NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from December 27-January 2. Albuquerque December 27 Holiday Fundraiser & Open Mic – An open mic for all, plus a fundraising silent auction and several surprises in store at the Ancora Cafe and Bakery. The event starts at 7 p.m. December 27-28 The Show – Albuquerque's longest-running comedy show happens every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12. December 27-29 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 27-30 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 27-January 3 Winter Break Activities – Join Creativity Warehouse for a variety of engaging arts and crafts classes designed for all ages and skill levels. Classes run every week day from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. December 28 Lucky Paws Mobile Adoption Event – The Animal Welfare Department is sending the Lucky Paws Adoption van to Boofy’s Best for Pets. The adoption fee is waived for all pets. Each adoption will include spay or neuter, vaccinations, free custom pet tag and a microchip. AWD is also offering one day of free basic dog training with every adoption. the event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. December 28 New Mexico Bowl – The game between Louisiana and TCU will kick off at 12:15 p.m. and will be aired nationally on ESPN and ESPN Radio. This event is free and open to the public. December 28-29 Water Strider Dance Group (Zuni) – Celebrate the seasonal cycles through prayer, song, and dance with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's Cultural Dance Program. The dance runs both days from 12 to 1 p.m. December 31 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 31-January 1 New Year's Eve at Sawmill Market – From 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., dance the night away, countdown the evening with a simulcast viewing from New York, celebrate with a bubbly toast at midnight, and enjoy special discounts throughout the market. Tickets are $55 plus taxes, fees, and 22% gratuity per person. New Mexico December 27-29 Farolitos and Falling Mercury – Find out how Christmas was celebrated by those at Fort Union near Watrous. Includes the reading of a short story. Programs start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and run for 45 minutes. December 27-30 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 27-31 La Luz de las Noches – Sip tasty beverages while strolling the farolito-lined Santa Fe Botanical Garden pathways. Beautiful holiday light displays, live musical performances each night, and sweet holiday treats from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. December 28 Holiday Exhibition 2024 – Visit the Taos annual Holiday Exhibition, a chance to celebrate this past year’s successes with the community. The opening reception is from 4 to 6 p.m. December 28 Save Santa: A Holiday D&D Adventure – In Las Cruces, apprentice GMs will lead brave heroes on a daring mission to rescue Santa from the icy grip of Jack Frost. Will your party save the holidays—or will Jack Frost's wintery reign prevail? This event runs from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. December 28 Trap Haus Bingo 2: Electric Boogaloo – Lauter Haus Brewing Co. in Farmington hosts bingo rounds with new twists while a DJ spins the best of trap and house, keeping the vibe electric. Between rounds, dive into wild party games, unpredictable challenges, and plenty of chances to win bigger-than-ever rewards. The event starts at 8 p.m. December 28 El Grupo Mezcal End of Year Celebration – Visit DALEEE KTAOS Solar Center in Taos for an unforgettable evening of live music, dancing, and celebration to close out 2024 in style. Doors open at 7 p.m., and tickets are $20. December 29 Sunday Chess Club – Meet at Popolo's Games in Taos beginning at 1:00 p.m. This free event is for all ages. December 31 New Year's Skate – Ring in 2025 with a New Year's Eve skate party at the Los Alamos ice rink. Dress for the occasion and celebrate with a mini carnival, bubbling cider, popcorn, music, and a Ball Drop countdown starting at 8 p.m. January 1 Polar Bear Run – The ride will start at Segundino Baldonado American Legion Post 81 in Belen at 10 a.m. and will travel to Bibo’s Bar in Bibo for food and drinks. All vehicles are welcome. Albuquerque Notices 🔶 Albuquerque Fire Rescue opens enrollment for 104th cadet class – Are you looking for a job that allows you to serve and protect your community? The Albuquerque Fire Rescue has opened enrollment for their 104th cadet class. The application process is from December 21 through March 21. 🔶 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. 🔶 FBI Albuquerque warns about government impersonation scams – The FBI, along with other federal, state, local, and tribal partners are investigating cases where scammers are using advanced spoofing scams to steal money from people. 🔶 12 Albuquerque pickleball and tennis courts now have new playing surfaces – Tennis and pickleball players now have newly resurfaced courts. The City of Albuquerque’s Parks and Recreation Department invited the community to celebrate the new courts at Lauren C. Bolles Park and Jerry Cline Tennis Center. 🔶 Bernalillo County Metro Court warns about jury duty scam calls, emails – Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court issued a warning about a suspected jury duty scam. The court said scammers were calling, pretending to be a police lieutenant with a local law enforcement agency, and told people that they failed to appear for jury duty and have a warrant out for their arrest or owe outstanding fines as a result. 🔶 Albuquerque International Sunport offering flights to Angel Fire – Flights from Albuquerque to Angel Fire kicked off on Thursday. Leaders came together to celebrate the inaugural flight. 🔶 Bernalillo County completes skate park renovation project at Paradise Hills Community Center – Skaters in Albuquerque now have an upgraded place to get out and active. Just in time for kids to enjoy the outdoors this winter break, Bernalillo County has completed its expansion and renovation project at the Paradise Hills Community Center Skate Park. 🔶 CYFD group home for girls called ‘HOPE House’ opens in Albuquerque – Amid continuing struggles to recruit foster families throughout the state, New Mexico’s Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) is taking more steps to house at-risk children in a home-like environment instead of having them stay in their offices. News 13 spoke with the CYFD secretary about their latest group home that opened a week ago in Albuquerque. 🔶 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. 🔶 APS Board of Education votes to close Taft Middle School – It’s been a controversial proposal that would decide the future of a North Valley middle school. After hours of deliberation on Wednesday night, the Albuquerque Public Schools Board of Education took a vote. New Mexico Notices 🔶 Local nonprofit receives $25 million donation from billionaire MacKenzie Scott – One local group has received some game-changing donations which they said will help them in their work to get New Mexicans housed. For decades, Homewise has helped thousands of New Mexicans across the state become homeowners. 🔶 Eagle Nest Lake closes to watercraft, foot traffic – New Mexico State Parks have announced the closure of all watercraft and foot traffic at Eagle Nest Lake. This is due to ice forming on the lake’s surface. 🔶 Deadline extended for Hermits Peak Calf Canyon relief – Residents who lost property in the Hermits Peak Calf Canyon fire two years ago now have more time to file their claims. As part of the continuing resolution approved last week, Congress has added another $1.5 billion in relief funds to fire victims. 🔶 A look at the 2024 Good News Stories from New Mexico – Another year is coming to an end. As we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome 2025, KRQE News 13 is looking back on some of the local heartwarming of the year. 🔶 Paleontologists return to Sierra County for further research into dinosaurs – Nearly two decades have passed since the discovery of new dinosaur species in Sierra County. Paleontologists with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science in Albuquerque went back to the location to see if there could be more. 🔶 LIST: Top 10 New Mexico headlines from 2024 – With another year coming to a close, here’s a look back at the most viewed New Mexico news stories in 2024 based on KRQE News 13’s data. 🔶 Large-scale Taos development project gets denied. Residents, Pueblo relieved – A large-scale development project in Taos County has come to a halt. It comes after hundreds of Taos residents and the Taos Pueblo pushed back against the project. After years of fighting against the big development, advocates who opposed the project are breathing a sigh of relief. 🔶 Judge orders Santa Fe to restore plaza obelisk – Four years after an angry mob toppled the controversial monument at the center of the Santa Fe Plaza, a judge has said the city has to put it back. It comes after years of fierce debate over what to do with the obelisk known as the “Soldiers’ Monument,” as well as the site where it stood. 🔶 New Mexico’s unemployment rate continues to rise for November 2024 – The unemployment rate in New Mexico is continuing to rise. According to the latest numbers from the Department of Workforce Solutions, New Mexico’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.4% in November. 🔶 Western New Mexico University president announces he will resign – The president of Western New Mexico University is stepping down amid allegations of improper spending at the school. During a special board of regents meeting on Friday, Joseph Shepard announced he will be resigning from the position on January 14.