A Calendar of Kiddo Events in Socorro

There is so much happening in Socorro, but no master calendar, and often I realize too late I've missed something. So here is a rough calendar of Socorro activities for kids (suggestions welcome). Dates are approximate, often things are scheduled on a weekend (even Cinco de Mayo!) and not every event happens every year.

May

2 Registration for Socorro Cooperative Preschool 575-835-1336
8 Kids T-Ball, softball starts.
5 Cinco de Mayo Celebration, Plaza, Saturday before May 5.
9, 10 Mother's Day Powwow
25 (Memorial Day) Public Pool opens. M-Fri 1-5 PM, Weekends 1-6PM. 1-2$ Always call ahead -- often closed due to lightening, swim meets, etc. (575) 835-3091. Don't forget swim team or lessons. The public pool (unlike the NMT pool) has a lovely wading pool for kiddos.
28 Start of summer vacation

June

1 Summer program begins at the Socorro Public Library
6 El Camino Real Spring Fiesta, El Camino Real Heritage Center
16 Official opening of Farmer's Market Tuesdays 5PM, Saturday 9AM
Juan de Bautista Fiesta and annual Kelly town reunion

July

4 Free all day 4th of July celebration at Macey Center. Waterslides, games, music, dancing, then fireworks. Traffic is as bad as it ever gets in Socorro.
5,6 Magdelena's Old Timers Rodeo
6 Tryouts, Missoula Children's Theater grades 1-12, 10AM
9 Elfego Baca Shootout. Not for kids to play in, but I've always wanted to watch this through binoculars.
11 Performance, Missoula Children's Theater, 3PM, 5:30PM
31 Last day to redeem Socorro Public Library "cash"

August

7 Hot August Nights, events on the plaza
8 registration starts for AYSO soccer. Starts at age four, practice and games Saturday mornings in September and November, then again in March.
12 First day of public school
15 Pool closes

September

5 Country Fair parade down California Street

3-6 Socorro County Fair and Rodeo. The Rodeo has a stick horse race for little kids -- stick horses provided. Everyone gets a ribbon. On the 5th there is a parade from Sedillo park south on California Street.
11 National Dance Institute Performance. The NDI comes to the Socorro schools, teaches everyone how to dance, then puts on a performance. Awesome!
26 M Mountain Fly-in, at the Socorro Airport
25-27 San Miguel Fiesta

October

3 Blessing of the Animals, Historic Plaza 835-2891
3 Oktoberfest at the Hammel Museum. Kids will like the model train room upstairs (which is open the first Sunday of each month as well). Bob Eveleth 835-5325
3-4 Chile Proppers Model Aircraft Fly 575-835-4568
9-10 SocorroFest, party on the plaza
9-10 Alamo Indian Days, dance and rodeo at the Alamo Reservation 20 minutes from Magdelena
10 Sevilleta Wildlife Refuge has only one open house a year. Most of the events require preregistration and are for older kids, maybe 10 and up, but on Saturday 10AM-3PM you can drop in and see exhibits and talk to the rangers about the wolves.
16 Public Night observing at Etscorn Observatory, Enchanted Skies Star Party
22-24 49ers Tech Alumni homecoming, parade at 11M Sat 24 ('09) starts Sedillo Park
31 Hamfest (amateur radio)

November

Farmer's Market ends
5-6 Alamo Days, dances and rodeo at the Alamo Navajo Reservation
14-19, Festival of the Crayons. A pun on the Festival of the Cranes, drive by and admire the giant crayons in front of this School of Mines house. Also point out the crane footprints that show the way to Macey Center.
17-22 Festival of the Cranes The festival isn't really a good time to go to the Bosque del Apache. It's crowded and the lectures are really for adults. However, remember that the festival is held in November because WINTER is when the Bosque is really humming -- birds winter over here, then head north in the spring. With short days, visiting at dawn or dusk is easier and the arrival and departure of hundreds of birds is really amazing.
28 Christmas Candy Cane Electric Light Parade

December

5-6 Luminarias on the Plaza
7 La Pastorela, the New Mexican version of the traditional Christmas Pageant is all about shepherds. San Miguel.
11 Luminarias at New Mexico Tech for the first night of finals.

24 Luminarias at the Plaza and Art Stroll

January

February

7 Community Arts Party. This is an unbelievable, over-stimulating event. I wouldn't try it before age 4 and you need a 1:1 adult to kid ratio. But it is awesome.

March

Saturdays AYSO Soccer spring season
20 Holi (East)Indian festival of colors. Wear a white t-shirt and throw dye at each other. 4PM Tech field, followed by Indian dinner. Sponsored by the East Asian Student Association, announced in SCOPE.

April

Pre-season Farmer's Market usually starts. Tuesdays 5PM, Saturdays 9AM
5-6 Spring Fling at New Mexico Tech. Contests. Drag show.
11 Easter Egg Hunt, City of Socorro
17 Owl Bar run. Got a jogging stroller and 13 miles of energy?
22 (fourth Thursday in April) Take your daughter to work day
22 Earth Day, party on the plaza
28 Family Fun Fest, at Clark Field, sponsored by CYFD
29 Lottery day at the Cottonwood Valley Charter School
30 Registration for Socorro Stingrays, the public pool swim team, age 8-18 Diedre Vinson 575-838-6099