NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from December 20-26. Albuquerque December 20-21 The Show – Albuquerque's longest-running comedy show happens every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12. December 20-22 Christmas Cookie Decorating Workshop for Kids – For $15, each child will decorate 3 large, delicious cookies to take home and enjoy. Plus, while they’re getting creative, they’ll have the chance to explore Big Jim Farms. The event starts at 1 and 3 p.m. daily. December 20-22 Festival Ballet Albuquerque: Nutcracker in the Land of Enchantment – The beloved holiday classic is transported to territorial New Mexico in the late 1800s, with added elements of the state’s heritage and traditions including Spanish dancers, southwestern snakes, sheep and shepherdesses, a lively fandango, a storyteller doll with children, and lavish western Victorian-era costumes. Friday's showing starts at 7 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday's showings start at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are available on the National Hispanic Cultural Center's website. December 20-23 Trolley of Lights – This enchanting evening tour travels through the historic charm of Old Town and along the scenic Rio Grande Blvd., where you'll be surrounded by dazzling holiday lights and the warmth of New Mexico’s holiday traditions. Tours begin at 6 and 8 p.m. nightly. December 20-29 Winter Wonderland 2024 – Step into pure holiday magic at Winter Wonderland, back at EXPO NM and bigger than ever. Enjoy spectacular attractions, live actors, interactive lights, and holiday cheer for the entire family. Click the link for a full schedule of events. December 20-30 River of Lights – Walk through the ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden and experience over 800 intricately designed and constructed sculptures, light displays, and millions of twinkle lights. This event runs from 5 to 10 p.m. daily (event closed December 24 & 25). December 21 Holiday Market – Join Boxing Bear for the fourth annual Holiday Market featuring local craft vendors, two bands, a free photobooth, and a charity raffle benefiting S.A.F.E. House NM. The event starts at 10 a.m. with live music by Silver Sky Blues Trio from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. followed by Josue Urrita from 2 to 4 p.m. December 21 Cottonwood Christmas Celebration – Bring the whole gang out to the Cottonwood Christmas Celebration for a free and fun family afternoon while you finish your Christmas shopping. The event runs from 12 to 3 p.m. December 24 Open Mic Night in Old Town – Visit The Taproom in Old Town for Happy Hour with discounted appetizers and some great performances on the patio stage. The event lasts from 5 to 8 p.m. December 24 Lights & Luminaria Bike Tours – Join Routes Bicycle Tours through the heart of Albuquerque, down luminaria-lined avenues in Old Town, and past some of the most impressive light displays in the Southwest. Tours begin at 5:30, 6:45, and 8 p.m. New Mexico December 20-21 Merry Movie Nights – Enjoy two double-feature nights with 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', 'Elf', 'Polar Express', and 'The Santa Clause'. Movies begin at 6 p.m. in Los Lunas. December 20-22 Winter Solstice Walk – The ranger-led program will start at the Bandelier National Monument Visitor Center in Los Alamos at 7 a.m. on all three days. December 20-22 BALLET TAOS Presents... 'A RETRO NUTCRACKER' – Ballet Taos continues a Taos Holiday Tradition with the 7th annual full-length Nutcracker production entitled 'A Retro Nutcracker', a classical ballet with a far-out 1950's twist. December 20-30 Listen to the Lights Christmas Display – Enjoy a Christmas light display in Espanola with nightly shows starting at 6, 7, 8, and 9 p.m. December 21 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 21 Holiday Lighted Bike Ride of Old Mesilla and Mesilla Park – Join a guided, lighted bike ride through old Mesilla and Mesilla Park in Las Cruces and get into the Christmas spirit. The event begins at 6 p.m. December 21 Solstice Night Market – The longest night of the year, made brighter with holiday cocktails and handcrafted goods from some of Santa Fe's favorite vendors. This event lasts from 5 to 9 p.m. December 21 Christmas Craft Fair – Finish last-minute Christmas shopping at the Gallup Christmas Craft Fair with 40 booths of homemade items. The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. December 22 Sunday Chess Club – Meet at Popolo's Games in Taos beginning at 1:00 p.m. This free event is for all ages. December 22 Christmas Market – Explore a variety of vendors, savor delicious treats, and indulge in a wide selection of fine wines for sale. Visit D.H. Lescombes Winery & Bistro in Alamogordo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Albuquerque Notices 🔶 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. 🔶 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. 🔶 Ring in the New Year with family friendly events across Albuquerque – Families looking for New Year’s Eve fun before the sun goes down, the City of Albuquerque has you covered.  🔶 Street Cat Hub helps free-roaming cats with spay, neuter, and vaccination services – Every neighborhood has free-roaming street cats that may not be so warm to nearby residents. However, many of them need care as they are threatened by overpopulation and many common diseases.  🔶 Albuquerque City Council passes ordinance requiring cooling systems in older buildings – Albuquerque has rules on the books requiring home heating, but a new change is also now requiring property owners to put in cooling systems. 🔶 City of Albuquerque looks for ways to increase safety on Lead and Coal Avenues – The city of Albuquerque is looking for ways to increase safety on two streets notorious for car crashes into homes. 🔶 Albuquerque Bernalillo County Library launches mobile app – The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Library system is making the use of its services easier than ever before with the launch of its new mobile app. Through the app, community members can search the catalog; place, edit, or cancel holds; view and renew check-out items; access their digital library card and reset their PIN; find nearby library branches; and more. 🔶 FBI offers reward for information on gunman who killed ABQ tattoo shop owner – The FBI is offering a reward for information that can help identify and convict the person who killed the owner of Por Vida Tattoo shop in Albuquerque. To help track down the killer, the FBI also released videos of the suspect from the day of the shooting. 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." 🔶 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. 🔶 Roadrunner Food Bank hosting food drives ahead of Christmas – This week, Roadrunner Food Back will help people in need have something to eat for the holidays. 🔶 NMDOT and DPS receive $7.5M to improve road safety in state – The New Mexico Department of Transportation is receiving millions of dollars to support the state’s effort to reduce traffic-related deaths. 🔶 What to watch for in New Mexico’s night sky in 2025 – For those looking to the night sky for education or simply for entertainment, there are many interesting celestial events to watch for in 2025. With full moons, supermoons, eclipses, and more on the way, here are some of the upcoming stargazing events to put on your calendar. 🔶 NMDOJ releases report on NMSU basketball hazing scandal – The New Mexico Department of Justice has released a report on the hazing scandal involving the New Mexico State University men’s basketball team. Players Deshawndre Washington, Kim Aiken Jr., and Doctor Bradley are accused of sexually harassing and assaulting their teammates and student managers during the 2022-2023 season. 🔶 NMSU astronomer awarded NASA grants for early solar system research – A New Mexico-based astronomer is working to answer the oldest questions about the universe, thanks to multiple grants from NASA. Daniel Carrera began his PhD in Sweden in 2012 and conducted post-doctorate work in Iowa before coming to New Mexico State University this past fall. 🔶 This New Mexico restaurant made Yelp’s list of best Chinese restaurants in the U.S. – Chinese food is made to share, especially during the holiday season. When the temperature drops each year, family and friends flock to this popular world cuisine’s flavorful, warm dishes. Yelp recently released a list of the top 100 Chinese restaurants in the U.S. in 2024, and one New Mexican spot was featured. 🔶 Man in custody after firing ‘several hundred rounds of ammunition’ in Rio Rancho – A suspect is in custody after shooting several hundred rounds of ammunition Wednesday morning. Rio Rancho Police say around 11 p.m. Tuesday, officers responded to the area of Sabana Grande Ave. and NM 528 (Pat D’Arco Highway) regarding gunshots being fired. Police say when they arrived at the scene they heard “a significant amount of gunfire from different weapons being shot, perceivably in their direction.” 🔶 Why one farmer’s Chimayo green chile is gaining fame in the final frontier – New Mexico’s beloved green chile crop is recognized nationwide, and the state’s pride in the crop is evident even on its license plates. Thanks to an enterprising plant scientist, green chile is now gaining fame in the final frontier.