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Federal Government

Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument

Weekly Ranger-Led Guided Hike — Quarai Unit

Date: Every Friday through October 30, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM MDT
Location: Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Quarai Unit, 122 Manzano Quarai Rd, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Park rangers lead a free 45-minute guided hike at the Quarai Unit every Friday morning. No reservation is required. Bring water, a snack, sturdy shoes, and weather-appropriate clothing.

Weekly Ranger-Led Guided Hike — Gran Quivira Unit

Date: Every Saturday through October 24, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM MDT
Location: Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Gran Quivira Unit, 4030 Quivera Flats Rd, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Park rangers lead a free 45-minute guided hike at the Gran Quivira Unit every Saturday morning. No reservation is required. Bring water, a snack, sturdy shoes, and weather-appropriate clothing.

Weekly Ranger-Led Guided Hike — Abó Unit

Date: Every Sunday through October 25, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM MDT
Location: Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Abó Unit, 69 Ruins Road, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Park rangers lead a free 45-minute guided hike at the Abó Unit every Sunday morning. No reservation is required. Bring water, a snack, sturdy shoes, and weather-appropriate clothing.

BARK in the Park Hike

Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM MDT – 12:00 PM MDT (educational presentation to follow)
Location: Quarai Unit, Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument, 122 Manzano Quarai Rd, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument and the Friends of the Mountainair Animal Shelter (FOMAS) invite visitors to bring their dogs for a ranger-led trail hike and earn BARK Ranger status. The program encourages participants to follow the B.A.R.K. principles: Bag waste, Always leash, Respect wildlife, and Know where to go. FOMAS partners will offer educational presentations on dog adoption. Bring lunch to enjoy at the picnic area during the presentation. For more information, contact the Mountainair Headquarters Visitor Center at (505) 847-2585.

Dark Skies, Bright Stars! — 2026 Dark Sky Program

Date: Friday, August 14, 2026
Time: 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM MDT
Location: Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument Abó Unit, 69 Ruins Road, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Park rangers and volunteers host a spectacular evening program as part of the 2026 Dark Sky Program series. Activities include ranger-led tours, telescope viewing, a dark sky photography workshop, and guided pueblo and mission programs. During the July Dark Skies Event, rangers stressed that the August event will be particularly impressive as it occurs at the same time as meteor showers. The Estancia Valley is one of the darkest sky corridors in New Mexico, making this a standout stargazing opportunity for visitors of all ages. Admission is free. This is the monument's monthly Dark Sky Program, hosted May through October; the September session is scheduled for Friday, September 11, 2026.

State Government

Department of Veterans Services

Girls in the Game: New Mexico United Fundraiser for Women Veterans

Date: Saturday, August 1, 2026
Time: 7:15 PM
Location: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, 1601 Avenida Cesar Chavez SE, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Details: New Mexico United is fundraising for the Women Veterans of New Mexico. Five dollars from every ticket sold through the team's designated link will be donated to the organization.

NMDVS Field Office Closures

Date: Monday, August 3, 2026, through Friday, August 7, 2026
Time: Regular office hours affected; both Albuquerque and Santa Fe offices closed all day on Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Location: All 16 New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services field offices statewide will close for Veteran Service Officer training. Limited services remain available in Albuquerque (4801 Indian School Road NE) and Santa Fe (Bataan Memorial Building, 407 Galisteo Street).
Details: All offices reopen and resume regular business hours on Monday, August 10, 2026. For immediate assistance during the closure, call 1-866-433-8387 or visit DVS.NM.GOV.

NMDVS Veterans' Benefits Outreach Visit — Socorro

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM MDT
Location: Forget Me Not Veteran Center, 705 N. California, Socorro, NM
Details: New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services staff will be on site to help Veterans and eligible dependents file for or inquire about VA disability ratings, VA medical and mental health care, retiree pensions, military burials, and other federal and state Veterans benefits. Bring a copy of your DD-214 or equivalent discharge document, along with photo identification. This outreach visit recurs monthly; the next is September 8, 2026, at the same time and location. (Because this is the only regional homeless service program in the area, it is included in this list even though it is outside the standard "50 miles away" boundary for events.)

Boots to Business — Albuquerque

Date: Thursday, August 13, 2026, and Friday, August 14, 2026
Time: The Department of Veterans Services describes sessions as "typically" 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM but does not confirm exact hours.
Location: Kirtland Air Force Base Consolidated Support Building, Albuquerque, NM
Details: A free, two-day entrepreneurship course offered through the New Mexico Veterans Business Outreach Center for transitioning service members, Veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and military spouses interested in starting or growing a small business. Base access is required. For more information or to register, contact VBOC Advisor Christina Stover at christina.stover@dvs.nm.gov or (505) 469-8501.

18th Annual Military Honors Fall Training Conference and Competition

Date: Friday, August 28, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM MDT
Location: New Mexico Veterans Memorial, 1100 Louisiana Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87108
Details: Hosted by the New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services, AARP, and the New Mexico National Guard.

4th Annual Veterans Meditation Retreat

Date: Friday, September 25, 2026, through Monday, September 28, 2026
Time: Contact organizers for details (see below)
Location: The Clyde Hotel, 330 Tijeras Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Details: A free, fully funded retreat introducing meditation techniques for Veterans, open to every Veteran regardless of discharge status, gender, race, or LGBTQI+/Two-Spirited identity. A support partner must accompany each attendee. Lodging, meals, and transportation to and from the retreat are covered by grants, sponsors, and individual donors. To apply, call (505) 982-4183, email info@lifetransition.com, or visit lifetransition.com/vmr.

Torrance County

Torrance County LEPC Meeting

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM MDT
Location: Via Zoom
Details: The Torrance County Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) meets monthly to coordinate emergency preparedness planning across the county. The public is welcome to attend. To join, use the link, Meeting ID, and passcode below.

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 827 0183 2333
Passcode: 334791

To join by phone, dial +1 (719) 359-4580 or +1 (253) 205-0468 and enter the Meeting ID and passcode when prompted.

Torrance County Board of County Commissioners Special Meeting

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM MDT
Location: Torrance County Administrative Offices, 205 South 9th Street, Estancia, NM 87016
Details: Specially scheduled administrative meeting of the Torrance County Board of County Commissioners. For questions, contact the County Manager's Office at (505) 544-4700. Topics to be covered:

• approval of the final budget for FY2027
• approval of the quarterly report for Q4 FY2026
• approval of the July 8, 2026, regular meeting minutes

Torrance County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM MDT
Location: Torrance County Administrative Offices, 205 South 9th Street, Estancia, NM 87016
Details: Regularly scheduled administrative meeting of the Torrance County Board of County Commissioners. For questions, contact the County Manager's Office at (505) 544-4700.

Torrance County Board of County Commissioners Regular Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM MDT
Location: Torrance County Administrative Offices, 205 South 9th Street, Estancia, NM 87016
Details: Regularly scheduled administrative meeting of the Torrance County Board of County Commissioners. For questions, contact the County Manager's Office at (505) 544-4700.

Encino

Encino Village Council Rescheduled Meeting

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM MDT
Location: Encino Government Offices, 527 North Main St., Encino, NM 88321
Details: The council normally meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. For more information on Encino events, contact the Village Hall at (575) 584-2980.

Encino Village Council Monthly Meeting

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM MDT
Location: Encino Government Offices, 527 North Main St., Encino, NM 88321
Details: The council meets on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. For more information on Encino events, contact the Village Hall at (575) 584-2980.

Estancia

Board of Trustees Meeting

Date: 1st & 3rd Mondays
Time: 6:15 PM MDT
Location: Town Hall, 513 Williams Ave., Estancia, NM.
Details: Regular meeting of the Town of Estancia Board of Trustees to review town operations, budgets, and community updates.

Moriarty

Summer Lunch Program

Date: Ongoing (Monday – Friday)
Time: Moriarty Middle School: Breakfast 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM, Lunch 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM; Echo Ridge Water Tower: Lunch 11:00 AM – 11:20 AM; Depot Apartments: Lunch 11:30 AM – 11:50 AM; Moriarty City Park: Lunch 12:00 PM – 12:45 PM
Location: Various locations across Moriarty, NM
Details: Free summer lunch and breakfast program providing healthy meals to kids and teens ages 1–18. For additional details or questions, call 505-832-5838.

Dig Into Summer Reading

Date: Ongoing through Monday, August 31, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM MDT
Location: Moriarty Community Library, 202 Broadway Street South, Moriarty, NM 87035
Details: The community library's annual summer reading program. Participants who complete and turn in their reading logs earn two free scoops of ice cream courtesy of local sponsor Da' People's Choice.

Mountainair

Town Council Meeting

Date: 1st & 3rd Tuesdays (next meetings: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 and Tuesday, August 18, 2026)
Time: 6:00 PM MDT
Location: Mountainair Town Council Building, 107 1/2 North Roosevelt Avenue, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Regular meeting of the Mountainair Town Council. To join by phone, call 346-248-7799, enter access code 856-052-5813, and enter passcode 888-888.

Willard

Willard Village Council Monthly Meeting

Date: Monday, August 10, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM MDT
Location: Willard Village Hall, 720 Dunlavy Ave, Willard, NM 87063
Details: The council meets on the 2nd Monday of each month. For more information on Willard events, contact the Village Hall at (505) 384-2874.

Soil and Water Conservation Districts

Central Tri-County Soil and Water Conservation District Board Meeting

Date: Thursday, August 6, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM MDT
Location: 2506 NM-333, Moriarty, NM 87035 (also known as 2506 Old Route 66)
Details: Regular monthly meeting of the Central Tri-County SWCD board, held on the 1st Thursday of each month.

Claunch-Pinto Soil and Water Conservation District Regular Board Meeting

Date: Friday, August 7, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM MDT
Location: Claunch-Pinto SWCD Conservation Center, 1206 NM-55, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Monthly meeting held on the 1st Friday of the month. Meetings are open to the public and currently available via Zoom. For Zoom access information, visit http://www.claunchpinto.org.

East Torrance Soil and Water Conservation District Board Meeting

Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM MDT
Location: 715 S 5th St, Estancia, NM 87016
Details: Regular monthly meeting of the board of supervisors. The board meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Other Organizations

Mountainair Rotary Club Weekly Lunch Meeting

Date: Every Thursday
Time: 12:00 PM MDT
Location: Claunch-Pinto SWCD Conservation Center, 1206 NM-55, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: Weekly meeting for community service planning and networking. Visitors are welcome and should bring their own lunch.

Moriarty Mini Comic Con — Vol. 8

Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
Time: exact times not yet published
Location: Moriarty Civic Center, 202 Broadway Street South, Moriarty, NM 87035
Details: The Friends of the Moriarty Community Library present the eighth annual Moriarty Mini Comic Con, a community celebration of comics, art, gaming, and pop culture. Vendor applications are currently being accepted. For more information, contact the Friends of the Moriarty Community Library.

Forest Stewards Youth Corps — Fall Fire and Fuels Program (Now Recruiting)

Date: Recruitment ongoing; the program dates are Wednesday, August 19, 2026, through Friday, November 13, 2026
Time: Full-time (40 hours per week)
Location: Mountainair, NM (also Pueblo of Jemez and Santa Fe)
Details: The Forest Stewards Youth Corps (FSYC), in partnership with the New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps and the US Forest Service, is now recruiting crew members and crew leaders ages 18 to 25 for its 13-week Fall Fire and Fuels Program. Positions pay $18 to $20 per hour with overtime pay eligibility. The program is based in Mountainair, among other locations. To apply as a crew member or crew leader, visit foreststewardsguild.org/fsyc. For more information, contact Andrew Pearson at apearson@forestguild.org or (505) 795-2551.

2026 Mountainair Sunflower Festival

Date: Saturday, August 29, 2026
Time: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM MDT
Location: Manzano Mountain Arts Council, 101 East Broadway, Mountainair, NM 87036 (corner of US Highway 60 and NM Highway 55) and throughout Monte Alto Plaza, 122 W Main St, Mountainair, NM 87036
Details: A free, family-friendly arts festival featuring more than 50 fine artists, 20-plus local vendors, live music, a beer and wine garden, a children's activities area, a sunflower hat and costume contest, a treasure sale, and an art raffle and silent auction. More information will be available as the date approaches.

Natural Occurrences

Covering July 27 through August 26, 2026

The Full Buck Moon Rises

The moon reaches full phase at 8:36 AM MDT on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, though it will look completely round to the naked eye both the night before and the night after. July's full moon is nicknamed the Buck Moon because this is the time of year when a male deer's antlers are in full growth. Watch for it climbing over the Manzano Mountains shortly after sunset on July 28.

Two Meteor Showers Overlap, but Moonlight Will Wash Them Out

The Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower peaks on the night of Thursday, July 30, 2026, into the early morning of Friday, July 31, 2026, alongside a smaller shower called the Alpha Capricornids. A meteor shower happens when Earth passes through a trail of dust left behind by a comet, and those dust particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating streaks of light. Under a perfectly dark sky, the Delta Aquariids can produce 15 to 20 meteors an hour. This year, however, the moon will be about 98 percent full on peak night, and its glare will hide all but the brightest fireballs. Residents who still want to try should look toward the southern sky after midnight, away from town lights.

Mercury's Best Morning Appearance of the Summer

On Sunday, August 2, 2026, Mercury reaches what astronomers call greatest western elongation, meaning it will be as far from the glare of the sun as it gets during this apparition, 19.5 degrees. This makes it the best morning to spot the solar system's smallest planet. Look low in the eastern sky about 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise. Mercury will appear as a small, steady point of light close to the horizon.

The Moon Passes Mars Before Dawn

In the early morning hours of Saturday, August 8, and Sunday, August 9, 2026, a thin, waning crescent moon will drift past Mars in the eastern sky before sunrise. The two will appear close together, making for an easy way to pick out the red planet without a telescope.

New Moon Sets Up a Dark Sky

The moon reaches its new phase at 11:37 AM MDT on Wednesday, August 12, 2026. During a new moon, the moon sits between the Earth and the sun, and its lit side faces away from us entirely, so it disappears from view for a night or two. This darkness sets the stage for the biggest sky event of the month, described below.

The Perseids: A Rare, Perfectly Dark Show

The Perseid meteor shower, widely considered the best meteor shower of the year, peaks on the night of Wednesday, August 12, into the early morning of Thursday, August 13, 2026. In a typical year, the glow of the moon washes out many of the fainter meteors. This year is different. Because the peak falls right on the new moon, the sky will be about as dark as it gets, and forecasters expect 50 to 75 meteors an hour from a rural viewing spot with no light pollution, several times what most people will ever see from a meteor shower. Torrance County's open, dark skies make it one of the better places in the state to watch. The Perseids are debris left behind by comet Swift-Tuttle, and they get their name because they appear to radiate from the constellation Perseus, though they can streak across any part of the sky. The best viewing window is after midnight and before the first light of dawn. No telescope or binoculars are needed, just a lawn chair, a blanket, and patience for the eyes to adjust to the dark for at least 20 minutes.

Venus Shines at Its Brightest

Venus reaches greatest eastern elongation on Saturday, August 15, 2026, sitting 46 degrees from the sun in the evening sky and blazing at magnitude -4.4, bright enough to be mistaken for an airplane landing light. Look west after sunset for the brilliant, steady point of light. Venus will stay prominent in the evening sky through late September.

A Crescent Moon Joins Venus

The evening of Sunday, August 16, 2026, brings a striking pairing: a slim, 15-percent-illuminated crescent moon will sit close to Venus in the western sky after sunset, in the constellation Virgo.

Saturn Builds Toward Its Best Night of the Year

Saturn will not reach opposition, the point where it rises at sunset and stays visible all night, until October 4, 2026. Through August, though, it is already rising earlier each evening and climbing higher in the southeastern sky, in the constellation Aquarius, glowing at a steady magnitude of about +0.4 to +0.8. To the naked eye, Saturn looks like a pale yellow star that does not twinkle. A small telescope will reveal its rings.

Birding the Estancia Valley: Late Summer Transition

Late July and August mark a quiet but important shift in the bird world around Torrance County, even though it does not look like much is happening at first glance. Some birds, like the Cordilleran Flycatcher and the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, are still feeding chicks that hatched earlier this summer. At the same time, other birds have already begun their trip south for the winter, months before the weather turns cold. Early July brings the first shorebirds, such as the Solitary Sandpiper and the Stilt Sandpiper, moving through the region. By the second week of the month, Rufous and Calliope Hummingbirds, two small, fast-flying species, become common statewide, including at backyard feeders in the Mountainair area. Unlike the rush of spring migration, birds moving south in late summer take their time, so the change happens gradually through August rather than all at once. Most birds that spend the summer in New Mexico's mountains have moved down into the lower valleys by the middle of the month. A few species pass through only in the fall, so residents who spot something unusual should not assume it lives here year-round. Shorebird numbers reach their peak in mid-August, especially at large wetland stopover sites elsewhere in the state. August is also notable because southern wading birds, like herons, sometimes wander north along New Mexico's rivers. Sightings of the Reddish Egret and the Tricolored Heron happen almost every year, and even the occasional Roseate Spoonbill, a large pink wading bird more typical of the Gulf Coast, has turned up in the state. Backyard birders in Torrance County can expect hummingbird activity at feeders to stay strong through August before tapering off in September. (Source: WingsWest Birding, Seasonal Bird Calendar)

Thursday Birders: Sulphur Canyon Outing

Date: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Time: 7:30 AM – 11:00 AM MDT
Location: Sulphur Canyon Picnic Area, Sandia Mountains, Cibola National Forest. Carpoolers can meet at the Four Hills Shopping Village on Central Avenue and Tramway Boulevard, in front of Sprouts Grocery (parking here), or meet directly in the lower parking lot of the Sulphur Canyon Picnic Area (parking here).
Details: The Bird Alliance of Central New Mexico's Thursday Birders group will walk one and a half miles on a paved road and trail, with a dirt trail option running parallel, including a partly steep incline on the way out and a downhill return. Pit toilets are available on site. Admission costs $5 per vehicle or is free with a National Interagency Pass. The route is wheelchair accessible, and there is no attendance limit. Russ Dawson will lead the group. The site is listed as an eBird hotspot under Cibola NF – Sulphur Canyon Picnic Area.

The Mountainair Dispatch covers public affairs, community life, and local news across Torrance County, New Mexico. To submit an event for a future post, email todd@mountainairdispatch.com. There is no charge to list events.