Looking for a fun birthday party venue for your child? The Albuquerque area has a multitude of options for kids of all ages and interests. Your child will love these party places, which include go karting, lazer tag, mini golf, fencing, rock climbing and more. And if you're just looking for a party space with a little extra oomph, there's that too, at the new ABQ Party Space downtown.
Find out about places to host a kid's birthday party in the Albuquerque area.
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Photo © Aileen O'Catherine, licensed to About.com
This weekend has a clear theme: get outdoors and enjoy the natural world. Sunday is Arbor Day! Enjoy your weekend.
Gathering of Nations Powwow
The huge fest brings everything together: food, dance, music, shopping at the trader's market, and so much more. If you've never experienced this event, make this the year. At the Pit (UNM Arena) Friday and Saturday, April 27 and 28.
You're A Good Man Charlie Brown
The Box Performance Space presents the story of an average day in the life of Charlie Brown. Friday April 27 through Sunday, April 29. Runs next weekend as well, May 4 - 6.
Opera Southwest: A Way Home
The contemporary opera for middle and high school students and families explores the roots of cultural identity. In English and Spanish, the opera will be showing Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 28 at 2 p.m. at the National Hispanic Culutral Center.
Introduction to Beekeeping
Les Crowder has been keeping bees and teaching about them for decades. If you'd like to get in on the popular pastime, this is the person to learn from. He's having an introductory class on Saturday, April 28 at the Open Space Center on Coors, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., or on Sunday, April 29 at Skarsgard Farm (for the hobbyist).
Wildlife Day at Rio Grande Community Farm
Take a bird walk, hayride, plant wildflower seeds, go geocaching. It's all happening at the farm that's right in the heart of the city. From 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Saturday, April 28.
Storytime: When I Grow Up
Weird Al Yankovic may be a funny musician, but he's also the author of a children's book. Weird Al will be in town on Monday for a concert, so Bookworks is celebrating with a reading of Al's book and some great Weird Al giveaways. Saturday, April 28 from 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Dia de los Ninos
The Loma Colorado Library will have storytelling, children's book authors, crafts, face painting and more fun at this celebration of young children and books. From 10:30 a.m. - 4:15 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. And it's free!
Food and Life
The fourth annual Food & Life series takes place Saturday, April 28 at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology on UNM campus. Special presentations will take place on the theme of the "three sisters" and a talk by native foods historian Lois Ellen Frank on corn, beans and squash (the three sisters.) From 1 p.m. - 4 p.m.
Skarsgard Farms Spring Plant Sale
For the gardeners out there, this plant sale is just the ticket. Support local farms by buying heirloom and hybrid tomato plants, along with other specialties, such as Nadia eggplant and Gala melon. Skarsgard Farms is run by the fellow who used to farm Los Pobalanos, but who now has his own spread in the south valley. The sale runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 28. Tour the farm at 10 a.m., or go later and learn about drip irrigation, composting and more.
Arbor Day
Celebrate Arbor Day at a free event put on by the Bernalillo County Open Space. There will be different stations led by local experts. Learn about trees, their care and enjoy the live birds from Wildlife Rescue. From 10 a.m. - noon on Sunday, April 29 at the Bachechi Open Space near Alameda and Rio Grande.
Cause of the Week
Girls Night Out
The annual event for women 21 and over features a night of indulgences. There will be shopping, fashion and pampering galore. More than 100 vendors will be at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday, April 27 from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Proceeds support the Ronald McDonald House in New Mexico.
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If you have unused or expired medication, you can turn it in on Saturday, April 28 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at designated collection sites around town.
Disposing of outdated medications in this way ensures they won't end up in the landfill or flushed down the toilet, where they would dissolve and mix with ground and surface water. We don't really want to add drug residues to our water systems; they already get the drugs that pass through our bodies in the form of waste. Flushing meds into toilets has become ecologically unsound.
This will be the Drug Enforcement Administration's fourth Take-Back day. The last one on October 29, 2011 brought in more than 377,086 pounds (188.5 tons) of unwanted and expired medications.
Here are just a few centrally located drop off sites in Albuquerque:
UNM Police Department, 2500 Campus Blvd.
Smith's, 320 Yale SE
NM State Police Office, 2501 Carlisle NE
Sheriff Dept. South Command, 2039 Isleta SW
Sheriff Dept. North Command, 6900 4th NW
Smiths, 8040 Academy NE
Smiths, 111 Coors NW
Check for other locations near you.
Find out more about how to properly dispose of medications you no longer need, to include prescription drugs.
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Every spring, the Ballut Abyad Shrine brings sweet Vidalia onions to town--by the bagful. Buying the onions helps kids. The Shriners run a great charitable organization that includes special hospitals for children.
You can pick the onions up at the Ballut Abyad Shrine, which is located at 6600 Zuni SE, or at other locations throughout town. Or to find out more, contact the Shrine office at 265-0800, x 100.
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