NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from November 29-December 5.
Albuquerque
November 29 Family Friday Shop and Stroll – Bring your friends and family to the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for a holiday shop and stroll event with games for kids, Pueblo Santa, photos with Santa, artists, ornament making, s’mores, hot chocolate, Pueblo pies, and more treats for everyone. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
November 29 Wreath Making Workshop – Using dried berries, gorgeous greenery, and other natural elements foraged from around Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm, learn how to make a beautiful wreath infused with New Mexican touches. This event runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and costs $150 per person (or $100 for inn guests).
November 29-December 1 New Mexico Artisan Market – Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town hosts New Mexico’s premier boutique holiday shopping experience. Shop locally curated, handcrafted, artisan goods from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $15.
November 29-December 1 24th Annual Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Festival – Kick off holiday shopping while supporting artists at the largest holiday art festival in New Mexico. Shoppers can find memorable and original gifts at this three-day event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are $10.
November 30 Winrock Wonderland Holiday Market – From 2 to 6 p.m., visit Winrock Town Center Park for a showcase of over 80 local artisans, makers, food trucks, and live entertainment, including a special Nutcracker performance by the New Mexico Ballet.
November 30-December 30 River of Lights – New Mexico’s largest original walk-through holiday light show runs until Dec. 30th from 5 to 10 p.m. daily.
November 30-December 8 The Nutcracker Ballet – Kick off your holidays and experience the magic of The Nutcracker Ballet, presented in Popejoy Hall on Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7 and 8. This timeless tale of wonder features stars from the New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet plus a full live orchestra from the New Mexico Philharmonic. Showtimes and ticket prices vary.
December 2 A Drag Queen Christmas – The longest-running drag tour in America, this 10th Anniversary Tour hosted by Nina West starts at 8 p.m. with a VIP Meet & Greet starting at 6 p.m. This event is for ages 18+, with tickets starting at $45.
December 5 Nob Hill Shop and Stroll – Started in 1995 by local Nob Hill Merchants, Shop & Stroll is intended to highlight local retailers in the Nob Hill neighborhood during the holiday season. This free event runs from 5 to 10 p.m.
December 5-29 Winter Wonderland NM – A New Mexico favorite, Winter Wonderland NM at EXPO NM returns for the 2024 season. This event runs from 6 to 10 p.m. Dates vary. Tickets start at $30.
New Mexico
November 29 2024 Santa Fe Plaza Holiday Lighting – The City of Santa Fe’s annual Holiday Plaza Lighting ceremony will be held from 4:15-8 p.m. on The Plaza.
November 30 MarketMusic – Listen to Baroque Christmas music from around the world from 12 to 1 p.m. Guest soprano Jennifer Perez sings works reflecting Germanic, French, Italian, and Peruvian holiday traditions at the New Mexico School for the Arts in Santa Fe.
November 30 Holiday Lighted Bike Ride – Join a guided, lighted bike ride through old Mesilla and Mesilla Park and get into the Christmas spirit. Enjoy refreshments and listen to holiday music along the 4.72-mile ride through Las Cruces from 6 to 8 p.m. Bring your own bike and save $10.
November 30 Holiday Market/Holly Day Magic Art & Craft Show – Support Roswell and small businesses to find the best goods for your holiday shopping from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a $5 entry fee.
November 30 Christmas Light Parade – Tucumcari’s Annual Christmas Light Parade will be held on Small Business Saturday at 6 p.m. starting at Del’s Restaurant.
November 30 Small Business Saturday and Holiday Craft Show – Visit the Eagles Club in Espanola starting at 10 a.m. Enjoy discounted breakfast from The Beast Food Truck with early bird registration.
November 30 Stargazing/Meteor Shower Watch Party in the Caldera – Take in the majesty of the celestial sky and the Leonids meteor shower at Valles Caldera National Preserve, an International Dark Sky Park. Bring water, snacks, a red light, telescope (if you have one), and your own seating. The event starts at 7 p.m.
November 30 101st Battle of I-10 – Watch the NMSU Aggies play the UTEP Miners in the 101st football rivalry game in Las Cruces. Tickets start at $12 and the game starts at 2 p.m.
December 4 2024 Native Arts & Crafts Christmas Bazaar – From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., the entire community is invited to attend and enjoy a day filled with beautiful artistry and cultural celebration. Get into the holiday spirit with unique, handcrafted gifts at this Farmington event.
December 5 Adulti-Verse: Bizarre Bazaar with ArtWalk Santa Fe – Enjoy holiday shopping, crafting, and festive beverages at Meow Wolf. Tickets start at $25 for New Mexico residents. This event is for ages 21+ and starts at 6 p.m.
Albuquerque Notices
🔶 City of Albuquerque hosting series of community meetings on homelessness – The city of Albuquerque is looking to hear from the community about housing and homelessness in the metro. The city is hosting a series of community meetings called “Constructive Conversations.”
🔶 Albuquerque Environmental Health Dept. shares Thanksgiving food safety tips – With Thanksgiving this week, the City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department is reminding residents to prioritize food safety. The department shared the following tips to consider when buying, preparing, and cooking Thanksgiving food.
🔶 Boots In The Park festival returning to Albuquerque with headliners Luke Combs, Cody Johnson – Country musical festival Boots In The Park is returning to Albuquerque with a new format and performers in 2025. The festival will now take place over two days, May 17 and 18, at Balloon Fiesta Park.
🔶 LIST: Free Thanksgiving meal giveaways in Albuquerque – Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and several Albuquerque community organizations have events set up to help make sure everyone has access to a holiday meal. Here, you will find a list of free meals and food giveaways happening in November 2024.
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🔶 Thanksgving 2024: Which Albuquerque, Santa Fe operations are impacted? – This year, Thanksgiving falls on November 28, which means Black Friday is on November 29. Both Albuquerque and Santa Fe will have closures to observe the holiday.
🔶 Albuquerque Luminaria Tour returns for 59th year – The annual Luminaria Tour is returning for its 59th year. The popular tour takes guests through some of the most festive neighborhoods in Albuquerque, including Old Town and the Albuquerque Country Club.
🔶 Albuquerque holding annual crossing guard food drive – The annual City of Albuquerque Crossing Guard Food Drive is coming up December 2 – 10. Crossing guards at locations throughout the city will be collecting non-perishable items.
🔶 Albuquerque department sheds light on object attached to some parking meters – A recent video circulating on social media has people wondering what the devices mounted on Downtown parking meters are. As it turns out, they are nothing new.
🔶 City completes medical sobering facility at Gateway Center – The City of Albuquerque celebrated a milestone on Monday as they are preparing to open a sobering center. They hope it will address a crisis in the community while easing the burden on emergency rooms.
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🔶 Prepare for busy airports and roads, Sunport says – The Albuquerque Sunport is prepping for a busy holiday week as they expect hundreds of thousands of flyers. According to airport officials, more than 170,000 people will be traveling through the airport over the next few days.
New Mexico Notices
🔶 Experts say it’s time to increase the 911 surcharge in New Mexico by 99 cents – Every New Mexican with a phone bill has been paying the same rate for 911 fees since 1989. However, on Monday, officials from the New Mexico Association of Counties say it’s time for a fee increase.
🔶 Corrales leaders warn residents about a rise in coyote attacks – A growing number of coyote attacks has Corrales city leaders warning neighbors. Additionally, some think the village needs to bolster its efforts in addressing the problem.
🔶 New Mexico receives $18.6M to help residents heat their homes during winter – The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) received $18.6 million of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds to help New Mexicans stay warm and safe during this winter season. LIHEAP is a federal program administered by the Health Care Authority and currently provides utility assistance to 30,219 lower-income households across the state.
🔶 Fees waived on Black Friday at New Mexico state parks – Those looking for an outdoor activity during the Thanksgiving break have a cheap option with state parks here in New Mexico. The State Energy and Mineral Department said Black Friday will be a free-use day for all 35 parks in the Land of Enchantment. However, some parks may be closed due to seasonal hours.
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🔶 New Mexico providing emergency SNAP support to people impacted by flooding – The New Mexico Health Care Authority (HCA) is providing emergency support to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) customers impacted by severe flooding in Chaves County and other affected areas. This assistance includes replacing lost food benefits, reissuing EBT cards, and temporarily allowing hot food purchases.
🔶 When do New Mexico, Southern Colorado ski resorts open? – Ski season is upon us and New Mexico and southern Colorado ski resorts are getting ready to welcome the public. Here is a list of area ski resorts and when they’re scheduled to open.
🔶 PODCAST: Why Are New Mexico’s Children At Risk? – When it comes to overall child well-being in New Mexico, the state ranks 50th in the nation according to a ‘Kids Count’ report. But that ranking doesn’t even include child abuse and neglect data. What sort of indicators are used to measure child welfare? And how can New Mexico move out of last place?
🔶 New Mexico Game and Fish releases video about turkey conservation – New Mexico Game and Fish is highlighting their turkey conservation efforts ahead of Turkey Day. The department said that in the 1930s, there were only about 30,000 wild turkeys left in the US. Thanks to conservation efforts, that number grew to more than 7 million by 2010, and officials hope to continue the trend.
🔶 New Mexico representative steps down to focus on health after re-election – A state representative from Milan has retired from the legislature to focus on his health. Eliseo “Lee” Alcon, a Democrat was elected to the state house in 2009, where he advocated for New Mexico veterans, the economy, and the environment.
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🔶 Teen arrested for Roswell-area school threats – Roswell Independent Schools said the teenager has been arrested after they made threats against schools in the area. According to the district, they were alerted by the FBI early Friday morning of potential threats made against the schools on social media.
Polls are now open in Rio Rancho where voters are set to elect a new mayor and decide several key measures Tuesday.
RIO RANCHO, N.M. — Rio Rancho voters are set to elect a new mayor and decide several key measures Tuesday in one of New Mexico’s fastest growing cities.
Voters will make their way to one of the 14 voting centers open Tuesday to decide which person will become mayor, replacing Gregg Hull. These six candidates are running:
Like Albuquerque, Rio Rancho candidates need to earn 50% of the votes to win. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff election.
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Regardless of who wins, this will be the first time Rio Rancho voters will elect a new mayor in over a decade. Their priorities include addressing crime and how fast the city is growing, as well as improving infrastructure and government transparency, especially as the site of a new Project Ranger missile project.
The only other race with multiple candidates is the District 5 city council seat. Incumbent Karissa Culbreath faces a challenge from Calvin Ducane Ward.
Voters will also decide the fate of three general obligation bonds:
LAS VEGAS, N.M. — The approaching desert dusk did nothing to settle Travis Regensberg’s nerves as he and a small herd of stray cattle awaited the appearance of a state livestock inspector with whom he had a 30-year feud.
This was Nov. 3, 2023, and, as Regensberg tells it, the New Mexico Livestock Board had maintained an agreement for almost a decade: Livestock Inspector Matthew Romero would not service his ranch due to a long history of bad blood between the two men. False allegations of “cattle rustling” had surfaced in the past, Regensberg said.
A dramatic standoff that evening, caught on lapel camera video, shows Regensberg at the entrance gate of his ranch. Defiant, Regensberg says anyone but Romero can pick up the stray cattle he had asked state livestock officials to pick up earlier in the day. Romero, who is backed up by two New Mexico State Police officers, directs Regensberg to open the gate or he will be arrested.
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“You guys can send somebody who is not Matthew Romero,” Regensberg says in the video, which The New Mexican received through a public records request.
Then-New Mexico Livestock Board Deputy Director Darron “Shawn” Davis can be heard in the video during a call on Romero’s phone, saying, “Matthew, go ahead and arrest Mr. Regensberg for obstruction.”
Regensberg, a contractor and rancher, filed a civil rights lawsuit in February against the New Mexico Livestock Board, Romero and Davis, alleging an “appalling misuse” of power from the state agency. Initially filed in the state District Court in San Miguel County, the suit has been moved to U.S. District Court.
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Travis Regensberg, rancher and contractor, practices his throw on a roping dummy in his barn in Las Vegas, N.M., on Feb. 17, 2025.
Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
Regensberg, 60, maintains the incident that evening and the criminal charges later filed against him marked a “conspiracy” on the part of state livestock officials to use the weight of the agency to ruin his reputation amid a long-standing grudge held by Romero.
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The District Attorney’s Office in San Miguel County filed criminal charges against Regensberg after the incident, although he was not arrested that night. The counts included unlawful dispossession of animals, livestock running at large and use of a telephone to intimidate and harass — all of which were dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning prosecutors could not refile them, in late 2024. An unlawful branding charge also did not stick.
Regensberg’s suit asserts the board pursued charges of cattle dispossession against him, even though he had called livestock officials and told them to pick up the stray cattle that had wandered onto his property. It says the agency also pursued a charge of cattle running at large, after state officials left a gate open on his property, allowing some of his own cattle to get loose that night.
Romero and Davis both declined to comment on the case.
Davis said he retired in July after 25 years with the agency, noting his retirement was unrelated to the case.
Romero has also retired from the agency; the livestock board did not answer a question about whether his retirement had any connection to the lawsuit.
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Legal counsel for the defendants filed a 30-page motion Feb. 16 seeking to dismiss the case, arguing the defendants had cause to charge Regensberg.
“In this view, Plaintiff appears to argue that his history of conflict with Defendant Romero legally permits him to obstruct the performance of Defendant Romero’s duties. No facts support that this unlawful obstruction was anticipated,” the motion states.
“Just like any individual would not be able to choose which [state police] officer could pull them over for a traffic infraction, Plaintiff is not allowed to unilaterally decide which [livestock] Inspector would show up to a call,” the motion continues.
Unlawful impound?
The dislike between the two men evidently started when they were teenagers or in their early 20s. The suit states the pair had once shared rides to bull-riding events at rodeos, but the relationship soured when Regensburg made a certain pointed comment to Romero.
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The lawsuit lays out subsequent flare-ups between the two men, including at a Wagon Mound rodeo and at a state park in San Miguel County where Romero was working as a ranger.
A small herd of Travis Regensberg’s cattle eat feed on his property in Las Vegas, N.M.
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Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
Belinda Garland, executive director of the New Mexico Livestock Board, declined to comment on the case.
“This matter is currently before the courts,” she wrote in an email. “Out of respect for the legal process, we cannot comment further. We intend to vigorously defend against the allegations and are confident in our position.”
State police officers were able to defuse the situation that night and convince Regensberg to let officials onto his property after they promised to manage any conflicts between him and Romero.
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Someone left a gate open when they entered, allowing about 20 of Regensberg’s cattle to escape. All of those cattle were gathered back onto his ranch, except for a steer.
He alleges state officials later impounded the steer and sold it for just $75 at the Belen livestock auction without telling him.
In the motion to dismiss the case, lawyers for Romero, Davis and the livestock board say officials had informed Regensberg earlier in the day the cattle belonged to a neighbor.
“Plaintiff refused to allow [his neighbor] to pick up the cattle and demanded that NMLB come get the cattle, even though he was told that the cattle were [his neighbor’s] cattle by a NMLB Inspector,” the motion states. “Plaintiff fed and watered the cattle, without consent of the owner.”
Regensberg said he did not turn the cattle over to his neighbor because the receipt his neighbor presented to him from a Valencia County livestock auction showed they had been purchased at 2:56 p.m. that day, while the stray cattle had turned up on his property that morning.
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“The invoice shown to him was for cattle purchased only minutes earlier at location more than a two-hour drive from Regensberg’s ranch in Las Vegas,” his lawsuit says.
Legal counsel for the livestock board have offered up a different narrative.
“By refusing to allow Defendant Romero on his property, and by knowingly herding, locking away, feeding, and watering [his neighbor’s] cattle, there was more than enough probable cause to charge Plaintiff with unlawful disposition of an animal,” states the motion to dismiss.
“I’m just going to go with obstruction, failure to comply,” Romero says in the lapel camera video, talking to two state police officers about Regensberg, who by that time in the evening had gone into his own residence on the property. “I can get him on unlawful impound, too.”
The history
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What occurred Nov. 3, 2023, could have been a fairly routine job for state livestock agents, according to the lawsuit. Stray cattle had wandered onto Regensberg’s land that morning through a gate opened by a family member who had driven onto his property.
Regensberg, the suit states, herded the strays into an enclosure around 11:15 a.m. and then called a state livestock inspector to remove the animals, following what he believed to be correct protocol.
Eventually Regensberg, according to the lawsuit, fed the cattle as the day lengthened and as no state inspectors had come to remove the animals. Regensberg was told Romero was the only agent available to get the stray cattle, even as he insisted the agency send someone else.
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Travis Regensberg takes a bag of feed out to his cattle followed by his dog Rooster in Las Vegas, N.M., on Feb. 17, 2025.
Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
The suit states Romero had previously accused Regensberg in a 2014 lawsuit of threatening to kill him, so Regensberg was concerned Romero would try to shoot him that night.
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In the late 1980s or early 1990s, according to the lawsuit, Regensberg was riding a motorcycle on a park roadway heading to a July 4 family gathering when he was stopped by Romero, who told him motorcycles were prohibited from the park and he would have to leave. Regensberg sought to explain he was on his way to a family gathering and would only ride on the road.
“Romero flared, insisting Regensberg’s motorcycle was prohibited and demanded he leave the Park,” the lawsuit says. “Regensberg left, which meant he missed the family gathering. After becoming a livestock inspector, Romero began confronting and harassing Regensberg at various events.”
‘A matter of principle’
It is not the first such lawsuit the agency has recently faced.
A suit filed in a little over a year ago in state District Court by Mike Archuleta, a Rowe cattleman, accuses the board of violating his civil rights by relying on false accusations made by a Texas-based rancher as the basis for seizing five unbranded calves from their home in 2023 and selling them at auction before the couple could prove through DNA testing the animals belonged to them.
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Travis Regensberg gathers his rope while practicing his throw on a roping dummy in his barn in Las Vegas, N.M., on Feb. 17, 2025.
Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
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Regensberg, a team roper, reflected on how the whole affair has hurt his reputation in the small communities where he has spent his whole life.
He thinks the power of the state should not be used to settle what is, in his view, a personal score. Bringing feed pelts out to the pasture on a recent day — the wind tearing across the landscape and tearing at his clothing — Regensburg said he had to sell about 30 head of cattle just to pay legal fees.
“It’s about accountability,” he said of the lawsuit. “It’s a matter of principle.”
A retired US Air Force general was reported missing in New Mexico, with authorities warning that medical concerns have heightened fears for his safety.
Retired Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, 68, was last seen around 11 a.m. Friday near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office said.
Officials said they do not know what McCasland was wearing or in which direction he may have traveled. The sheriff’s office has issued a Silver Alert.
“Due to his medical issues, law enforcement is concerned for his safety,” the sheriff’s office said.
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McCasland was a longtime leader at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and previously commanded Kirtland’s Phillips Research Site and Air Force Research Laboratory.
Col. Justin Secrest, commander of the 377th Air Base Wing at Kirtland, told the Albuquerque Journal that the base is coordinating with local authorities.
Retired Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, a longtime leader at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, has gone missing. United States Air Force1st Lt. Steven McNamara (left) and McCasland cut the cake celebrating 100 years of heritage for the Air Force Research Laboratory at the Heritage Annex. Jim Fisher / United States Air Force“Due to his medical issues, law enforcement is concerned for his safety,” the sheriff’s office said. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office
“Our thoughts are with his family during this difficult time,” Secrest said.
McCasland was commissioned in 1979 after graduating from the US Air Force Academy with a degree in astronautical engineering and held multiple leadership roles in space research, acquisition and operations, including work with the National Reconnaissance Office.
Authorities asked anyone with information about McCasland to text BCSO to 847411 or call the sheriff’s Missing Persons Unit at +1 (505) 468-7070.
