NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from January 17-23. Albuquerque January 17-18 The Show – Albuquerque's longest-running comedy show happens every Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12. January 17-19 Albuquerque Comic Con – Meet the stars of the silver screen and more. The event runs on Friday from 4 to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. January 18-19 Expo New Mexico Flea Market – Come check out the food, vendors, and live entertainment at New Mexico's largest open-air market. The market runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is $2 for walk-ups and $10 per car for parking. January 18-19 New Mexico Brick Convention LEGO Fan Expo – Brick Convention is the ultimate event for LEGO lovers of all ages. The numerous play areas treat fans of all ages to a day of hands-on fun, games, and life-size LEGO models. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days. January 18-19 Sky City Buffalo Ram Dancers (Acoma Pueblo) – Celebrate the seasonal cycles through prayer, song, and dance with the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's Cultural Dance Program. Dances are from 12 to 1 p.m. January 19 NM Wedding Expo – Meet the area’s leading wedding professionals at the biggest and most exciting bridal event in New Mexico. Enter to win thousands of dollars in door prizes, sample delicious catered treats, see the latest trends in floral, decor, and fashion, discover beautiful wedding venues, and taste cakes, cupcakes, and desserts. The event runs from 12 to 5 p.m. January 20 "Science is Everywhere" Winter Break Camps – These camps are designed for kindergarten to sixth-grade students and will follow the Albuquerque Public School schedule. Camp themes include All About Atoms and Building Bridges. Advanced online registration and fees are required to secure a spot. The camp is from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. January 21 Open Mic Night in Old Town – Calling all singers, comedians, and performers!Visit The Taproom in Old Town Albuquerque for an all-night happy hour, discounted appetizers, and some great performances on the patio stage. The event starts at 6 p.m. January 23 Beginning Square Dance Lessons – Starting January 16 and running every Thursday for 14 weeks, make new friends and build lasting connections in a welcoming and friendly environment while exercising your body and mind. The class costs $120, but the first night is free. No prior experience is necessary, and singles are welcome. The class is from 7 to 9 p.m. January 23 Bands of Enchantment: Albuquerque Sessions Season 4 Red Carpet Premiere – This Emmy-winning music series returns with standout performances, cutting-edge production, and a vibrant mix of emerging and established artists. Highlights include red carpet arrivals, an exclusive sneak peek of Season 4, and screenings featuring episodes by Kevin Herig, Willajay + Hooks and the Huckleberries, Grammy-nominated Cimafunk, and a special acoustic session by Dust City Opera. Doors at 6 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m.  New Mexico January 17 Santa Fe Skate Night Winter Jam – Bring your own skates! Roll into the new year with DJ Pygar at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market from 6 to 8 p.m. Tickets are $20. January 17 Stained Glass Suncatcher Workshop with Santa Fe Glass Works – Come learn how to create an upcycled stained glass masterpiece at Meow Wolf. The event starts at 5 p.m. January 17-18 Rockhound State Park Public Viewing – The Astronomical Society of Las Cruces will give a 20-minute presentation on what is currently well placed in the sky. Everyone is invited to look through several telescopes for the next 2 hours. The events begin shortly after dark at 6 p.m. January 17-19 Mesilla Valley Balloon Rally – Kickoff is on Friday at 6 p.m. at the downtown Plaza de Las Cruces. The balloon rally begins January 17 with an RC balloon glow downtown. January 18 features a morning ascension at the Field of Dreams and another evening glow. Spectators will get one last chance to see balloons with morning ascension on January 19. January 18 Sierra County Farmers Market – Find seasonal produce, baked goods, prepared foods, and handmade items in Truth or Consequences. The market takes place from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Pay with EBT, DUFB, debit, or cash.  January 18 Farmington Car Seat Inspection – From 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., this free event gives parents and caregivers a chance to get instructions and demonstrations on proper cars seat installation, selection and use. Attendees should bring the car seat, car seat manual and their child, if possible, to the event to get instructions and inspection from officials. January 18 Valencia County Cattle Battle – Visit the Valencia County Fairgrounds in Belen for a Cattle Battle. Categories include showmanship, breeding heifers, and market steers/heifers. The event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. January 19 Sunday Chess Club – Meet at Popolo's Games in Taos beginning at 1:00 p.m. This free event is for all ages. January 20 Chess at the Movies – Visit the Violet Crown Cinema in Santa Fe on Monday nights for casual chess, great food, and movies. Play timed or untimed, against beginners all the way up to tournament veterans. Free to watch, play, or learn from the experts from 6 to 9 p.m. January 20 2025 Songwriter Competition – The Roswell 2025 Songwriting Competition is officially launched. Sign up to compete and get free tickets to attend The Liberty's website. Round 2 is on the 20th at 6 p.m. and round 3 is on the 27th. Albuquerque Notices 🔶 Explora, Sandia Labs partner to hold 2nd annual hackathon – Sandia Community Involvement, the Applied Machine Intelligence Organizations, and Explora have partnered to host the second annual Thunderbird Hacks Hackathon. 🔶 Downtown Growers’ Winter Markets coming back to Albuquerque – After a five-year hiatus, the Downtown Growers; Market is bringing back its Winter Markets. The outdoor market at Robinson Park runs weekly during the warmer months, offering local growers and artisans a place to sell their wares. 🔶 Albuquerque Public Schools changes date for students to take SAT exam to April 2 – Albuquerque Public Schools is moving the 2025 SAT school day to April. APS said the change was made based on feedback from other schools. The exam was previously scheduled for March 25 but will now take place on April 2. 🔶 City of Albuquerque offers free music classes – The City of Albuquerque Department of Youth and Family Services is offering free music classes at different community centers across the city. 🔶 Cold weather slows down I-25 rebuild in Albuquerque – Crews are well underway on New Mexico’s biggest road project in a decade, but the work is far from over. The New Mexico Department of Transportation is warning drivers how some work on the I-25 Comanche-Montgomery rebuild will slow down soon.   🔶 City of Albuquerque looking for Homeless Coordinating Council volunteers – The City of Albuquerque is looking for volunteers to join subcommittees for the Homeless Coordinating Council (HCC). The city says the HCC is seeking members for five subcommittees. 🔶 New Mexico flamenco classes aim to inspire young learners – As you walk down the hall at Mesa Verde Community Center, you might hear what sounds like rhythms of applause or Palmas echoing throughout. At the sight of noise-making shoes and patterned skirts, it becomes clear; that this is a flamenco class. 🔶 Albuquerque launches survey to look into how many people have a career in the arts – On par with construction and manufacturing, more than 70,000 of New Mexico’s jobs are in the arts. But just how big is the art economy in Albuquerque? 🔶 Albuquerque Public Schools add financial literacy class to graduation requirements – Albuquerque Public Schools will now require students to complete a financial literacy class to graduate. The school board approved the measure Wednesday night. 🔶 APD: Albuquerque sees decrease in car thefts – The Albuquerque Police Department announced the city is seeing a decrease in car thefts. From 2016 to 2018, Albuquerque ranked number one for car thefts across the U.S., according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. The city has now dropped to number six on the list. New Mexico Notices 🔶 New Mexico oil and gas sites recognized for light pollution reduction – The lighting from these oil and natural gas sites has become a major concern, putting workers and wildlife who rely on the absence of light, at risk. 🔶 NMSU study shows higher suicide risk for Native American, Alaskan Native youth – A new study out of NMSU shows that Native American and Alaskan Native children are at a higher risk for childhood suicide. With rates more than double the national average it is ringing an alarm. 🔶 Bookings to stay at Aldo Leopold house start in Carson National Forest – Once complete, it will be available for visitors to rent. The two-story bungalow has four bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, and a living room. It can accommodate eight people. 🔶 New Mexico roadway hotspots identified as potential sites for wildlife bridges – After seeing success at the New Mexico/Colorado state line with one of NMDOT’s first wildlife underpasses, state road officials are now working on bigger plans to target roadway hotspots where animals like Elk and Mule Deer are getting hit by cars. 🔶 What to know for 2025's Girl Scout Cookie season in New Mexico – Girl Scout Cookie season officially begins on Friday, Jan. 31, with the "Friends and Family Sale," but for those who don't personally know a Girl Scout, booth sales begin the weekend of February 21-23. 🔶 New Mexico Supreme Court rules local governments can't restrict abortion access – It comes after Lea and Roosevelt Counties, the City of Hobbs, and City of Clovis passed ordinances banning the shipping of abortion medication and authorized city or county officials to approve or deny licenses for abortion clinics and providers. 🔶 New Mexico State University partnering to help startups in Borderplex region – New Mexico State University is forming a new partnership to help startups in the Borderplex Region. 🔶 FEMA to close Roswell Disaster Recovery Center on Saturday – FEMA will shut down its disaster recovery center in Roswell this Saturday at 5 p.m. The closure comes weeks after the deadline passed for residents to apply for relief from the October flooding. 🔶 Eastern New Mexico University launches new virtual campus tour – Eastern New Mexico University launched an upgraded virtual campus tour experience. 🔶 Study shows over 1.1 million New Mexicans sexual violence survivors – This is the first time in over 20 years that a study of this nature has been conducted and the results revealed that over 1.1 million New Mexicans have experienced sexual violence. The New Mexico Crime victimization report was conducted from September 2023 through June 2024, with over 1,200 survey responses.