by Maria Manuela on
1 Take in summer.
Dance the night away on Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. as Heights Summerfest brings live music, food trucks, and beer gardens to North Domingo Baca Park in Albuquerque. The musical lineup includes ABBA tribute band ABBAquerque, soul-funk band Keeping Up with The Joneses, surf-rockers the Fabulous Martini-Tones, and Central American reggae artist Doctor Nativo. The free event offers kids’ activities and a cash bar at The Cantina with drinks from As Above, So Below Distillery; Hollow Spirits Distillery, Tractor Brewing Company, and Sidetrack Brewing Company.
2 Get creative with tech.
The Currents New Media festival lights up the Santa Fe Railyard with an opening party on Friday from 6 to 11 p.m. The 10-day event showcases interactive pieces, multimedia performances, video works, and installations that blend art and technology at El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe and other off-site spaces, such as Relay Santa Fe and Make Santa Fe. A symposium, Emergence of Other: The Numinous, Technology, and Our Future Selves, brings together artists, scientists, and philosophers for panel discussions and lectures from 12:15 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 13.
3 Take in the night skies.
Stargazing at the Gorge, Taos
Join an expert astronomer on this star adventure led by Heritage Inspirations that takes gazers out into the sagebrush fields near the Río Grande Gorge on Friday at 8:45 p.m. The skies in New Mexico are famously filled with bright constellations and the Milky Way is often fully visible, unobstructed by light pollution. The bonus of having an astronomer with you means you’ll see all the familiar star patterns, and maybe some new ones too. Can’t make this month’s excursion? Trips are scheduled through October.
Dark Skies, Bright Stars, Mountainair
Rangers at Salinas Pueblo Mission National Monument near Mountainair lead an educational outing on Friday from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Guides tell rich stories about the pueblo’s history and lead a stargazing session with telescopes. A dark sky photography activity helps attendees capture better night-sky photos, and rangers print out your best pic of the evening to take home as a souvenir.
4 Express yourself.
Queer Prom at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe brings all the fun of prom without any of the high school drama. Starting at 8 p.m., the night includes libations and performances from Genderotic, Comatose Beatz, and RuffBunii.
5 Buy Native art.
Rotary Park in Bernalillo hosts more than 150 Native artists at the Bernalillo Indian Arts Festival on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The one-day fair invites artists in a variety of mediums to sell their handmade works during this celebration of Indigenous artistic traditions. White tented booths pop up in the grassy park, welcoming visitors to buy directly from artists and to hear stories about their processes and inspirations.
For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.