By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
The last full weekend of September arrives with tractor wagons, a pet mayor election, meet-and-greets down the hill with two of the most recognizable faces in television history and a comedian who’s shared a stage with Dr. Dre, LeBron James and Jay-Z. Pick your weekend.
Friday: Villain Inc. and a Wild ‘N Out alum open the weekend
Villain Inc. takes The BLOCK Main Stage at 7 p.m. Friday at 7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd. NE.
Affion Crockett plays two nights at Quezada’s Comedy Club, with shows Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The actor, comedian, dancer and music producer is best known for his sketch work on FOX’s “In the Flow with Affion Crockett” alongside Jamie Foxx, as a regular on MTV’s “Wild ‘N Out,” and from Def Comedy Jam. His film credits include roles with Samuel L. Jackson, Bernie Mac and Kevin Hart, and he’s appeared on Curb Your Enthusiasm, Black-ish and Sherman’s Showcase. Tickets at quezadas.holdmyticket.com.
Saturday: Clean up, then celebrate
Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful kicks off the morning with its Fall Community Clean-Up at 8 a.m., targeting illegal dumpsites in the city’s open desert areas. Thirty-yard dumpsters are placed throughout the desert for collected rubbish. If you signed up, this is your morning. For questions, call 505-549-8030.
The Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series runs Saturday morning at two locations — with a location change for one. The Loma Colorado talk moves this month to Esther Bone Memorial Library, 950 Pinetree Rd. SE in Rio Rancho, at 10 a.m., with Jennifer Bohnhoff presenting “The Civil War on Route 66.” Martha Liebert Public Library in Bernalillo, 124 Calle Malinche, runs at its regular time of 11 a.m. with Gordene MacKenzie presenting “Agriculture, Architecture, Artists, Bootleggers, and Businesses Along the Mother Road in Los Ranchos.” Both talks are free.
The Salamanca Twins — Daniel and Luis Moncada, best known as the Cousins from Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul — head to Albuquerque Saturday for Imagine ABQ Day, a free community clean-up and meet-and-greet pairing New Mexico’s most stone-faced TV icons with the state’s “Breaking Bad Habits” anti-litter campaign. Clean-up and a free meet-and-greet run 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Barelas neighborhood (507 4th St. SW) with the twins on hand 10:30 a.m.-noon. A second free session runs at Nob Hill’s Triangle Park (2901 Central Ave. NE) with the twins from 1-3 p.m. A ticketed evening meet-and-greet follows at The Lab (1601 Avenida Cesar Chavez SE) from 5:30-6:30 p.m., coinciding with NM United’s home match against Sacramento Republic FC.
NM United hosts Sacramento Republic FC Saturday at 7 p.m. at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in a key late-season Western Conference matchup.
Romelo and the Vibe play The BLOCK Main Stage at 7 p.m. Saturday; Latin Night with DJ Gabe follows at 8 p.m. in the Top of THE BLOCK Bar.
The main event: Corrales Harvest Festival
Corrales’ Not-So-Rapid-Transit tractor wagons roll again Saturday and Sunday as the Corrales Harvest Festival marks its 41st year, running 9 a.m.-5 p.m. both days throughout the village. What started with about 800 visitors at its 1985 debut now draws more than 10,000 annually.
General admission is free. A $20 wristband (free for kids 12 and under) covers the Corrales Not-So-Rapid-Transit shuttle, the Kids Zone — with jump houses, a mechanical bull and barrel train rides — the Beer Garden and the Main Music Stage. Traffic through Corrales is restricted for the weekend; organizers are directing attendees to designated parking near tractor stops along the shuttle route.
New this year is a farm tour. Returning favorites include a kids’ market for young entrepreneurs, artist and food truck booths, and the Corrales Pet Mayor election — with more than a dozen animal candidates on the ballot. The pet parade runs Sunday. Casa San Ysidro hosts its Heritage Artist Market and craft demonstrations 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days. Saturday night’s ticketed Hootenanny follows the daytime festival with live music, a beer garden and food trucks. Nearly 400 unpaid volunteers stage the event; proceeds benefit the Kiwanis Club of Corrales Foundation’s youth programs, including an all-expenses-paid summer camp for disadvantaged youth. More at corralesharvestfestival.com.
Sunday: Dark Crystal and a lecture on ancient Mexico
The Coronado Lecture Series brings Tim Maxwell to Bernalillo’s Martha Liebert Public Library Sunday, 2-3 p.m., for a talk on the mysteries of the Casas Grandes region of northern Mexico — a culture that drew from both the Pueblo Southwest and Mesoamerica, with a trade network broader than Chaco Canyon’s. The major site of Paquimé was occupied for only about 200 years; Maxwell tackles the still-debated question of why the region was depopulated.
The BLOCK closes the weekend Sunday with Braingang Trivia at 5 p.m. and a free outdoor screening of “The Dark Crystal” at 7 p.m. Bring blankets and chairs; no outside food or drink.
What’s happening this weekend
Corrales Harvest Festival — 41st Annual
When: Sat-Sun, Sept. 26-27 | 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Village of Corrales (village-wide)
Admission: Free general; $20 wristband (kids 12 & under free) for tractor transit, Beer Garden, Main Music Stage and Kids Zone
Info: corralesharvestfestival.com
Saturday night: Hootenanny (ticketed) follows daytime festival
Imagine ABQ Day — Salamanca Twins
When: Saturday, Sept. 26
- Barelas | Clean-up 9am-1pm; Meet & Greet 10:30am-noon | 507 4th St. SW | Free
- Nob Hill/Triangle Park | Clean-up 9am-1pm; Meet & Greet 1-3pm | 2901 Central Ave. NE | Free
- NM United Game Night | Meet & Greet 5:30-6:30pm | The Lab, 1601 Avenida Cesar Chavez SE | Ticketed
Keep Rio Rancho Beautiful Fall Clean-Up
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 | 8-10 a.m.
Info: 505-549-8030 | rrnm.gov/69/Keep-Rio-Rancho-Beautiful
Note: Registration deadline was Sept. 18
Route 66 Centennial Speaker Series
When: Saturday, Sept. 26
- Esther Bone Memorial Library, 950 Pinetree Rd. SE, Rio Rancho | 10 a.m. | Jennifer Bohnhoff: “The Civil War on Route 66” Location & time change from usual — normally at Loma Colorado Library at 11am
- Martha Liebert Public Library, 124 Calle Malinche, Bernalillo | 11 a.m. | Gordene MacKenzie: “Agriculture, Architecture, Artists, Bootleggers, and Businesses Along the Mother Road in Los Ranchos”
Admission: Free
Affion Crockett — Quezada’s Comedy Club
When: Fri, Sept. 25 & Sat, Sept. 26 | 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Tickets: quezadas.holdmyticket.com
NM United vs. Sacramento Republic FC
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 | 7 p.m.
Where: Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park, Albuquerque
The BLOCK — Weekend lineup
Where: 7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd. NE, Rio Rancho
- Fri, Sept. 25 | 7 p.m.: Villain Inc., Main Stage
- Sat, Sept. 26 | 7 p.m.: Romelo and the Vibe, Main Stage; 8 p.m.: Latin Night with DJ Gabe
- Sun, Sept. 27 | 5 p.m.: Braingang Trivia; 7 p.m.: “The Dark Crystal” outdoor movie (free; no outside food or drink)
Coronado Lecture Series — Tim Maxwell
When: Sunday, Sept. 27 | 2-3 p.m.
Where: Martha Liebert Public Library, 124 Calle Malinche, Bernalillo
Admission: Free