Valencia County Historical Society
Events
Presentations & Events
Upcoming Presentations & Events
Sun., Jan 26, 2025 Barstow Connection by Richard Melzer Belen Harvey House Museum. Join us for a presentation on the railraod connection between Belen, NM and Barstow, CA. 2:00PM
Past Recorded Presentations
Geologic History of Valencia County by Paul Parmentier Link to a video of the presentation from November 2nd : https://tinyurl.com/56hwsecd
Los Lunas Mystery Stone by John Taylor Link to a video of the presentation from November 12th: https://www.facebook.com/pg/vchsnm/events/?ref=page_internal
Presentations & Events by Other Associations
Wed., Dec. 11th at 10:30 AM, in person event, at the main Albuquerque Library at 5th and Copper Sts. in ABQ, the Albuquerque Genealogical Society (AGS) holds its Monthly Meeting and Holiday Party. Description: “Join us for a short business meeting, followed by our annual holiday party and a time of fellowship to celebrate another successful year of genealogy. Our annual holiday party is a time of fellowship to celebrate another successful year of genealogy. Bring your special heirloom, item of genealogical interest or success story to share with us all. We encourage attendees to come in costumes of their native lands or in the clothing of an ancestor. Members are also invited to bring a holiday dish to share during the party time. We love to end the year on a high note!”
See this web page: https://tinyurl.com/wa237sw7
Thu., Dec. 12th from 7 PM to 8:15 PM, in person event, the National Hispanic Cultural Center at 1701 4th St., NW in ABQ hold its first “Annual Luminito Celebration”. Free. Description: “Whether you call them ‘farolitos’ or ‘luminarias,’ come celebrate New Mexico’s distinctive holiday lights at the Center! On Dec. 12, join us for a holiday celebration illuminated by the world’s tallest ‘Luminito,’ a 20-foot-tall, steel-reinforced structure inspired by New Mexico’s traditional holiday lights. The Luminito will be lit up during the event, spreading holiday cheer throughout the Center. Throughout the evening, the event will be further illuminated with festive lights and images projected onto some of the Center’s iconic buildings, offering a modern twist on traditional holiday lights. These projected lights will remain at the Center during evenings throughout the holiday season. The event will also feature performances by Matachine dancers, holiday refreshments, food trucks, and a flashlight story walk featuring Rudolfo Anaya’s beloved children’s book, The Farolitos of Christmas: A New Mexico Christmas Story. Free Community Event. As this is an outdoor holiday event, please dress warmly and bring a flashlight to participate in the story walk. This celebration is part of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs’ New Mexico Traditions program.”
See this web page for more info: https://nhccnm.org/event/1st-annual-luminito-celebration/
Fri., Dec. 13th from 5:30 PM to 7 PM, in person event, the New Mexico History Museum at 113 Lincoln Avenue in Santa Fe presents “Holidays at the Palace”. Free. Partial description: “A Festive Evening of Tradition and Community. Join us for a heartwarming holiday celebration at the historic Palace of the Governors! “Holidays at the Palace” is a beloved tradition that brings families and friends together to enjoy the magic of the season. Step into the enchanting atmosphere of the Palace, adorned with festive decorations and twinkling farolitos. This iconic landmark, dating back to 1610, offers a unique setting for holiday festivities.”
NOTE: Enter under the Palace Portal, opposite the Santa Fe Plaza Bandstand.
See this web page with more detailed info: https://tinyurl.com/3zw876x3
Fri., Dec. 13th and Sat., Dec. 14th, starting at 5 PM both days, in person event, the Friends of Coronado Historic Site and Jemez Historic Site presents Lights of Gisewa at Jemez Historic site. Partial description: “Formerly "Light Among the Ruins," Lights of Gisewa has become a new holiday tradition for many New Mexicans yet has been a beautiful cultural tradition for the Jemez people for centuries. Imagine the fully immersive experience of being surrounded by a dark night sky, lit by more than 1,500 farolito lanterns along the historic remnants of the 17th century San José de los Jemez Mission Church. Feel the heat of the bonfires, hear the soft ambient flutes or drums of pueblo natives, smell and taste the traditional foods at the Site. Enjoy the native traditional arts and crafts as well as other New Mexico artisans. This is an experience that brings together the beauty and meaning of the season!”
$7 for adults. Free for children 16 years and younger.
See this web page for more info: https://tinyurl.com/3yau548k
Fri., Dec. 13th from 5 PM to 8 PM, in person event, the Railroad Museum at 351 North Mesilla St. in Las Cruces, holds its Holiday at the Depot. Free. Description: “Enjoy the sparkle of winter and holiday decorations as night falls on the depot! Visit the Railroad Museum for our annual "Holiday at the Depot." Our special evening open house will take place on Friday, December 13. There will be crafts and activities for all, including letter writing to Santa! Drop in between 5 pm and 8 pm MST No registration required. Light refreshments will be served outside of the museum.”
See this web page: https://lascruces.gov/event/holiday-at-the-depot/
Sat., Dec. 14th at 10:30 AM, in person event, the Special Collections Library at the corner of Central Ave. and Edith in ABQ, as part of its series Ever Changing, Ever Growing, presents “Around the Campfire: Stories of Smokey Bear and New Mexico’s Forests”: Description: “Why is Smokey Bear special to you? What memories do you have of time spent in the forests of New Mexico? Join staff from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service to listen to stories and take in historic images. Our focus will be lesser told stories to share how all New Mexicans are connected to our forests.”
See this web page: https://libevents.abqlibrary.org/event/11136888
Sat., Dec. 14th and Sun., Dec. 15th, from 9 AM to 4 PM each day, in person event, the Corrales Historical Society presents its Festival of the Nativities. Free. Donations appreciated. At Casa San Ysidro at 966 Old Church Road in Corrales.
See this Facebook post for more info: https://tinyurl.com/27fp239f
Sun., Dec. 15th at 2 PM, in person event, the Placitas Library at 453 highway 165 in Placitas holds its annual holiday open house. Description: “The annual Holiday Open House will be held on Sunday, December 15 at 2:00 PM featuring the Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera and community members sharing special holiday memories. Santa will visit with children after the program. Bring your camera. Children will also select a new book, courtesy of the Davis Foundation. Refreshments will be served. The library extends a big thank you to the Placitas Artists Series for sponsoring this program!”
See this web page: https://placitaslibrary.com/event/pcl-holiday-open-house/
For more info call 505-867-3355.
Tue., Dec. 17th from 4 PM to 8 PM, in person event, the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum at 4100 Dripping Springs Road in Las Cruces, presents “Farm La-La”. Description: “Enjoy a fun, festive evening at the Museum with the third-annual Farm La-La featuring thousands of lights around the 47-acre Museum, trolley rides, crafts, Doña Ana County 4-H activities, hot chocolate, s’mores and more.”
See this web page: https://tinyurl.com/2mdz9nn5
For more information, call (575) 522-4100.
Wed., Dec. 18th at noon, virtual and in person event, the State Records Center and Archives at 1205 Camino Carlos Rey in Santa Fe, as part of its monthly Tertulia lecture series, presents Deputy State Historian Nicolasa Chavez and state archives director Jonathan Pringle, who will give a presentation on “Los Pastores, Las Posadas & the Christmas Pageants of New Mexico”. Description: “Join Deputy State Historian Nicolasa Chávez and Director of State Archives Jonathan Pringle for a lively presentation celebrating the holidays and the long running history of Christmas pageants and plays in New Mexico from the Spanish, Mexican, Territorial, and Statehood eras.
See this web page, which includes a link to view the lecture on-line thru Microsoft Teams [like Zoom]:
SAVE THE DATE
Sep , 2025 |Historical Society of New Mexico Annual Conference | Las Cruces, New Mexico