Latest news with #FriendsofDorothy
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
What's happening around New Mexico May 30-June 5? Kirtland Air Fiesta and more
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Check out community events around New Mexico from May 30 to June 5. May 30 Friends of Dorothy: PRIDE Cocktail Mixer – Celebrate with community, cocktails, and queer joy at the Arrive Hotel, hosted by Friends of Dorothy. Cover charge is $10 (ages 21+) and the event starts at 7 p.m. May 31 Brujas y Curanderas: A Witches' Market – Wander through a marketplace full of spells, potions, art, ritual tools, herbal remedies, handmade treasures, and more. Receive readings, healings, and blessings from gifted curanderas, brujas, and spiritual workers rooted in ancient traditions. This event is from 1 to 9 p.m. in Old Town. May 31 Downtown Growers' Market – Visit Albuquerque's longest-running farmers' market for the largest selection of local farmers providing fresh produce, eggs, honey, meats, local goods, hot prepared foods on-site, and handmade art, crafts, and body care products. Every Saturday from April to mid-November, enjoy live music starting at 10 a.m. May 31 Kickoff to Summer Carnival at Liv & Mimi's – This free carnival hosts a bounce house, face painter, carnival games, and prizes, with food and drinks available for purchase. The event is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 31 Winrock Artisan Market – Visit Winrock Park every Saturday for a one-of-a-kind market experience. This market is pet-friendly, with local artisans, food trucks, live entertainment, and family fun. It starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 12 p.m. May 31 Fur & Flowers Adoption Festival – Meet rescue dogs from partner shelters, all looking for their forever homes. With local vendors, interactive activities, a photo booth, food and drinks, live performances, outdoor games, and dog amenities, this Expo NM event is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 31-June 1 2025 Kirtland Air Fiesta – This event will feature a dynamic lineup of aerial demonstrations and static displays. Attendees can look forward to a current line-up of performances by the U.S. Army Golden Knights, the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team from Shaw Air Force Base, and a comprehensive showcase from the 58th Special Operations Wing. More information is available online. June 1 Indigenous Peoples' Day at the Rail Yards Market – With over 200 farm, food, and art vendors, community yoga, and live performances, celebrate Indigenous cultures at the Rail Yards Market. The market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 1 Open to All: A Century of Access at the Special Collections Library – A special conversation with current and former library staff, this event will explore the library's legacy of providing access to a world of learning for generations of Albuquerque residents. The event starts at 2 p.m. June 1 SNO Social: Isotopes Pride Night – Sunday Night Out and Friends hosts pride night at the Smith's Picnic Pavilion, which includes all-you-can-eat dinner, dessert, and non-alcoholic drinks for $38.50 per person. This event starts at 5 p.m. May 31 Pride Market – Join Sunland Park for a full day of fun, celebration, and community. Shop queer-owned businesses, enjoy a delicious brunch, partake in community yoga, watch a drag show, donate blood, and paint and sip from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 31 Mental Health Awareness 5K Walk and Health Fair – Join Clovis and come together to promote understanding, compassion, and access to vital mental health resources. The walk starts at 8 a.m. May 31 Moonlight: Adult Night at the Museums – This program will be in coordination with two exhibits, 'LUSTER' at the Museum of Art and 'Aliento a Tequila' at the Branigan Cultural Center in Las Cruces. This 'Moonlight' program evening will feature lowriders and detailed car painting in a small car show in the courtyard, along with music and other activities. This event is from 5 to 9 p.m. for ages 21+. May 31 Zozobra Stuff Party – It's that time of year again. Santa Fe's favorite monster needs A LOT of shredded paper to fill up his ginormous body and light up the night. Kick off the day with a pizza party for all participants, and kids will receive a special Zozobra sticker (turn it in at Dairy Queen for a free ice cream cone). Masks will be provided, and the friendly Zozobra staff will be on hand to teach newcomers the ropes. This event is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 31 Otero County Farmer's Market – Check out the only year-round farmers market in the area with many local farmers, crafters, bakers, and more, exclusively from Otero County. This event occurs every Saturday from 8:30 to 11 a.m. June 1 MAC Summer Party – Kick off summer in Rio Rancho at a Lilo and Stitch-themed luau, a day filled with thrilling activities, including ice skating, a limbo and hula contest, and a kid-friendly tiki juice bar. This event is from 2 to 8 p.m. June 2-5 Inspired by Science Camp '25 – From 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. daily in Carlsbad, kids ages 7-12 can attend this STEAm camp for $65 with additional access to Cave Night at the National Cave and Karst Research Institute on June 3rd and Family STEM Night on June 5th. June 2-6 NMMI Summer STEAM Camp – From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily in Roswell, NMMI Campus offers Junior Camp (kindergarten – 4th grade) and Senior Camp (5th – 12th grade) with a $500 scholarship towards future IPA enrollment upon camp completion. Tuition is $275 per camper (including lunch and snacks each day) with $25 off per sibling and $25 off for NMMI faculty and staff. June 3 Gallup Summer Indian Dances and Art Market – Shop for Native American art and jewelry with local Native artist vendors set up in the area north of the dance grounds. Don't forget to buy some fry bread or a snow cone with food vendors onsite. This event is from 6 to 8 p.m. June 5-8 Fiesta Latina – This cultural event, organized by Western New Mexico University in Silver City seeks to recognize, celebrate, and assist in the preservation of New Mexico's heritage, customs, and traditions. The four-day outdoor festival features the traditional folk art of more than 50 artisans from throughout Mexico, Latin music and dance performances, food and drink, children's activities, hands-on crafting workshops, films, demonstrations, and more. 🔶 City of Albuquerque seeks input on fiber optic installation rules in meeting on June 5 – Albuquerque city leaders are looking for input on new rules for fiber optic installation. The city will host a virtual public meeting on June 5 at noon. It comes amid complaints saying fiber installation crews have damaged lawns, cut water lines, and left work incomplete. 🔶 Dispose of household hazardous waste at City of Albuquerque's disposal day – The City of Albuquerque is giving residents a chance to safely dispose of their household hazardous waste. May 31, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Balloon Fiesta Park East Lot, the city is holding a household hazardous waste collection event. 🔶 City of Albuquerque offers free lunches for children over the summer – The City of Albuquerque is offering free lunches for children over the summer. Children age 1 to 18 are eligible to grab those free meals at various local parks and community centers from June through August. 🔶 Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department offers free microchips for dogs and cats – The City of Albuquerque Animal Welfare Department is offering free microchips for dogs and cats as part of the 'It's Hip to Microchip' campaign running from June 1 to July 3 from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. No appointment is needed. 🔶 Study shows residents oppose I-25 'S-Curve' project plans – Months after project plans were announced to fix a dangerous stretch of I-25, the Department of Transportation has released the results of its public comment study. A large number of residents aren't convinced. 🔶 Albuquerque Public Schools Story Time in the Park program begins soon – Albuquerque Public Schools keeps families engaged during the summer break with its Story Time in the Park initiative. The program runs June 9 – July 17 at several parks around Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. 🔶 City of Albuquerque looks to catch up on backlog of needed trash bins – Taking out the trash hasn't been so straightforward for some Albuquerque property owners since last summer. The city's struggled to swap out or fix up busted trash bins. 🔶 Local organization using technology to preserve language and culture – Indigenous Hands and Voices is an organization committed to the documentation and preservation of indigenous and minority signed and spoken language and cultural heritage. 🔶 First-of-its-kind indoor pickleball facility coming to northeast Albuquerque – It's a growing sensation nationwide, reaching players of all ages and levels. And now, Albuquerque is getting a first-of-its-kind facility to play the popular sport indoors. 🔶 Bernalillo County providing free groceries to low-income seniors – Bernalillo County is offering free groceries to low-income and all veterans in a partnership with Silver Horizons. Each household will be able to get groceries twice a month. Food is available while supplies last, and the doors will open 30 minutes before the start time. Veterans will need to provide proof of veteran status. 🔶 When does monsoon season start in New Mexico? What you can expect this summer – Monsoon season officially runs from June 15 through September 30. During the monsoon season, states in the southwest can see heavy rain, strong thunderstorms, and flash flooding along with very hot temperatures. KRQE's Chief Meteorologist Grant Tosterud explains what people should expect this monsoon season. 🔶 New Mexico Environment Department temporarily moving office to Rio Rancho – If you need a permit from the New Mexico Environment Department, you'll need to head to Rio Rancho; the Albuquerque office will be closed for repairs. Their field office on Tijeras Avenue needs to fix some mechanical system problems. Right now, it isn't safe for employees or the public. 🔶 Treasurer of New Mexico's Democratic party abruptly resigns 5 weeks into the job – After just five weeks on the job, the treasurer of New Mexico's democratic party abruptly quit, claiming the head of the party has sabotaged her efforts every step of the way. 🔶 New Mexico lawmakers learn about the potential impact of federal funding cuts to SNAP – Amid uncertainty on how federal funding cuts will impact Americans, New Mexico lawmakers are learning of the potential impact on New Mexicans and their SNAP benefits. 🔶 Governor declares state of emergency due to severe drought in New Mexico – Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham has declared a state of emergency due to severe drought in New Mexico. The order was issued last Thursday and assembles a task force to coordinate a response, including helping communities conserve water, and share resources to other local and tribal governments. 🔶 Sandoval Co. Clerk's Office: State-wide marriage license fee increase starts June 20 – Senate Bill 290 was signed into law on April 8, 2025. It increases the cost of marriage license fees in New Mexico for the first time in over 22 years. The Sandoval County Clerk's Office is reminding the public that increase goes into effect on Friday, June 20. 🔶 New Mexico State Police conducting sobriety checkpoints throughout June – New Mexico State Police announced it will be conducting sobriety checkpoints, saturation patrols; and registration, insurance, and driver's license checkpoints across New Mexico in June 2025. 🔶 What should New Mexicans do if they come across a raccoon? – New Mexicans say they are seeing more raccoons inside and outside their homes, but before you try to trap them, you should ask yourself, what exactly do raccoons do for our ecosystem? 🔶 Celebrity Historian Raffi Andonian speaks on New Mexico's history of BBQ – May is National BBQ Month and in New Mexico, there is a special style with the traditional matanza. Celebrity Historian Raffi Andonian speaks on the style and how it got started. 🔶 Officials speak on closure of Hobbs prison – KRQE News 13 is learning more about the Hobbs prison that is shutting down next month, leaving more than 200 workers out of a job. In a town hall meeting, state and county officials assured they are working to connect employees with other jobs with the New Mexico Corrections Department and elsewhere. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Leader Live
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Leader Live
Events and book review with Wrexham Library Service
The Tir na n-Og Awards are the oldest and most popular awards for children's literature in Wales. Established in 1976, the awards recognise, honour and promote excellence in books for children and young people. They are organised annually by the Department of Children's Books and Reading Promotion at the Books Council of Wales. The awards have been won by some of our leading authors, including Manon Steffan Ros, Jac Jones, Gareth F Williams, Catherine Fisher and Jackie Morris. Three prizes of £1,000 each are awarded annually to overall winner in three categories. Shortlists of both English and Welsh-language categories have been published and are available from your local library. For more information on these fabulous awards visit: Take a walk down memory lane at Coedpoeth Library Have you ever wondered how old a building is or when a club was formed? You can find out the answer at this special event which will explore the history of Coedpoeth with materials from the Coedpoeth Archives. The event will take place at the library on May 13, from 2pm-3pm and is free of charge. To reserve your place contact the library on or 01978 722920. Meet the Author at Wrexham Library We have a wonderful opportunity for you to meet award-winning travel writer and journalist Ben Aitken. Ben is the author of the successful and humorous book Sh*tty Break: A Celebration of Unsung Cities, which highlights the UK's unsung and quietly brilliant places - including our very own Wrexham! To find out what he got up to in Wrexham (spoiler: it involved karaoke at The Golden Lion and a 4-1 win against Barrow), join us for what we know will be a funny and illuminating evening. The event will take place on May 14, at 6pm and is free of charge but you must reserve your place by contacting the library on library@ or 01978 292090. Copies of Ben's book will be available to purchase on the evening. Friendship Groups Friendship Groups are a great way to prevent isolation and loneliness and offer you a chance to find companionship, too. Friends can also increase your sense of belonging and purpose, boost your happiness and reduce your stress. Many of our libraries hold Friendship Groups and each library offers a different activity or arrangement every week. So if you feel you need company or just want to make new friends why not come and join one of our groups. You will find them at Brynteg, Llay, Rhos and Ruabon libraries. Contact them directly for more information. Contact detail can be found Did you know…? Did you know we have a trade sticker swap session at Gwersyllt Library? If you are under 16 why not join us every Thursday afternoon? Bring one, take one and complete your collection. Open to children of all ages. Sorry - no adult traders are allowed! Book Review Friends of Dorothy by Sandi Toksvig Friends of Dorothy by Sandi Toksvig Number 4 Grimaldi Street did not look like the sort of house which might surprise you, however Stevie and Amber decide this could be their forever home. One huge problem, 79-year-old foul mouthed, straight talking and wise cracking Dorothy has other ideas. She has decided to remain put, and is squatting upstairs. This is a story about family that is not biological, about Mrs Haggerston the nosy neighbour, Dave de Van, and many more characters who have hopes and dreams, fears and ambitions, a desire to grab hold of life, second chances if only they can hold on and not lose their bottle, and make peace with the past. Would you if you could be bold and grab your chance to find happiness?
The Guardian
07-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
The Wiggles on singing with Dolly Parton in their starry country era: ‘We are friends of Dorothy!'
When the Wiggles first started touring the US, there was one question they were asked again and again. 'People were coming up and saying, 'Oh, so you're friends of Dorothy?'' veteran Wiggle Anthony Field says. 'I didn't even know the other meaning – I went, 'Yeah, we are!'' Field (the OG blue Wiggle) thought Americans were referring to Dorothy, the affable green and yellow dinosaur and longtime fixture of the Wiggles' songs and live shows. They were, of course, really making a sly reference to the queer code slang term for a gay man. But when Field eventually figured this out, it gave him an idea for a song. On Friday, when Australia's best-known children's entertainers release their 63rd album (yes, really), audiences will finally get to hear Friends of Dorothy. It's a collaboration with Orville Peck, the modern country songwriter known for his face masks, cowboy hats – and being an out-and-proud gay man. The Wiggles nervously took the idea for Friends of Dorothy to Peck on Zoom. To their delight, Peck, who has a young nephew who loves the band, jumped at the chance. 'Orville was so happy to do it,' Field says. 'And he's a friend of Dorothy's as well!' Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Peck isn't the only contemporary collaborator the Wiggles have snagged for their next album. Wiggle Up, Giddy Up is a 17-track country album rhinestone studded with the genre's biggest contemporary names – Dasha, Lainey Wilson, Jackson Dean and Morgan Evans among them. There's an appearance from the late Slim Dusty (who collaborated with the band on a song back in 2000) and two songs featuring none other than Dolly Parton, including a reimagining of 9-5, titled Counting 1-5 ('Well, I just wiggled my way out into the Wiggles' world!' Parton says in a press quote, best read in her voice). It's a list of names that reflects both the Wiggles' celebrity stature and their desire to make 'music for the preschoolers, which is, of course, our audience – but then we can put things out that older people can enjoy, and get the joke of', as Field says. This is a new approach for the Wiggles, who first formed in 1991 and operated as a four-piece, Field, Murray Cook, Jeff Fatt and Greg Page delighting tiny listeners with simple, catchy songs such as Hot Potato and Fruit Salad for the next two decades. But in 2012 when some of the founding members began eyeing retirement, instead of winding up the band, Field opted to bring in a next generation of performers and create the Wiggles 2.0. The Wiggles, which has since had its lineup refreshed more than once, is currently a team of eight skivvy wearers, including fresh blood like 19-year-old Tsehay Hawkins and 21-year-old Lucia Field, Anthony's daughter. Field describes the decision to restaff the group as 'selfish' – he simply didn't want to retire. 'I call myself the last of the V8s. And the reason I've stuck around is because I love it,' he says. 'I don't know what else I'd do [with my time], to be honest with you.' The new Wiggles still play 400 to 500 shows per year (a feat achieved by cramming up to four gigs into a single day) but have also expanded in more modern directions. They have a big presence on YouTube and TikTok, where they have recently gone viral thanks to the bombastic dance moves of Wiggles supporting cast member the Tree of Wisdom (played by Anthony's nephew, Dominic Field). Dorothy the Dinosaur is now a DJ who remixes the original Wiggles classics. And in 2022 they topped the Triple J Hottest 100 with their joy-inducing cover of Tame Impala's Elephant. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion That surprise hit 'set off a domino effect' in the Wiggles' new direction, paving the way for their contemporary country album, says Lucia Field, speaking on a Zoom call alongside fellow newer generation cast members Hawkins and Lachlan Gillespie. 'It got the ball rolling for a lot of things.' Elephant has been viewed more than 6m times, helping them become the most streamed local artist on Spotify in Australia for the last two years. As Hawkins puts it, their starry collaborators on Wiggle Up, Giddy Up 'says it all' about the reach the Wiggles now have. Of all those big names, Field is most excited about snagging Parton for the album; at 61, he admits he wasn't familiar with some of the younger collaborators but left it to his younger colleagues to write most of the songs, not wanting his 'old-school' tastes to ruin their contemporary feel. And while Field has long considered himself the creative director of the Wiggles, he knows where to delegate: 'As far as TikTok, I don't understand that – I stay right out of it.' What Field looked for in his next generation of Wiggles was talent, diversity and the sort of personality that can match the joy kids bring to shows. Many of the newer members started as supporting cast members (Gillespie, for instance, played Captain Feathersword for years before being asked to don the purple skivvy) or back-up 'Wiggly dancers'. Nepo-Wiggle Lucia Field admittedly had an easier path to the group, having appeared in Wiggles videos since she was two months old. Becoming a Wiggle has changed her relationship with her dad – and the band. Today, she thinks it's an 'absolutely fantastic' inheritance. But growing up, she never told anyone she had a Wiggle for a parent and would make her dad park the car around the corner and walk in by himself to any school event, embarrassed at the prospect of being seen with him. 'I don't know if she thought I was going to come in singing Big Red Car, but I really wasn't,' laughs the elder Field. For his part, Field has found there are perks to sharing a band with your daughter: Lucia tells him what time to get up every morning on tour, 'keeps him honest' and introduced him to Orville Peck. But while Field is a lifelong country and western fan, and the gen Z Wiggles are acutely aware that country is 'cool' right now, the idea for Wiggle Up, Giddy Up actually came from the band's CEO – because yes, they have one. 'Apart from being children's entertainment and music, it is still a business,' Field says. 'I'm a preschool teacher. I'm glad I'm not running the business side of things because we wouldn't be working.' Field says the Wiggles has always had someone in a CEO-type role – a necessary job for a band that has sold about 30m albums, and was formally consolidated in 2005 (founding members such as Field reportedly own stakes in the Wiggles, while newer recruits are paid a salary). Certainly, the Wiggles are big business – they reigned as Australia's highest-earning performers for four years in a row in the noughties, the era when the Wiggles were so huge in the US they played 13 sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden. They had the Disney Channel to thank for their US fortunes – the channel played them four times a day, putting the Wiggles in front of 85 million subscribers. But when Wiggles management agreed to a deal that put Wiggles-themed areas in Six Flags, a rival theme park to Disney, the gravy train came to an end. 'I don't think Disney liked that,' Field says. Disney took them off the channel and the band lost its audience base in the US. Apart from those glory days, Field says, this is 'the biggest era we've ever had … it's really good times now for the Wiggles.' Their YouTube presence is helping the band claw back that all-important American audience, as is, Hawkins adds, the ever-popular Tree of Wisdom, who has his own dance album on the way. All their new US collaborators, too, are no doubt part of the play to regain Yankee listeners. So with that title and Peck on board, is Friends of Dorothy the first Wiggles' gay anthem? 'It could be taken like that,' Field says. 'But there's other ways you can look at it as well, as long as you have a good laugh, because that's what we're here for. Wiggles are for everyone. And we are just friends of Dorothy.' Wiggle Up, Giddy Up! is out now
