1. Punky’s Place Karaoke at Sliva Lanes, hosted by ABQ 20s and 30s social, is a night of throwbacks and singing along with friends. Come for the karaoke and stay for some bowling. Silva Lanes offers a full bar and snack shop with pizza, wings and burgers, as well as pool and darts. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.
2. Dueling DJs at Revel ABQ hosted by Cutmaster Productions pins old school against new with DJ Cutmaster Chris and DJ XIA. Watch a battle royale for glory while dancing to old and new music alike and decide which wins. This event is at the Uptown Funk inside Revel at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.
3. Rock Climbing Night is an LGBTQ+ event hosted by Rainbow Senders and invites people of all ages and climbing abilities. Gear and introductory orientation is provided and offers climbing games like add-on or Twister. Look for the table with the rainbow flag, and pronoun pins are available for all participants. Entry is $14, which includes needed gear. This event at Stone Age Climbing Gym will start at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 2.
Click images for event link
Citywide events
4. It’s a busy weekend at the ABQ BioPark. The Cactus and Succulent Society of New Mexico will be present for the Cactus and Succulent Show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the Botanic Garden, 2601 Central Ave. NW. The society will have an exhibition of prize-winning plants as wells as presentations and demonstrations. Learn about the plants that work well in Albuquerque landscapes as well as edible plants. Saturday is also International Vulture Awareness Day, and the BioPark will have discovery stations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. where visitors can learn about vulture preservation. Additionally, make a day of it by stoping by the great ape area to see if you can get a glimpse of Samantha and her baby gorilla, who was born Aug. 10. The zoo announced this week the baby is a girl that has been named Mashika, meaning “born during the rainy season.”
Gorilla baby news!!! It's a girl! And her name is Mashika! Mashika means "born during the rainy season," which is fitting for Samantha's monsoon season baby! Photo: @nmbps
— ABQ BioPark (@abqbiopark) August 31, 2022
#zoobabies #gorilla pic.twitter.com/3HyFGeep8g
5. The New Mexico Philharmonic will also be busy this weekend with a Friday performance at the ABQ BioPark Botanical Garden and in Rio Rancho. Led by Musical Director Roberto Minczuk, enjoy the works of Sousa, Tchaikovsky, John Williams and more among the flowers at 7 p.m. Friday at the BioPark. Tickets are available here. Or, head over to Rio Rancho Saturday evening for a free concert under the stars at 7 p.m. at Sky Room Campus Park, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE. Bring a blanket and picnic dinner, or food trucks will be available on site. The concert features JMYAC winners Sahid Palacios and Gabriel Higbie. For more information on this performance, click here.
6. The University of New Mexico Lobos football team opens its season against Maine at 6 p.m. Saturday at University Stadium, 1111 University Blvd. SE. Tailgate begins at 3 p.m. For ticket information, click here.
7. Head over to Balloon Fiesta Park Saturday through Monday for the Harvest Wine Festival. The event runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily with admission limit to those age 21 and over. The event features the state’s best wineries, food trucks, artisans, a dueling piano show, silent disco, painting classes, mini golf and games, and unlimited wine tasting. For more information or tickets, click here.
