for Albuquerque shelter animals – The animal welfare department says the donation wish list includes small toys, treats, beds, brushes, wand toys, scratchers, sweaters, jackets, blankets, towels, collars, harnesses, pill pockets, and other similar items. Donations are being accepted through December 31, 2024. 🔶 Health, Housing and Homelessness volunteer program seeing results – The Albuquerque Department of Health, Housing and Homelessness volunteer program helps provide support to people currently housed at one of the city-sponsored shelters. 🔶 Bernalillo County offers new ‘Cost to Cure’ program – Bernalillo County is offering a helping hand to local property owners looking to make improvements. The new “Cost to Cure” program offers one-time reductions to the fair market value of properties in need of repairs and restoration work. 🔶 NIHS grants UNM researcher $1.9 million to study impact of uranium on gut health –  It’s a question that impacts the entire country and our state. With a history of atomic bomb testing in New Mexico and leftover uranium mines near the Four Corners, how does uranium impact gut health? It’s a question University of New Mexico associate professor and researcher at the UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center Dr. Julie In is trying to answer. 🔶 Albuquerque Fire Rescue urges residents to water real Christmas trees to reduce fire risk – Albuquerque Fire Rescue is warning residents who are using real Christmas trees this year to water it every day. They said dry trees are dangerous and can cause a fire. 🔶 Family asks why deadly stretch of road near MDC doesn’t have lighting – It’s a deadly stretch of road on the West Mesa where four people have died in car crashes over the last year and a half. While the county started a project to light up the area, one victim’s family is outraged that it’s not done yet.   New Mexico Notices 🔶 New Mexico State Police conducting sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols in December – The checkpoints and patrols will take place throughout the month of December. NMSP said the checkpoints are "helping to change society's attitude about driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs." 🔶 Deadline for filing FEMA claims for Hermits Peak Calf Canyon Fire fast approaching – There are now less than three weeks to file a claim: December 20 is the last day people impacted by the fire can start a claim. 🔶 Two-thirds of New Mexico college students are food or housing insecure – Two-thirds of New Mexico college students say they’re facing problems paying for food or housing. Now, the state wants to pour more money into trying to fix that problem. The finding comes after a survey of almost 10,000 students from over two dozen New Mexico colleges and universities. The state is looking at a $4 million infusion toward addressing food and housing insecurity. 🔶 Union says Meow Wolf will begin layoffs on Thursday – Meow Wolf, the company that created the popular immersive art exhibit in Santa Fe, is running into some financial trouble. The Meow Wolf Workers Collective announced the company will be laying off employees starting on Thursday.  🔶 New Mexico United helps launch new soccer league for individuals of all ability levels – A new and free soccer league for individuals of all ability levels is coming to Albuquerque in 2025. New Mexico United TOPSoccer is a six-week program for New Mexicans with intellectual, physical, and emotional disabilities. 🔶 Is New Mexico a good state for college students? – SmileHub recently released its report on the best states for college students. According to the SmileHub report, over 40% of students leave home to pursue their degree. When choosing what college to attend, location is something that factors into decisions. 🔶 New Mexico DOT launches 2025 snow plow naming contest – The New Mexico Department of Transportation is bringing back its “Name a Snowplow Contest” for a second year. 🔶 Los Lunas partners with Rail Runner for Santa’s Coming to Town event – The Village of Los Lunas and Rio Metro Transit District are hosting the Santa’s Coming to Town event on December 13 at the Los Lunas Transportation Center. 🔶 1,200 students to graduate from NMSU during 2024 fall commencement – New Mexico State University is set to honor new graduates this week. The university will award 1,200 degrees at fall 2024 commencement ceremonies. 🔶 Xcel Energy plans to install fire-detecting cameras in New Mexico – Xcel Energy will soon use artificial intelligence to detect wildfires sooner and they hope to bring that technology to New Mexico. Last week, the electric utility announced plans to install an early fire detection camera system in 11 Texas counties. The AI in those cameras can spot smoke quickly when a fire starts. The system will then alert human analysts, determine its location, and notify a 911 call center.