New Mexico’s beautiful fall weather is here. It’s warm and sunny during the day with brisk, cool air in the evenings and a slight chill at night. The wonderful weather will stick around over the weekend, making it the perfect time to get out and enjoy these fun events happening around the far Northeast Heights of Albuquerque:
1. Take advantage of the nice weather and get some outdoor exercise with The Albuquerque Hiking and Outdoor Meetup group. On Thursday, Oct. 20, the group will hike up Pino Trail for 2.75 miles before heading back down during the evening cardio hike starting at 6 p.m. On Friday, Oct. 21 the group will take on Embudito Ridge at 8 a.m., hiking a 4.5-mile loop to a maximum elevation of 7,772 feet. Join the group for the Sunday fun day hike around Tunnel Canyon Trail in Tijeras. Departure time for that hike is 7:45 a.m. To join the group and learn about more of their fun adventures, visit meetup.com/hiking-204.
2. Wear pink to raise awareness about breast cancer during the La Cueva Bears rival football match against the Sandia Matadors. The varsity football game will be played at Wilson Stadium at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21. The Bears are 2-0 in their district and Sandia 0-3.
3. Grab the kids and head over to North Domingo Baca Multigenerational Center for family movie night from 6-8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21. Wear pajamas and bring sleeping bags to stay comfortable while watching “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” An annual membership at the center costs $20.
4. Carnival games, a costume parade, food and drinks, a balloon glow and live music are all part of the festivities at La Cueva’s Fall Fest from 3-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. All proceeds will benefit the La Cueva choir. Visit, lacuevachoirs.com/fall-fest or check out the flyer below to learn more.
5. Santa Fe Brewing Company is hosting a New Mexico United watch party inside Tin Can Alley Saturday, Oct. 22. Curse members receive special discounts with their membership card, and because it’s a playoff game, all three big screens will air the action if enough supporters show up. The game is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Make sure to plan ahead and take a Lyft or Uber if drinking or have a designated driver willing to deal with the raucous fans.
6. Need help checking out, downloading or transferring digital library items to a personal device? Then register for the Gizmo Garage at Cherry Hills Library to learn all the tech details from an expert. Registration is required with only two seats left as of Thursday morning. The event is 3-4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 23. Visit, abqlibrary.org/cherryhills for more details.
7. The Hindu Temple Society of New Mexico has several activities planned throughout the weekend to celebrate Diwali, a festival of lights recognized around the world. Diwali is Monday, Oct. 24, and HTSNM will have a fireworks display following Saraswathi Puja from 6-7 p.m. Visit, htsnm.org for more information.
Citywide events
8. The competition is about to get trashy. The Albuquerque Solid Waste Management Department and its Keep Albuquerque Beautiful program will be hosting a competition in the Bosque to clean up litter and illegal dumping. Starting at 9 a.m. Saturday participants can pick up litter, or “plog,” while jogging in two different routes near Central and Sunset. After the event, KAB will award prizes to the top three individuals and top three groups that collect the most bags of litter.
9. The public has the opportunity to make enrichment items for the ABQ BioPark. From 6:30-8 p.m. Friday attendees will design and create Halloween-themed enrichment items for the zoo animals. Before the end of the night, education staff will test some of the creations, such as tiger scratching posts or an armadillo puzzle, on the BioPark’s ambassador animals, and animal care staff will vote on the best visitor-made designs. The BioPark will be placing enrichment items in animal habitats for Boo at the Zoo. Tickets must be purchased in advance online and run $15 for adults and $10 for children 10 and under and seniors 65-plus. They can be purchased at HoldMyTicket.
10. Head over to the National Hispanic Cultural Center, 1701 Fourth St. SW, for the Noche de Familia. From 5-9 p.m., enjoy an evening of fun for the whole family, including trick-or-treating, art making, music and a free screening of “Coco” at 7 p.m. The event is free, but advance registration can be made here.
11. Catch the one-man musical “’33(A Kabarett)” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at Fusion, 700 First St. NW. The show is written and performed by Bremner Fletcher Duthie with original direction by Dave Dawson. It is about an actor who tumbles onto the dark stage of a ruined theatre, finding himself alone when the lights come up. His friends and colleagues have disappeared, arrested by the authorities, with only their glittering, torn costumes remaining. In tribute, he recreates the acts of the missing company. The message “is about choosing to speak up in the face of censorship and oppression.” For tickets, click here.