Photo Illustration by Amson Stevens-Bollen
All Ages Welcome
Last year, when the Santa Fe Pride Parade took to the evening time, with several of the corresponding festivities occurring in bars and beer gardens, the Santa Fe Community Foundation saw a gap to fill: What about families with children? This year, they've thoroughly rallied to create Rainbow Family Pride, a family-focused fest meant to supplement the city's main Pride events, which take place the following weekend.
Specifically, Family Pride is the idea of The Envision Fund, an initiative of the Community Foundation to serve at-risk and underserved LGBTQ New Mexicans. "The committee was motivated to include families, especially when some of their children are part of the LGBTQ community," says Jamie Aranda, a representative of the Community Foundation. "We wanted to have a more inclusive event for all ages, all families."
The event, at Railyard Park, promises fun and games galore, and commensurate community resources. There'll be games and prizes, a bouncy house obstacle course, a DJ, face painting, temporary tattoos, a "fun tunnel" and food trucks; also, information from Casa Familia, Esperanza Shelter for Battered Families, the Santa Fe Children's Museum, Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico and over a dozen more local organizations.
Such resources may provide crucial support amid nationwide anti-transgender "bathroom bills" in schools and a White House that has tellingly failed to acknowledge LGBTQ Pride Month for the second year in a row. A report released last year by the New Mexico Department of Health found that LGBTQ youth were at increased risk for unstable housing, self-injury and attempted suicide, alcohol abuse and dating violence. Only 19 states have enacted anti-bullying legislation to protect LGBTQ students, and New Mexico is not among them.
"We just hope that it brings the LGBTQ community closer together here," Aranda says. Envision Fund plans to make Family Pride an annual tradition. Albuquerque and other cities have family Pride events, Aranda notes, and, she adds, "Santa Fe is a family town. Everyone is invited." (Eva Rosenfeld)
Noon-3 pm Saturday June 23. Free.
Railyard Park,
Guadalupe Street and Cerrillos Road,
988-9715.
The Great Outdoors
Courtesy chuckprophet.com
You wait for it all year long, and it's finally here—the 2018 Santa Fe Bandstand series. And it all starts this week. Where else can you find so many local and touring musicians playing their hearts our for free, outside and so regularly? Nowhere, that's where. Tonight find sets from beloved local rock-meets-zydeco act Felix y los Gatos and the inimitable Chuck Prophet, one of the last remaining rock stars we have left. Prophet's latest, 2017's Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins, has won critical acclaim pretty much across the board and his subtle punk underpinnings make him the kind of guy who oughta speak to anyone and everyone. Bring a blanket, don't smoke, have fun. (Alex De Vore)
Santa Fe Bandstand Opening Night with Felix y los Gatos and Chuck Prophet:
6 pm Thursday June 21. Free.
Santa Fe Plaza,
100 Old Santa Fe Trail.
Top Billing
Alex De vore
Musician Bill Palmer splits his time between doing his own thing and producing a veritable cavalcade of local bands' albums. And with so many musical outfits having worked with the guy up at Frogville Studios, it's only natural that a whole mess of them would get together for Billfest, a free festival-type show at Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery. Alright, so maybe this isn't the kind of thing that happens all the time, but it's massive (St. Range, The Palm in the Cypress and Boris McCutcheon are just a few acts slated to appear), totally free and we hear there'll be food trucks and beer. (ADV)
2-10 pm Sunday June 24. Free.
Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery,
2791 Agua Fria St.,
303-3808.
Skate ‘n’ Sing
Anson Stevens-Bollen
Listen to us very carefully, for we are about to unleash upon the earth some of the most important information in the history our community: There's a freaking night of rollerskating karaoke at Rockin' Rollers Event Arena. Y'heard. For a mere $5, you and your (presumably drunk) friends get a skate rental and access to what can only be the weirdest and most Xanadu-esque night of skating and singing fun you've ever had. Keep in mind that this is not an event for children, but that the alien décor and arcade games at the rink practically make it worth it alone. The too-serious need not show up. (ADV)
7-10 pm Tuesday June 26. $5.
Rockin' Rollers Event Arena,
2915 Agua Fria St.,
473-7755.
