Santa Fe Reporter, May 24, 2023

OPINION 5 NEWS

7 DAYS, CLAYTOONZ AND THIS MODERN WORLD 6

PILING ON 9

A still pending lawsuit over an existing homeless shelter highlights neighbors’ heartburn over centrally located services

NO SUCH THING AS FREE PARKING 10 Downtown parking changes approved by City Council stall at City Hall

COVER STORY 12

CINNAMON ROLL STANDOFF

blind taste test reveals Santa Fe’s bakery secrets

CULTURE

SFR PICKS 17

Twitter: @santafereporter

Check out history chats, self portraits detailing disability, images inspired by the sounds of Elliott Smith and the intersection of tarot and belly dance

THE CALENDAR 18

Things to do, see, taste, hear, observe and otherwise enjoy across the city and sometimes even beyond

A&C 27

INSIDE THE WRITERS’ STUDIO

Take a peek behind the closed doors of the Sundance Institute’s Native Film Lab and its newest cohort of up-and-comers

MOVIES 28

FAST X REVIEW

Oh, we’re furious, alright, but not the way they wanted—it’s more like...have you ever closed your finger in a car door?

WE’RE HERE FOR YOU

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EDITOR AND PUBLISHER

JULIE ANN GRIMM

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

ROBYN DESJARDINS

ART DIRECTOR

ANSON STEVENS-BOLLEN

CULTURE EDITOR

ALEX DE VORE

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT

JULIA GOLDBERG

STAFF WRITER

ANDY LYMAN

ANDREW OXFORD

CALENDAR EDITOR

SIENA SOFIA BERGT

DIGITAL SERVICES MANAGER

BRIANNA KIRKLAND

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

SAVANNAH JANE WALTON

CIRCULATION MANAGER

ANDY BRAMBLE

OWNERSHIP

CITY OF ROSES NEWSPAPER CO.

PRINTER

THE NEW MEXICAN

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Mail letters to PO Box 4910, Santa Fe, NM 87502; or email them to editor@sfreporter.com. Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

COVER, MAY 10: “ON THE STRUGGLE BUS”

WAITING FOR WEBBER

The Transit Advisory Board (TAB) last met in February 2020 and then informally in November 2022 with Santa Fe Trails staff and four past members. We assessed the value of continuing the TAB and wrote letters of interest to Mayor [Alan] Webber with suggestions to fill vacancies. We proposed to meet every other month rather than monthly but have not heard from the mayor’s office.

Improving ridership and service are the goals of every transit system and core to the TAB’s mission. Before COVID, the TAB monitored budgets, ridership, marketing, bus procurement, operations and Santa Fe Ride. An “automobile-centric” and often transit-hostile culture presents many challenges.

More cars and congestion strain our infrastructure and affect development. Schedules and convenience make us dependent on automobiles choking our community, engendering alienation and creating incalculable social costs—including climate-related ones. A bus can take 50 cars off the road and cut emissions.

Given political will, transit can work efficiently and equitably. Ridership can grow using fixed-route as well as on-demand service. We urge Mayor Webber to reach out to those of us who are interested in serving on and reviving the TAB.

AURORE

BLECK

STAN COOPER

MARCOS MAEZ

COLIN MESSER FORMER TRANSIT ADVISORY BOARD

WHEEL WE GET THERE?

I live off Airport Road near the 599 bypass. To get downtown using the bus system, I need to walk half a mile to the nearest stop on Route 24, then hope for a good connection with the Route 1 or Route 2 buses. This is feasible during the day if the weather cooperates and the buses run on schedule—but the last bus leaves downtown at 6:30 on weekdays and even earlier on weekends.

I’m a senior citizen who would like to stay in my own home as I age. But when I can no longer drive, I’m afraid that I won’t be able to use public transportation to get around. Between the infrequent and unreliable bus schedules, the minimal service hours and the lack of shelter (or even seating) at bus stops, the system is highly unfriendly to those of us who may have no other alternatives.

PAULA LOZAR SANTA FE

NOT SO BUSSIN’

I live on the Southside near where 599 and Airport Road intersect, on the Route 24. I tried the on-demand bus only once to get to work and was only 15 minutes late, not more—I have a stellar attendance record—because I used my cell phone to call a neighbor to get me to work. Using the on-demand service means you may have to wait 15 minutes or an hour or more in all kinds of weather. I now rely on friends, family and neighbors to get me to work in the morning.

Others who initially tried on-demand are doing the same. A retired state worker who I often encountered at the Santa Fe Mall trying to give the on-demand service a chance told me he is buying a car.

If I cannot depend on the on-demand service to get me to those places that require very specific times of arrival on time—and if I have no idea when my means to get there will show up—how is this “a pretty good deal,” as you reported city officials stated? And to say “it works on riders’ schedule,” as Thomas Martinez, director of operations, stated, is so out of kilter with reality it sounds almost delusional.

MARGO SANABRIA SANTA FE

Signing with Author Shawn Patrick Boyd

Saturday, June 3, 12:00–6:00 p.m.

Winona Forever is a supernatural mystery about four misfit teens, a dangerous secret society, and a powerful relic. Join local writer Shawn Patrick Boyd and Portland-based illustrator Elijah Henry at a signing to celebrate the release of the collected edition of their debut comic.

328 S. Guadalupe St., Suite G, across the street from the Jean Cocteau Cinema 505-992-8783 bigadventurecomics.com

Now open 7 days a week!

COUY GRIFFIN FACES

CRIMINAL CHARGES AFTER ALLEGEDLY HARASSING A MAN HE FLEW OUT FROM MARYLAND FOR HOUSE REPAIRS

Grifters gonna grift.

FORMER STATE ARCHAEOLOGIST FILES SUIT AGAINST MLG ADMINISTRATION, CLAIMS PART OF REASONING BEHIND FIRING IS HE’S “OLDER WHITE GUY”

It can’t possibly be because he didn’t get along with his new not-a-white-guy boss?

DESANTIS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE PRESIDENTIAL BID DURING LIVE TWITTER EVENT WEDNESDAY

Well, there you have it—the worst sentence of all time.

EVERYONE YOU’VE EVER MET HAS BEEN GOING TO HAMILTON PERFORMANCES IN ALBUQUERQUE

Is that the one with the kicky little songs about slave owners?

WELCOME TO MY WORLD!

RANCHO VIEJO DRIVERS TO DETOUR FOR TWO MONTHS

“Take that!” says everyone who lives past Alameda and Siler.

STRIKING WGA MEMBERS IN NEW MEXICO PICKET OUTSIDE HBO SET FOR DUSTER

Now the AI robots have to write scripts instead of digging ditches or whatever.

SANTA FEAN MIGHT HAVE JACKSON POLLOCK PAINTINGS, INVESTIGATION UNDERWAY

Insert your abstraction jokes here, plebs.

READ

We

WE ARE WAY MORE THAN WEDNESDAY HERE ARE A COUPLE OF ONLINE EXCLUSIVES:

JUDGE CALLS IT QUITS

Dev Khalsa has agreed to quit his magistrate judge job in the wake of DWI allegations.

Genoveva Chavez Community Center May 27 10AM - 2PM

Hosted by the City of Santa Fe Recreation Division & Santa Fe Metropolitan Planning Organization in partnership with Santa Fe Safe Routes to School and Alas de Agua Art Collective.

PRAYING FOR PESERO-DISE

Andrew Oxford’s fine piece on the, um, “challenges” of the city’s bus system is spot on. But if we look to the cities south of the Rio Grande, an obvious solution may be at hand. Something cheap and highly efficient.

In Mexico City, they are called peseros or combis or micros—usually 12-person vans driven by independent drivers who cruise up and down somewhat regular routes picking up passengers without regular stops. Riders pay a few pesos depending on the distance.

The vans are often crowded, but the system works organically to meet shifting needs depending on events, days of the week or holidays. “Oh, the horror,” some here will cry. “How could we have such an unregulated system?” Easy.

The city could grant an uncapped number of permits requiring a properly licensed driver and inspected and insured vehicles. Within days, entrepreneurs would figure out when and where people needed rides and to where. Airport, Rodeo and Siringo roads? Sure. Cerrillos and Richards? Obviously.Why, there might even be Peseros on Paseo.

TOM JOHNSON SANTA FE

THE FORK, MAY 18: “I AM THE SPORK”

STICK A SPORK IN IT

Oh no, no, no, no, no! Bring back The Fork. I didn’t laugh, or even smile once at The Spork.

TWO TINES DOWN

Please bring back The Fork! The Spork just doesn’t hit the spot.

DAPHNE LOWE SANTA FE

ONLINE, MARCH 8: “OBELISK PLAN WILL BE WITHDRAWN”

DIVIDE AND FALTER

Narratives with words of hate, anger and fury charging “genocide and racism” may attract supporters shameful of being Americans, or those who refuse to acknowledge our “principled” efforts over past centuries.

We have worked to overcome mistakes and bias. Clearly demonstrated principled actions are witnessed in past battles and honored, such as in the Civil War, recognized in a Soldiers Monument, for they helped build freedoms; or even in 1778 ANZA-Indian Alliance against Cuervo Verde for peace for all peoples.

America, though not perfect, experiences a civil society benefiting all who wish to participate in collaboration, reconciliation, forgiveness and love. So is division, destruction and limited knowledge the standard to follow today? I would say truth, faith and love proved stronger principles than division and destruction, as a way forward!

santafenm.gov

CYD RILEY SANTA

PAULINE ANAYA SANTA FE

FE

FORLORN FOR FORK

Why would the Fork never come back?

CHERYL BARTLETT

SANTA FE

SFR will correct factual errors online and in print. Please let us know if we make a mistake: editor@sfreporter.com or 988-7530.

SANTA FE EAVESDROPPER

—Overheard on a flight from Albuquerque

“Sorry, shit’s messy and you can’t make everyone happy.” —Overheard at Tune Up Cafe

“If I was flying this plane, I’d know exactly how many people were on board. It has nothing to do with how many people you need to serve; it’s how many people you need to evacuate.”

Piling On

required the shelter be in a commercially zoned area and also on a bus route.

“We knew that every year, we would face the same uphill battle: finding a landlord willing to let us rent from them,” Gronquist says in the video.

In the emailed statement issued to SFR, the Interfaith Community Shelter says those requirements “are the same today as they were a decade ago.”

The city and the shelter argued in their motions that Dunn refused to adequately spell out how—or by how much—homes and businesses around Pete’s Place decreased in value and to what extent the city and the shelter are responsible.

“When asked in discovery, Plaintiffs failed to identify any conduct on the part of Interfaith that they claim has caused them damage, aside from the mere existence of the shelter,” the motion from Interfaith attorneys Lisa Pullen and David Wesner reads.

The city presented a nearly identical argument.

BY ANDY LYMAN andylyman@sfreporter.com

Although a District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed against both the City of Santa Fe and the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place earlier this spring, the attorney for a group of neighbors and business owners near the shelter has filed a notice of appeal.

First Judicial District Judge Bryan Biedscheid granted the defendants’ motions for summary judgement April 3, but Blair Dunn, who represents the plaintiffs, tells SFR he will ask the New Mexico Court of Appeals to take a second look because Biedscheid “got the law wrong.”

Dunn says his clients maintain the city and the shelter caused nuisances by inviting unhoused people to the area and that the lack of action had negative consequences on property values—effectively a “taking.” The 2020 case argued specifically that the shelter created an unsanitary environment wherein people congregated, openly used drugs and deposited human excrement. The city effectively took their property, the case says, when it passively allowed people to damage nearby property, causing values to go down.

“[Biedscheid] gets the law on taking and nuisances completely backwards,” Dunn says.

The litigation dates to the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when Interfaith Community Shelter reduced its capacity, and it highlights the difficulty of providing centrally located services for unhoused

people while also avoid ing the ire of neighbors.

Lawyers for the shelter did not respond to interview requests, but the nonprofit doesn’t plan to back down, according to a statement emailed to SFR.

“We were very pleased the judge granted the Shelter’s motion for summary judgment, and we are confident that the Shelter will prevail on appeal,” the statement reads. “We are doing our best, in cooperation with the Santa Fe Police Department, to be good neighbors and to provide life-saving services to this very vulnerable population.”

The court case stands against the backdrop of the city’s latest efforts to expand services for the unhoused, a pilot project for a new site or sites for up to 25 pop-up shelters and adjacent bathroom, shower and laundry areas.

Dunn tells SFR his clients have compassion and understanding about the need to provide shelter; nevertheless, they want the permanent group shelter moved to a different part of the city. He suggests the Midtown campus, already home to housing at the Consuelo’s Place converted dorms (but a locatio rejected by city officials considering additional shelter locations), and the shuttered Santa Fe County juvenile detention center on Airport Road.

“They really want to help these people,” Dunn says. “But this is a bad situation, this

is the wrong solution, in the wrong place for actively helping these people.”

Plaintiffs include the owners of nearby businesses such as Kelly’s Liquor, the Silver Saddle Motel and Z Pet Hotel, as well as residential property owners who had owned property in the area for time periods of nine years or longer at the time of filing.

The nonprofit has rented the space for nearly two decades since the city bought the former pet store and converted it to a shelter. The organization offers a low-barrier place to stay for the night, but rules prohibit guests from using drugs or alcohol on site, according to Director Korina Lopez. That means the shelter sometimes asks people to leave for consuming those substances or people voluntarily leave during the night. The shelter remains off limits during the day, aside from the three days a week when it offers lunch, showers and case management appointments. The shelter does, however, allow some people to hang out on the shelter’s front patio if they “can be chill and relaxed,” Lopez says.

In a video documenting the transition of Pete’s Place to a homeless shelter and posted on its YouTube page, Interfaith Community Shelter co-founder Guy Gronquist says the city’s guidelines for a shelter eliminated any space near the Plaza or the Santa Fe Place Mall, but also

“When asked in discovery for Plaintiffs damages and devaluation of their real property, they provided photographs of defecation, needles, damage to public property and mentioned a police complaint for a stolen motorcycle,” the motion filed by City Attorney Erin McSherry reads. “The response included statements that the request was overly-broad and intended to harass, and that they do not have any documents responsive.”

According to exhibits filed by both defendants, Dunn answered some questions about the level of the city’s and shelter’s culpability, but also cited a federal case he says set a precedent barring discovery questions that seek “each and every fact.”

On March 3, Biedscheid wrote that the city’s motion successfully showed plaintiffs “failed to demonstrate that City officials, employees, or agents” either willingly attracted a nuisance to areas around Pete’s Place or took property by willingly allowing activity that devalued property in the area.

McSherry notes in an email to SFR that Biedscheid ruled Dunn’s claims “were without merit,” and until the group officially files an appeal, she would not comment.

“We’ll assess the merits of the appeal when/if Mr. Dunn identifies issues in his appellate brief,” McSherry says.

The city expects to soon send out a solicitation request for qualified organizations that want to host land or provide services for a planned shelter pilot project that will tap about $1 million in American Rescue Act funds. One requirement for that project is a “good neighbor agreement” that will purportedly include ongoing communication, clear expectations and homeless education outreach.

A person approaches the Interfaith Community Shelter at Pete’s Place on a recent morning. Neighbors aruge in a lawsuit that proximty to the shelter has led to a decline in their property values.

ROBERTO ROSALES

A still pending lawsuit over an existing homeless shelter highlights neighbors’ heartburn over centrally located services

No Such Thing As Free Parking

BY ANDREW OXFORD oxford@sfreporter.com

Santa Fe’s pork chop shape and income disparity create a sort of conundrum for commuters.

Many of the jobs are concentrated on one end of town and most of the growth is concentrated on the other, meaning many residents have to get across town for work. And as the city has cut back on transit service, that has left many with no option but to drive—and spend money on parking as well as gas.

The mayor and City Council approved a one-year pilot program last November to provide workers earning less than $21 an hour with an extra discount on parking passes for downtown garages.

But more than six months after the vote to launch the one-year program, the city has yet to roll out the discounted permits.

City officials signaled concerns early on, noting the program could eat into the revenue of the city’s Parking Division. Other plans to potentially boost revenue (and unsnarl traffic) detailed in a lengthy multimodal transition plan councilors adopted last year also appear stalled (see “On the Struggle Bus,” May 10).

The discount parking program was meant to be fairly limited in scope—just 150 permits that would be sold on a first-come, first-serve basis to businesses that could then pass the permits on to qualifying employees. The program was meant to steer drivers to the city’s garages while also saving a bit of money for low-wage workers.

“We want to provide parking for the employees, particularly employees who come from the Southside of town and don’t have the luxury of getting to work any other way,” District 4 Councilor Amanda Chavez told

the Quality of Life Committee in arguing for the program last fall.

Public Works Director Regina Wheeler cautioned that even this limited initiative would cost the city tens of thousands of dollars in lost parking revenue. Moreover, the city didn’t have 150 spaces to spare in its garages, Wheeler argued.

The initiative passed anyway but hasn’t gone anywhere.

Wheeler tells SFR the pilot project had largely been on hold while the city found a new Parking Division director. With a new director recently hired, the city will be looking at launching the program, she says.

Meanwhile, the city’s multimodal transition plan—approved by the council on the very same day as the parking pilot project— argues the city isn’t making the best use of the parking spaces it already has. Based on surveys and extensive study by outside consultants, the plan concludes the city has plenty of parking around downtown that’s underutilized but that the city has done a poor job of directing drivers to those spaces.

The city currently charges $2 an hour for on-street parking, for example.

Garages and lots aren’t much cheaper.

The city charges $2 an hour at the lot on Water Street, for example, and $1 for the first hour as well as $2 for each additional hour at garages around downtown.

The city’s multimodal transition plan argues these prices don’t provide much incentive for drivers to choose a garage over

the street. That means drivers may reasonably opt to take the spot closest to their destination, regardless of whether they plan to stay there for just a few minutes or a few hours, the report says.

That can snarl traffic as other drivers cruise the streets looking for open spots, the report adds. Meanwhile, drivers don’t have much incentive to move vehicles from in front of downtown businesses that might want more turnover to accommodate cus-

tomers who are only staying for shorter periods of time, like at restaurants or galleries.

It also makes for wasted space in some of the garages around town.

While the garage on Sandoval Street and the lot on Water Street fill up quickly, parking facilities at the convention center and Railyard often have empty spaces, the plan notes.

The plan calls for city officials in the short term to raise parking rates on the street to at least $1 above the hourly rate for the most expensive off-street option. The plan also suggests making it cheaper to park at the convention center in hopes more drivers will choose that underutilized option. And it suggests the city look to the ring of parking lots that encircle downtown but are often underused, such as those at the Legislature and the South Capitol transit station.

In the long term, the plan suggests the city adopt what’s called demand-based pricing to adjust prices based on the amount of available parking. Prices for curbside parking could rise, for example, if nearby garages still have plenty of space. The plan argues higher prices will encourage more turnover in on-street parking.

Not so fast.

“The city of Santa Fe is the city different,” says Wheeler.

While dynamic pricing or structuring parking rates to heavily incentivize the use of garages may be textbook in other cities, she says, “this administration is a little more gentle with fees.”

In the short term, the goal is to continue replacing the many broken parking meters across downtown (the city bought hundreds of new ones this year) and improve the ease of using downtown garages, Wheeler says.

The multimodal transition plan, she adds, was a long-term project. Even the city’s top official doesn’t seem to be on board with it, contending it doesn’t go far enough.

Pointing to the economic strain that car ownership can be for many families and the city’s own study showing transportation remains the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in Santa Fe, Mayor Alan Webber voted against the plan when the council approved it last year.

“If we were to embrace all of the recommendations in this document, I don’t actually believe that needle will move in a significant way simply because we’re not being aggressive enough, bold enough or willing to take hard decisions to disincentive the automobile in favor of transit and bikes and pedestrian use,” he told the council Nov. 9.

City parking meters on Don Gaspar Avenue show signs of wear. The city has been replacing hundreds of broken meters across downtown.

ANDREW OXFORD

Downtown parking changes approved by City Council stall at City Hall

We want to provide parking for the employees, particularly employees who come from the Southside of town and don’t have the luxury of getting to work any other way.

-Amanda Chavez, District 4 City Councilor

BLIND TASTE TEST REVEALS SANTA FE’S BAKERY SECRETS

BY ALEX DE VORE, JULIE ANN GRIMM editor@sfreporter.com

The humble cinnamon roll represents the quintessential and most basic bakery pastry. However, its execution varies across the city, which prompted SFR to embark on a scientific and culinary journey to determine which rolls taste the best.

After our panel of five secret judges completed their score cards, the top two winners earned scores so close that we almost declared a tie. Notably, each of the top two rolls came from one of two basic categories: the flaky croissant style and the doughy bread style.

Angel’s Bakery and Coffee Shop came out on top with an average judge’s score of 8.2 out of 10 points.

The family business has been baking up goodies in Santa Fe for about 17 years, since the summer of 2020 from its kitchen and storefront in the Chamisa Center at Airport Road and Lopez Lane. Before that, it occupied various locations including one on St. Michael’s Drive and another in the former Catamount Bar & Grille spot downtown. For several years along the way, the family made ends meet as a wholesale-only operation.

Angel’s flaky pastry dough comes from

a recipe head baker Jorge Perez developed when he first opened up shop. Now that his son Javier Medrano runs the business, Perez focuses on baking and has maintained a consistency recognized for years.

“We don’t use lard, we don’t use shortening and we don’t use margarine,” Medrano

explains. “I know a lot of people—margarine is a lot cheaper than butter—so they’ll actually do half margarine and half butter. We just go full on with the butter. It’s all butter.”

Does that explain why the bakery landed No. 1 in the blind taste test?

“I think that’s it. I mean it really makes a total difference as far as flavor goes. That’s really the secret behind it. It’s just the ingredients you use, and it has to do with the bakers, too. You know, they love what they do. This is practically their life. They love baking and they put in 100% every time they bake. They don’t do it halfway,” he says.

During SFR’s visit, baker Oswaldo Lopez deftly maneuvered giant sheets of dough, sprinkling a thin layer of cinnamon and sugar on the entire surface, then rolling the sheet into a long cylinder. Next, he sliced off each roll and laid it flat on a baking sheet. It happened so fast that his hands are blurry in most of our photographs. Next, the rolls proof for two to three hours before baking for 12 minutes on each side, then they receive a thin drizzle of icing.

Each day, the bakery produces upward of 50 cinnamon rolls, along with its bear claws, danishes, croissants and other treats. Fruit fillings and other ingredients aren’t pre-bought, but instead made from scratch on site. Hotels, restaurants and other local businesses—including all three locations of Marisco’s as well as Sagche’s Coffee, Kaune’s Market and La Montanita Co-Op —place daily orders, and the storefront serves Southside commuters in person, starting with its early 7:30 am opening time.

Javier Medrano and Yuki Jalalon of Angel’s Bakery proudly pose with their top-rated roll.

JULIE ANN GRIMM

Medrano was in middle school when his dad started the bakery, so he learned by doing. By the time he graduated from Capital High School, he was well-versed in many aspects. His mother Martha Dominguez still decorates specialty cakes for weddings and birthdays, and his wife Yuki Jalalon owns the coffee shop part of the business.

Ranking a close second place, Counter Culture Cafe’s extremely large “cinnamon bun” impressed our judges with an average score of 8.

The crowded parking lot off Baca Street that Counter Culture Café shares with a few other business can be a royal pain, but it proves just how many local fans of the menu, service and high-quality consistency the restaurant counts in its following. After years as a cash-only affair, cashiers will even accept debit and credit cards now, which sounds like a small thing but makes a lot of difference. Counter Culture’s indoor and outdoor dining areas tend to be slammed for most of its breakfasts and lunches, open seven days a week.

Still, you might be surprised to learn owners/married couple Jason Aufrichtig and Elaine Pirone have altered very few aspects of the business over time—case in point, the cinnamon bun, which Pirone herself developed back when the restaurant first opened in 1996.

The recipe for the massive bun (“as big as a baby’s head,” Aufrichtig says) has not changed in the nearly 30 years since it hit the menu, and it’s easy to see why. Taking the bread-forward route in a city that seems to love its pastries flaky, Aufrichtig explains, Counter Culture’s version of the treat is not

only generous (it weighed in at 1 pound, 1 ounce—by far the largest in our taste test), it’s delicious and almost addictive; the dough is more yeasty, as well, making it more akin to a dense but challah-like loaf than a roll.

Counter Culture’s take on the cinnamon roll features moist layers that allow the flavorful but not overpowering icing (and lots of it) to seep inside and mingle with the cinnamon and sugar at the core of the treat. Aufrichtig says he still zeroes in on the “inside loin,” when he eats one.

Counter Culture’s patrons can’t get enough, according to Aufrichtig, who says the kitchen churns out large batches three times per week on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. He’s not even sure how many they sell on a regular basis, but it’s a lot. Plus, the kitchen will even make French toast using the day-olds if you please—which you most certainly should—because Pirone’s recipe is as inextricably linked to Counter Culture’s DNA as its ethos of breakfast, brunch and lunch done right.

“We realized we were going to need a good blueberry muffin and a good cinnamon bun,” Aufrichtig says, recounting the restaurant’s early days and his wife’s rise to cinnamon stardom. “It was just learning what works at this altitude and what doesn’t; some places proof and bake what’s almost like croissant dough. We didn’t want to go that direction, so we do more of a bread type.”

Aufrichtig hypothesizes that, in addition to the cinnamon roll, Counter Culture has remained popular because of its commitment to quality and its staff. He doesn’t much go for the term “family” when it comes to work, yet he loves his workers and isn’t shy to show it. You’ll also often find him and Pirone manning the battle stations at Counter Culture, greeting customers by name and helping out in the kitchen, on the floor, behind the counter or wherever he’s needed. The neighborhood has changed since the ‘90s, Aufrichtig says, but Counter

Culture remains the same and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. As for when to show up if you’re looking to get the freshest cinnamon bun: “10 o’clock,” Aufrichtig advises. “That’s when they’re still warm, but not blazing hot—when they’re just setting.”

About the judging process

SFR staff spread out across the city on a Friday morning to purchase two cinnamon rolls from each of the eight bakeries on the following pages. (We had planned to also include Dulce and Clafoutis, but both were already sold out by the time we arrived.) Judges completed a blind taste test and SFR compiled the scores and ranked them by the average.

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

The icing-drenched peaks of Counter Culture’s roll look intimidating, but the brawny bun vanishes quickly.

T hat’s really the secret behind it. It’s just the ingredients you use, and it has to do with the bakers, too. You know, they love what they do.

-Javier Medrano, Angel’s Bakery

Angel’s Bakery

4350 Airport Road, Ste. 13, (505) 557-6156

Average points: 8.2

Cost: $3.25

Weight: 7.3 ounces

Notes from the tasters: “Soft but flaky.” “Moist. Tender. So much flavor. Baked well.” “Very good with excellent flavor. Croissant feel.” “Sweet, sweet.” “Super buttery and Frenchy.”

About: The glass-fronted case at Angel’s showcases the plump and generous portions on which this bakery has built its reputation. In a true family affair, find Javier Medrano managing the business while his dad Jorge Perez focuses on the recipes he developed approximately 17 years ago. Medrano’s mother Martha Dominguez serves as head decorator for special-occasion cakes and his wife Yuki Jalalon owns the coffee shop. This storefront should get extra points for being open at 7:30 am in a town that wakes up late, but look for Angel’s treats in places such as Kaune’s Neighborhood Market and La Montañita Co-Op.

Counter Culture Café

930 Baca St., (505) 995-1105

Average points: 8

Cost: $6.45

Weight: 1 pound, 1 ounce

Notes from the tasters: “So dense and soft.” “Perfect texture. Big and not traditional.” “Insanely good icing.” “Overwhelming, but not in a bad way.” “Kinda bready, the best for sharing.”

About: A popular local haunt since it opened its doors in 1996, Counter Culture Café is the reason Baca Street becomes so busy in the mornings and on weekends. Owned by spouses Elaine Pirone and Jason Aufrichtig—the latter of whom has worked in kitchens across the Southwest and East Coast, including Santacafé—Counter Culture has become of the most cited eateries for quality breakfast burritos, enticing one-off specials, treats, coffees and so much more. Someplace between that gargantuan cinnamon bun, that spicy green chile breakfast burrito, that filling salad, sandwich and/or baked treat and that perfect cup of coffee, the level of dedication to the locals becomes abundantly clear. Good thing seating options include a pair of nice outdoor dining spaces, too—open now just in time for summer.

The New Santa Fe Baking Co

504 W Cordova Road, (505) 557-6435

Average points: 5.6

Cost: $4

Weight: 4 ounces

Notes from the tasters: “Subtle, satisfying squish.” “Like the little crisp of the exterior.” “Kind of down the middle.” “Lovely smell.” “Fluffy.”

About: All hail Filiberto Rodriguez, the longtime Santa Fe Baking Co. employee who became the owner in 2016, reopening the famed Cordova Road eatery and cleaning up its act while he was at it. The Baking Co. is the kind of spot that quietly makes one of the more beloved breakfast burritos in the city, where you’ll find a hot and ready cup of coffee, where the patio feels nice in the warmer months and the sunlight spills in across the room for your enjoyment. Don’t sleep on the bakery offerings, though, like one of the biggest bear claws we’ve ever seen and a croissant so tasty and flaky it ranks among the city’s best (with or without butter). When it comes to cinnamon rolls, too, Rodriguez and company’s recipe seals the deal—just make sure you show up well before the middle point of the day, because the New Santa Fe Baking Co. will sell out, guaranteed, and then what are you supposed to do?

San Marcos Cafe

San Marcos Cafe & Feed Store 3877 State Hwy. 14, (505) 471-9298

Average points: 4.8

Cost: $4.25

Weight: 8.9 ounces

Notes from the tasters: “Less sweet. Flaky.” “Not very much icing.” “Falls apart.”

About: The cafe connected to a legit feed store near Lone Butte has a farm kitchen feel, demonstrated partly by the peacocks outside and the interior decorated with antiques and furnished with mismatched wooden dining room sets. Its cinnamon rolls, listed at the top center of the menu and described as “the traditional start to your meal” are best served on-site rather than making the trek back to Santa Fe, which we learned the hard way. The treats—one of two on our list to be baked in muffin tins, and available every morning but Sunday—are light on icing and heavy on flaky layers. In-person, they arrive with a pat of butter that might seem over the top until you taste how much it improves each delicious bite. Cindy and Mark Holloway took over the cafe in 2014, one of the few restaurant options for residents along the South NM 14 corridor. The basic breakfast and lunch menu includes New Mexican staples and country classics such as biscuits and gravy.

Chocolate Maven

821 W San Mateo Road, (505) 984-1980

Average points: 6.6

Cost: $4.25

Weight: 7.7 ounces

Notes from the tasters: “Infinity layers with pastry more like pie crust. Simple cinnamon and sugar, very moist.” “Yum, butter.” “Good classic cinnamon roll vibe but a bit plain and overly buttery.”

About: What began as a relatively small operation has grown over the years into a powerhouse cafe, coffeeshop/teahouse and commercial bakery that still has time and space for those who stop by its flagship Midtown location for brunch, lunch, high tea and more. Owners Dharm Khalsa and Gurukiren Kaur Ramos still serve up the killer treats, soups, sandwiches and brunch items you dream about, too. And that’s not even getting into desserts like the chocolate ganache petit four or the pies—oh, the pies! For the quick stop set, the Maven’s proprietary Coppenhagen cinnamon roll is still a big part of the enduring draw. Practically a meal unto itself, you could share this one after your Galisteo grilled chicken sandwich or eggs Benedict/Florentine, etc.— but more than likely you’ll want it all to yourself.

Madame Matisse

1291 San Felipe Ave., (505) 772-0949

Average points: 6

Cost: $3.50

Weight: 3.4 ounces

Notes from the tasters: “Crusty top like a churro.” “Crunchy.” “Would have had a higher rating with frosting.” “Caramelized sugar is good but it does not feel like a cinnamon roll.”

About: When you really set out to find bakeries in Santa Fe, you might be shocked at their sheer numbers. In Midtown alone, a veritable cavalcade of baked goods includes Madame Matisse. Owner Siriporn “JJ” Khongkabrirat opened the space in 2019 with her much-ballyhooed Thai on Canyon opening the following year. But don’t think her running two restaurants means you’ll get lesser quality baked goods by any means. Our tasters loved the churro-like quality of the Madame Matisse cinnamon roll, and though there was no frosting to be found, many of us went in for more bites long after the tasting was finished. Chef Eric De Margerie deserves a shout-out here, too, of course, for presiding over tasty brunchy and lunchy bites, too, including French toast to die for, crepes that appear like little envelopes of love as well as healthier options like granola, acai bowls and wraps.

Boultawn’s

226 N Guadalupe St., (505) 983-9006

Average points: 2.2

Cost: $3.20

Weight: 7.9 ounces

Notes from the tasters: “Where’s the cinnamon?” “Dry and doughy at the same time.”

“Hard to place what this tastes like.”

About: For years we’ve said Boultawn’s serves up the best bagel in Santa Fe, and we stand by that thanks in part to the bakery’s green chile and cheese number. While our tasters didn’t love the cinnamon roll, there are plenty of other treats to try instead, including but not limited to a strawberry and Nutella crepe, massive cookies and, of course, the bagels. That last one is kind of the biggest deal thanks to co-owner Tawn Dix’s multi-decade dedication to discerning the best possible recipe. That bit’s a closely-guarded secret, but with Dix having studied the noble bagel on both coasts, just know he’s doing it right. Remember, too, that Boultawn’s moved from Marcy Street to Guadalupe Street some years back, and while that makes parking a little tricker, we’re kind of hard up for solid bagels around here, so you’ll surely work it out. Note the cozy dining area, too, and a patio that has evolved into something quite comfortable over time.

Revolution Bakery

Design Center, 418 Cerrillos Road Unit 6, (505) 346-2669

Average points: 1

Cost: $4.85

Weight: 5 ounces

Notes from the tasters: “Powdery. Bland. Weird smell.” “Trust me: Taste the smallest possible bite.”

About: During prime pastry hours, Revolution Bakery is also one of the only businesses open in the Design Center—conditions that make for an easy in-and-out to grab gluten-free treats and a quiet place for a meeting. We commend owner/baker Dionne Christian, too, for reinvigorating her space in 2019 after shutting it down roughly two years before. But that’s the gluten-free life for you, the type of diet that not only works for the trendy and health-conscious, but those suffering from celiac disease. And though we tip our hats to the idea of dedicating the kitchen to 100% gluten-free pastries and assorted other treats, this was our least favorite cinnamon roll due to its dry texture and sour taste we couldn’t quite place. Not to worry, though, because Christian tells SFR she switches out three other dough types regularly and, if nothing else, it’s indescribably cool to tell someone, “Oh, yeah, we have a 100% gluten-free bakery here.”

Santa Fe Spring Festival Featuring Herb &

Lavender

June 3–4 10 am–4 pm

Celebrate Spring with Sheep Shearing, Fiber Arts, Live Entertainment, and All Things Lavender

In proud partnership with SWAIA, we will honor the legacy of the land and feature traditional pottery, dance, and food from San Ildefonso Pueblo. all tickets must be purchased online

ART

HEAD OF THE CLASS

People around Santa Fe probably know Eliza Lutz as the leader of post-rock act Future Scars, but did you know Lutz has also become an accomplished designer and visual artist when they’ve not been busy writing killer tunes? True story, and Lutz is poised for their first solo show of prints at Canyon Road’s Hecho a Mano. In a nutshell, All in Your Head finds the artist using the self-portrait as a gateway to shared experiences often unseen; think monoprint, cotton thread, embossing and embroidery. At its core, Lutz’s new body of work is meant to evoke what it’s like for chronically sick and disabled folks to navigate in the world. Brass tacks? It’s more difficult than you might imagine, and Lutz’s new prints are thus cause for self-reflection and, perhaps, even empathy. (ADV)

Eliza Lutz: All in Your Head Opening:

5 pm Friday, May 26. Free. Hecho a Mano 830 Canyon Road, (505) 916-1341

ART OPENING FRI/26

NEEDLE IN THE HAY

Famed collage artist Lance Letscher gets in the emo game courtesy of deceased but impactful songsmith Elliott Smith. If we’re getting specific, Letscher has been particularly inspired by Smith’s Figure 8. Like Smith, Letscher hits a lush and dense balance of colors and textures in a deceptively simple milieu. Collage is, of course, a tricky one, sort of like a visual arts remix. With his background in printmaking and sculpture, however, he’s just the guy to make something leap out from the page. You’re not required to check out Smith beforehand, though highly encouraged, and don’t sleep on the doc about Letscher screening at Violet Crown Cinema the night before at 6 pm. (ADV)

Figure 8: New Works by Lance Letscher: 5-7 pm Friday, May 26. Free. TAI Modern 1601 Paseo de Peralta, (505) 984-1387

PERFORMANCE FRI/26 & SAT/27

THE EMPRESS AND THE HIGH PRIESTESS

Tarot as a divination practice tends to be a love it or hate it affair. But if you put aside the idea that the 15th(ish) century set of major and minor arcana contains truths of the future and instead treat its archetypes as a framework for exploring the present, the resonances are easily accessible. That’s the principle guiding Pomegranate Studios belly dance maestra Myra Krien and deck illustrator Alexandra Eldridge’s new collaboration: a performance (preceded, of course, by card readings) which narrates the maturation journey of tarot’s Fool through dance. And whether you swear by the cards or snicker at them, we think all our inner fools will find something to relate to in that tale. Plus, there’s the dancing. (Siena Sofia Bergt)

Invaders of the Heart 2023: The Radiant Tarot: Reading at 6 pm; show at 7:30 pm Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27. $25-$30. National Dance Institute of New Mexico, 1140 Alto St., (505) 983-7646

EVENT WED/24

Historical Diction

Christian Saiia tells the tales over walks, coffee or both

Though hobbyist historian Christian Saiia was forced into an early retirement from his executive position with Comcast after a health scare left him legally blind, he’s made the most of his days in recent years by diving deep into Santa Fe history.

Saiia, who originally hails from Buffalo, New York, has called the city home since 2006 following a decades-long stint in Colorado. And though most retirees seem to phase into, shall we say, less busy existences, Saiia has transformed his love of history into a pair of ongoing events dubbed Coffee with a Historian and Afternoons with Christian. The difference between his tours and talks and other local options, Saiia says, centers on how he relates the broader global stage, particularly Europe, to Santa Fe’s evolution.

“I’m a ravenous reader,” Saiia says of his pursuit of historical knowledge. “I did take history classes in college at the University of Colorado, but it was mostly the classics; that kind of got me into the state of mind, but I have a sticky memory, too.”

For Coffee and Conversation, Saiia holds court at downtown’s 35 Degrees North coffeeshop. It’s a low-pressure conversation he hosts each Wednesday

for any and all takers. Though free, tips are gladly welcomed and you’re sure to leave with information you didn’t have before. At the more ambulatory Afternoons with Christian (which you can book at afternoonswithchristian.com and starting at $35 per person), find a more rigorous experience, with Saiia playing tour guide downtown and spreading knowledge on things like colonization, the Pueblo Revolt and key players in New Mexico’s contributions to America’s greater histories. A lot has happened here, and Saiia’s got the inside scoop in a way even the most ardent local knowitall can enjoy.

“You can always pick up a tour in the lobby of La Fonda, there are people who do that every day,” Saiia tells SFR. “My thing is that Santa Fe has been involved with not only the development of the US, but the world—for literally thousands of years. It’s really cool once you start to connect the dots.” (Alex

De Vore)

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION WITH CHRISTIAN Noon-2 pm Wednesday, May 24 35 Degrees North 60 E San Francisco St., (505) 629-3538

MANO COURTESY TAI MODERN

MIGUEL ARTEAGA

ALEX DE VORE

THE CALENDAR

HISTORY CHAT

35 Degrees North

Want to see your event listed here?

We’d love to hear from you Send notices via email to calendar@sfreporter.com.

Make sure you include all the pertinent details such as location, time, price and so forth. It helps us out greatly.

Submission doesn’t guarantee inclusion.

WED/24

BOOKS/LECTURES

PEOPLE TO PEOPLE WITH MARY STATZER AND CHRISTIAN WAGUESPACK

New Mexico Museum of Art

107 W Palace Ave. (505) 476-5072

Two curators discuss painter Agnes Pelton's particularly surreal piece "Awakening (Memory of Father)."

1-2 pm, free

SINS OF THE SYSTEM: REGINA M. GRIEGO

Santa Fe Public Library

Main Branch

145 Washington Ave. (505) 955-6780

The author shares her thoughtful and compasionate memoir detailing caring for her 15-yearold nephew after he shot and killed his family.

5-6 pm, free

EVENTS

FREE KIDS SING-ALONG

Santa Fe Public Library Southside

6599 Jaguar Drive (505) 955-2820

Sarah-Jane from Queen Bee Music Association leads wee lads and lasses in lullabies and music games.

3:15-4 pm, free

GEEKS WHO DRINK

Second Street Brewery (Railyard) 1607 Paseo de Peralta (505) 989-3278

A pub quiz incorporating audio and visual clues.

8-10 pm, free

60 E San Francisco St. (505) 629-3538

Walking tour guide Christian Saiia invites locals to gather every Wednesday to discuss New Mexico history and the effects of world geo-politics on westward colonization. (See SFR Picks, page 17) Noon-2 pm, free

LEISURELY BIKE RIDE

Fort Marcy Park

490 Washington Ave. (505) 955-2500

Thrice-weekly instructor-led rides through the city. Free for members of the City of Santa Fe recreation centers. And get this: You can borrow a bike if you don't have your own.

10-11 am, $5

OPEN MIC COMEDY

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Wayward Comedy welcomes you to the stage weekly. Better make 'em laugh.

8 pm, free

TOUR THE GOVERNOR'S MANSION

New Mexico Governor's Mansion

One Mansion Drive (505) 476-2800

Enjoy a docent-led tour of the art and furniture on display at the governor's storied digs. Call to reserve a tour spot.

12 pm, free

VÁMONOS WALKS: WELLNESS WALK

Larragoite Park

1464 Avenida Cristobal Colon Communally wander the Acequia Trail all the way down to the Railyard Park.

5:30 pm, free

WEE WEDNESDAYS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Continuing the museum's numerical monthly theme, young guests will make animals out of numbers.

10:30 am, free

WRITER'S DEN

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

A weekly quiet, communal space to write to the sound of others' clicking keyboards. The additional pressure of knowing you’re surrounded by other writers might just get you past that creative block.

5-6:30 pm, free

FOOD

COOKING MATTERS: EASY EATS

Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center

4801 Beckner Road (505) 772-1234

Part of a six-session series on preparing healthy food on a budget. Taught by registered dietician Megan McNeil.  2-3 pm, free

MAS CHILE POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Just try finding another spot south of downtown where you can get real chile (like, not Burger King green chile cheeseburger-type chile) past 8 pm. We dare you. 4-10 pm, free

THE EVOLVING CELLO

San Miguel Chapel

401 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 983-3974

Stephanie Hunt presents an evening of Italian Baroque compositions, with support from Jeffrey Noonan on theorbo.

7-8:30 pm, $20

THE MARCH DIVIDE

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Texan singer-songwriter.

4-6 pm, free

WORKSHOP

AERIAL FABRIC WITH LISA

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Build core strength while mocking gravity. Take that, Newton!

5:30-7 pm, $23-$28

THU/25

ART OPENINGS

MAKE AND TAKE

Museum of International Folk Art 706 Camino Lejo (505) 476-1204

Enjoy family-friendly projects, treasure hunts and more inspired by animal imagery.  10 am-4 pm, free

BOOKS/LECTURES

CURATOR TALK WITH CECILIA ALEMANI

SITE Santa Fe

1606 Paseo de Peralta (505) 989-1199

Alemani deep dives into her curation process behind  The Milk of Dreams at La Biennale di Venezia.

5:30 pm, free

DANCE

ECSTATIC DANCE

Railyard Performance Center 1611 Paseo de Peralta

MUSIC

INSTRUMENTAL JAZZ JAM

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave., (505) 988-9232

Join in the pro-led improv.  6 pm, free

RYAN WONG

La Reina, El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931

Neo-country. 8 pm, free

EmbodyDance hosts a weekly DJ'd movement sesh. Contact hello@EmbodyDanceSantaFe. com for more information.  6:30 pm, $15

EVENTS

DISTILLERY TOUR

Santa Fe Spirits Distillery 7505 Mallard Way, Ste. 1 (505) 467-8892

From grain to glass. 3 pm, 5 pm, $20

Acrylic, beads and gold and copper leaf animate religious encounters in FE: Expressions of Faith in Contemporary Cuban Art, opening this week at Artes de Cuba

FREE AURA HEALING CLINIC

Nancy Rodriguez

Community Center

1 Prairie Dog Loop (505) 992-9876

Drop by for a free energy tuneup, first come first served.

5:30-6:30 pm, free

GEEKS WHO DRINK

Social Kitchen & Bar

725 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-5952

Don't call it trivia.

7 pm, free

OPEN MIC WITH STEPHEN

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Come on guys, go perform—it's with Stephen!

7 pm, free

OPEN SPACE-TIME

Rainbow Rainbow at Meow Wolf

1352 Rufina Circle

(505) 395-6369

We don’t think there are any interdimensional story clues hidden among the crayons, but we haven’t checked every box.  Noon, free

SEEDS & SPROUTS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Julia Elgatian Romero leads little ones in a dirt-intensive garden exploration.

10:30-11:30 am, free

SOUNDS OF THE SACRED

Lena Street Lofts

1600 Lena St. (505) 984-1921

An audio-centric sensory experience based on the premise that  spinal cords are comparable to guitar strings. Email hello@themacollective.com to sign up.

6 pm, free

SPECIAL MEMORIAL DAY

ART PROJECT

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Angelia Velarde-Logsdon teaches tots to make "buddy poppies."

2-5 pm, free

FILM

'90S MOVIE NIGHTS

La Farge Library

1730 Llano St. (505) 820-0292

Up this time is The Parent Trap

Do y’all think the doubled Lindsay Lohan effect is as impressive to kids now as it was back in the day, or do they just assume it’s CGI?

5:30 pm, free

THE SECRET LIFE OF LANCE LETSCHER (SCREENING AND Q&A)

Violet Crown Cinema

1606 Alcaldesa St.

(505) 216-5678

TAI Modern presents the SXSW-selected doc exploring the collage artist's life and work, then leads a discussion with Letscher and and director Sandra Adair.

6-8 pm, free

FOOD

FLIGHT NIGHT

Santa Fe Spirits Downtown

Tasting Room

308 Read St. (505) 780-5906

If you’re the kind of person who packs one of everything “just to be safe” when going for a trip, then trading one regular cocktail for four different mini ones might be right up your alley.

3-10pm, free

SUSHI POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Brent Jung brings you seafood fresh off the plane while vinyl DJs spin.

5-8 pm, free

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

DAY

Santa Fe Spirits Distillery 7505 Mallard Way, Ste. 1 (505) 467-8892

Past, present and prospective volunteers are welcome to stop by for volunteering info and discounted victuals.

11 am-4 pm, free

MUSIC

ANNALISA EWALD

Agave Restaurant & Lounge

309 W San Francisco St. (505) 995-4530

Classical and baroque guitar.

6-9 pm, free

ALEX MURZYN QUINTET

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave. (505) 988-9232

Sax-centric jazz.

6 pm, free

BILL HEARNE

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Americana and honky-tonk.

4-6 pm, free

COUNTRY NIGHT

The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Co.

37 Fire Place (505) 557-6182

An evening of twang hosted by Sim Balkey and his Honkey Tonk Crew.

6 pm, free

FOLK JAM

La Reina

El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931

Queen Bee Music Association leads an open jam session with music books provided. Don't forget to bring your banjo.

8:30 pm, free

HIGH DESERT TRIO

As Above So Below Distillery

545 Camino de la Familia

(505) 916-8596

Bluegrass for voice, guitar, bass and mandolin.

7:30-9:30 pm, free

PAT MALONE

TerraCotta Wine Bistro

304 Johnson St. (505) 989-1166

Solo guitar.

6 pm, free

SOUNDSCAPES

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

Between the shelves of Octavia Butler and the sweet sounds of Nacha Mendez, you're sure to leave Beastly soothed.

5 pm, free

THEATER

SWEAT

Santa Fe Playhouse

142 E De Vargas St. (505) 988-4262

Lynn Nottage's drama about the deunionization of the Olstead factory in Pennsylvania. This script won a Pulitzer Prize, y'all!

7:30-9:30 pm, $15-$75

WORKSHOP

BEGINNER FABRIC

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Can you hang? If not, this class'll show you all the metaphorical ropes.

5:30-7 pm, $23-$28

CLARIFYING MEDITATIVE WORK

Online

bit.ly/3K8d586

(505) 281-0684

Forty minutes of group meditation, followed by discussion.

7-8:30 pm, free

HATHA YOGA

Four Seasons Rancho Encantado

198 NM-592 (505) 946-5700

Breath-focused yoga.

10:30-11:30 am, $18-$90

INTRO TO PHOTOGRAPHY

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Start with an indoor photography lecture, then follow Mike Wardynski into the gardens for some behind-the-lens learning.

5:30-8:30 pm, $60-$75

QUEER LIFE DRAWING

GROUP

Cirque du So Gay dm @cirque_du_so_gay on Instagram

Bring your own supplies (model tips) and enjoy a queer-centric sketching opportunity.

7-10 pm, $10 suggested

TRAPEZE AND LYRA CLASS

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Expand your aerial vocabulary on static trapeze and hoop.

5:30-7 pm, $23-$28

FRI/26

ART OPENINGS

BRYCE PETTIT: SIGNS OF SPRING (OPENING)

Blue Rain Gallery

544 S Guadalupe St. (505) 954-9902

Cast bronze sculptures of southwestern wildlife.

5-7 pm, free

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

CHARLES ARNOLDI: ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS (OPENING)

Charlotte Jackson Fine Art

554 S Guadalupe St. (505) 989-8688

Copper and iron paint shimmer over textured, intertwining sculptural forms.

5-7 pm, free

ELIZA LUTZ: ALL IN YOUR HEAD (OPENING)

Hecho a Mano

830 Canyon Road (505) 916-1341

Self portraits in embroidered intaglio recalling Medieval religious imagery probe experiences of disability. (See SFR Picks, page 17)

5-7 pm, free

FE: EXPRESSIONS OF FAITH IN CONTEMPORARY CUBAN ART (OPENING)

Artes de Cuba

1700 A Lena St., (505) 303-3138

A group show featuring interpretations of Santeria ranging from sacred to satirical.

4-7 pm, free

FIGURE 8: NEW WORKS BY LANCE LETSCHER (RECEPTION)

TAI Modern 1601 Paseo de Peralta (505) 984-1387

Collages drawing from vintage floral and avian imagery, inspired by Elliott Smith's album of the same name. (See SFR Picks, page 17)

5-7 pm, free

GROUP EXHIBIT (OPENING)

art is gallery santa fe

419 Canyon Road (505) 629-2332

Showcasing multimedia works by Elizabeth Hahn, Maria Fehervary, Robert Perez and more.

5-7 pm, free

IMMERSED IN COLOUR AND TIME:

FRANK BALAAM AND ANGUS (OPENING)

Ventana Fine Art

400 Canyon Road (505) 983-8815

Verdant still lifes and forest scenery.

4-6 pm, free

JOSHUA LANCE: ARTIST-INRESIDENCE SHOW

La Fonda on the Plaza

100 E San Francisco St. (505) 982-5511

A pop-up representational showcase with live painting and portrait commissions available. Runs through May 28.

10 am-7 pm, free

MARK MULHERN: R.S.V.P (OPENING)

GF Contemporary 707 Canyon Road (505) 983-3707

Party tableaus captured in oil.

5-7 pm, free

MATTHEW SIEVERS:

BOLD MARKS (OPENING)

Blue Rain Gallery

544 S Guadalupe St. (505) 954-9902

Tableaus of rural Americana— think abundant big skies and barns.

5-7 pm, free

MIRA BURACK: SACRED BOUQUET (OPENING)

form & concept

435 S Guadalupe St. (505) 216-1256

A four-channel installation and sound bath design to prompt contemplation of reciprocity in the context of Sukkot. Presented as a satellite show of the Currents 2023 festival.

5-7 pm, free

SOEY MILK: SLOW MAGIC (OPENING)

Evoke Contemporary

550 S. Guadalupe St. (505) 995-9902

Modern S&M-influenced figurative imagery on cheekily traditional backgrounds.

5-7 pm, free VICTORIES AND STRUGGLES OF THE SANTA FE RIVER: JESSI CROSS

Santa Fe Watershed Association

1413 Second St., Ste. 3 (505) 820-1696

The artist shares paintings inspired by our central water source, with a Q&A at 6:30 pm.

5-7 pm, free

WESTERN POP ART KICKOFF (OPENING)

Faust Gallery

202 Canyon Road (480) 200-4290

Roger Merrit, Angel Wynn and Ron Rovner share multimedia pieces inspired by Western Americana.

5-7 pm, free

BOOKS/LECTURES

J.C. CERVANTES: THE ENCHANTED HACIENDA

Collected Works

Bookstore and Coffeehouse

202 Galisteo St. (505) 988-4226

The YA author discusses her magical realist debut with Rebecca Roanhorse.

6 pm, free

DANCE

ENTREFLAMENCO SPRING

SEASON

El Flamenco Cabaret

135 W Palace Ave. (505) 209-1302

Flamenco and flan—a perfect pairing.

7:30 pm, $25-$45

INVADERS OF THE HEART

2023: THE RADIANT TAROT

National Dance Institute of New Mexico

1140 Alto St. (505) 983-7646

Tarot-inspired belly dance. (See SFR Picks, page 17)

6 pm, $25-$30

EVENTS

AURA PHOTOS AND SOUND HEALING

Dragonfly Transformations

129 W San Francisco St., Ste. E (505) 652-7633

Human atmospheres like having their picture taken, too. And while you’re waiting for that photo, check out the group meditation healing at 6 pm.

5-7 pm, free

ALL AGES CHESS

Vista Grande Public Library

14 Avenida Torreon, Eldorado (505) 466-7323

Go checkmate that king and... gambit that queen. Or something. All we really remember about chess is that knights move in Ls.

3-5 pm, free

COMEDY NIGHT WITH DEVIN SIEBOLD

Jean Cocteau Cinema

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

Clean, iHeartMedia-approved humor fresh from Florida.

7 pm, $20-$30

CRASH KARAOKE

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Every time we see this entry we get Bill Murray’s version of “More Than This” stuck in our heads. Every damn time.

9 pm-1 am, free

DISTILLERY TOUR

Santa Fe Spirits Distillery

7505 Mallard Way, Ste. 1 (505) 467-8892

Bet you never thought about what your liquor went through to get to you, huh? Rude.

3 pm, 5 pm, $20

FINE ART FRIDAYS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Autumn Dawn helps kids make a mural from recycled materials. We know this isn’t what they mean, but now we’re picturing tots in hard hats constructing an earthship-style tire wall to paint.

2-4 pm, free

FOREST THERAPY WALK

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Maura Finn guides a wander intended to reacquaint participants with their five senses.  9-11:30 sam, $28-$35

FREDERICA ANTONIO

Andrea Fisher Fine Pottery

100 W San Francisco St. (505) 986-1234

The Acoma Pueblo potter demonstrates her techniques and presents new pieces.  Noon-4 pm, free

LEISURELY BIKE RIDE

Fort Marcy Park

490 Washington Ave. (505) 955-2500

I don’t believe in Peter Pan/ Frankenstein or Superman/ All I wanna do is...

10-11 am, $5

MINIATURES PAINTING

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

Paint table-top game figurines.

4-6:30 pm, free

NATIVE TREASURES

NIGHT MARKET Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

710 Camino Lejo (505) 476-1269

An opportunity for the true Native art hounds to start their annual collecting frenzy one day early.

5-8 pm, $100

OPEN SPACE-TIME

Rainbow Rainbow at Meow Wolf

1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369

Not much is free in the multiverse, so might as well take advantage of those art supplies.  Noon, free

PLAZA DEL CERRO, CHIMAYÓ TOUR

Chimayo Museum

13 Plaza De Cerro, Chimayo historicsantafe.org/chimayotour

Check out the historic plaza with Chimayoso Don Usner, then head to Rancho de Chimayó for a group lunch. Presented by the Historic Santa Fe Foundation.  10:30 am, $100-$125

PUBLIC GARDEN TOUR

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo

(505) 471-9103

With all the rain we’ve been getting, you know the garden’s gotta be going wild right now. Growing wild?

11 am-noon, free

VÁMONOS WALKS:

WALK WITH OUR ELDERS

Mary Esther Gonzales

Senior Center

1121 Alto St. (505) 814-6669

A slow-paced group stroll down an ADA-accessible trail.  10 am, free

FOOD

MAS CHILE POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

A rare and precious opportunity to satisfy your chile cravings in what pretty much counts as the wee hours by Santa Fe standards.

4-10 pm, free

PLANTITA VEGAN BAKERY

PIZZA NIGHT

Plantita Vegan Bakery 1704 Lena St. Unit B4 (505) 603-0897

Get this: White bean base is the alfredo sauce of the vegan pizza world. Who knew? You might wanna order in advance if a particular pie has your eye.

5-7 pm, free

POKI TAKO POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery 2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Chef Randy Tapia's dreamy poke bowls and fusion faves.

4-9 pm, free

MUSIC

ANNALISA EWALD

Agave Restaurant & Lounge 309 W San Francisco St. (505) 995-4530

The classical and baroque guitarist will be in residence Thursdays and Fridays through the end of May.

6-9 pm, free

CHARLES TICHENOR CABARET

Los Magueyes

Mexican Restaurant 31 Burro Alley (505) 992-0304

King Charles and occasional guests serenade diners with vocals and piano.  6 pm, free

GORDON LIGHTFOOT TRIBUTE CONCERT

Fuller Lodge Art Center 2132 Central Ave. Los Alamos (505) 662-1635

The Robert Marcum Trio breathes life into the late Lightfoot's best-known melodies.

7-9 pm, $25

JUSTIN NUÑEZ

Mine Shaft Tavern 2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Trilingual Americana.  8 pm, free

CHARLOTTE JACKSON FINE

ART

LORE OF THE LAND

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St.

(844) 743-3759

Hear tales from local history and live music from Johnny Lloyd as the train rumbles on.

7:30-9:30 pm, $109

LORI OTTINO AND JOE WEST

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid

(505) 473-0743

Country rock originals and covers.  5 pm, free

MARK CLARK

First Presbyterian Church

208 Grant Ave. (505) 982-8544

An organ recital of works by Vaughan Williams, Sousa and more.

5:30 pm, free

MOBY DICK

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

The Led Zeppelin tribute band sings loud for the sunshine.

8 pm, $10-$15

ROBERT FOX JAZZ TRIO

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave. (505) 988-9232

Rehearsed jazz followed by jazz jamming followed, occasionally, by appearances from special guests.

6 pm, free

SARA SHOOK & THE DISARMERS

Santa Fe Brewing Company

35 Fire Place

(505) 424-3333

North Carolinian Americana.

7:30 pm, $18

STREET FIGHTER/SAD BARBIE

Second Street Brewery (Rufina Taproom)

2920 Rufina St.

(505) 954-1068

We're so happy to see more underground acts in town.

8-10 pm, free

UNDERGROUND CADENCE

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Rock, blues and jazz covers and originals.

8-11 pm, free

THEATER

BLACK RANGE TRILOGY

Teatro Paraguas

3205 Calle Marie (505) 424-1601

Three locally-set one acts— Esther and Leon, Coyote Acid and Sierra Obscura—following the same Nuevomexicano family across the decades. From playwright John Macker.

7:30 pm, $15-$25

DEATHCOOKIE: A MURDER MYSTERY

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St., (844) 743-3759

Exodus Ensemble presents an interactive murder mystery involving a sinister secret called "The Metamorphosis." Sounds Kafkaesque.

7:30 pm, $149-$170

SWEAT

Santa Fe Playhouse

142 E De Vargas St., (505) 988-4262

Solidarity forever, y’all. That’s all we’ve got to say.

7:30-9:30 pm, $15-$75

WORKSHOP

ADOBE DOWNTOWN

San Miguel Chapel

401 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 983-3974

Learn to make adobe from the experts at Cornerstones Community Partnerships. Plus, for a donation, you can create a brick that'll be used to rebuild Chimayó's historic Plaza del Cerro. Dope!

9 am-1 pm, $0-$25

MIXED MEDIA EN PLEIN AIR

Georgia O'Keeffe Education Annex

123 Grant Ave. (505) 946-1039

Explore gouache, watercolor, pencils and beyond in the annex garden.

3-5 pm, $35-$45

SLACKLINE AND POI WITH ELI

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

All the tightrope walking and flame juggling an adrenaline fiend could need.

7-8:30 pm, $18-$22

YOUTH AERIALS CLASS

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Aspiring aerialists ages 7-12 are invited to explore vertically.

5-6 pm, $24

SAT/27

ART OPENINGS

ART IN THE PARK

Cerrillos Hills State Park

Visitor Center

7 Main St., Cerrillos (505) 474-0196

An annual showcase featuring everything from watercolors to woodwork from Turquoise Trail corridor creators. Proceeds benefit Amigos de las Americas.

10 am-4 pm, free

CATHEDRAL PARK SUMMER ARTS & CRAFTS

SHOW SERIES 2023

Cathedral Park

131 Cathedral Place (505) 955-2143

The Northern New Mexico Fine Arts & Crafts Guild shares its first of four juried showcases of local creators.

10 am-5 pm, free JOY (OPENING)

Museum of Encaustic Art

18 County Road 55A, Cerrillos (505) 424-6487

The museum premieres a juried exhibit of wax-based art exploring the difference between happiness and joy.

Noon-3 pm, free

THE GRANDEUR OF OPERA (OPENING)

Bond House Museum

706 E Bond St., Española (505) 747-8535

Celebrate the exhibit of costumes and sets from 2015-2022 Santa Fe Opera seasons with refreshments and a ticket raffle.

6-8:30 pm, free

THE SANTA FE ARTISTS MARKET

In the West Casitas, north of the water tower

1612 Alcaldesa St.

A juried market featuring pottery, jewelry, painting and more.

9 am-2 pm, free

TRUNK SHOW MoMo

143 Lincoln Ave. (505) 690-7871

Textile artist Rhiannon Griego demonstrates her process and shares new pieces.

2 pm, free

BOOKS/LECTURES

POETRY READING

Java Joe's (Siler) 1248 Siler Road (505) 780-5477

Start the day with Alice Edenberg's latest lines.

11 am, free

REFLECTIONS ON:

THE JAMES LUNA ARCHIVE— CRAZY DAYS AT THE LAZY H Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian 704 Camino Lejo (505) 982-4636

Collections curator Tatiana Lomahaftewa-Singer (Hopi/ Choctaw) and archivist Ryan S. Flahive chat about the performance artist's oeuvre.

10-11:30 am, free

STORIES FROM THE STUDIO: ARTIST TALK

Charlotte Jackson Fine Art

554 S Guadalupe St. (505) 989-8688

Artist Charles Arnoldi sits down with David Chickey to share photos and memories from his five-decade career.

3 pm, free

THE BENEFITS OF ROLFING

Fruit Of The Earth Natural Health

909 Early St. (505) 310-7917

Matt Walker gives the lowdown on the vaguely Germanicsounding holistic system of bone and soft tissue-supporting regimes.

1-2:30 pm, free

DANCE

ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET

SCHOOL RECITAL 2023

Lensic Performing Arts Center

211 W San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234

The latest crop of young ballet, pointe and jazz students strut their stuff.

3 pm, 6 pm, $35

ENTREFLAMENCO SPRING SEASON

El Flamenco Cabaret

135 W Palace Ave. (505) 209-1302

Director Antonio Granjero's flamenco company performs alongside vocalist and guitarist Juan Jose Alba. Come early for a pre-show dinner and drinks.

7:30 pm, $25-$45

INVADERS OF THE HEART

2023: THE RADIANT TAROT

National Dance Institute of New Mexico

1140 Alto St. (505) 983-7646

Myra Krien of Pomegranate Studios teams up with Alexandra Eldridge, creator of the Radiant Tarot deck, for an evening of card readings and arcana-inspired belly dance. (See SFR Picks, page 17)

6 pm, $25-$30

EVENTS

BICYCLE RODEO AND POP-UP PROTECTED BIKE LANES

Genoveva Chavez

Community Center 3221 W Rodeo Road (505) 955-4000

Bring your bike or rent one for free and try your hand at the bike rodeo to learn two-wheeled rules of the road. Yeehaw.

10 am-2 pm, free

BRAKEROOM'S 5TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

Santa Fe Brewing Company

Brakeroom

510 Galisteo St. (505) 780-8648

Celebrate five years of the Santa Fe Brewing Company's downtown outpost with a '70s costume contest, era-themed crafting, a specialty menu from Bang Bite and much more.  Noon-midnight, free

CRYING IN MY CAR: A PODCAST FOR TEACHERS

LIVE EVENT

Jean Cocteau Cinema 418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

Devin Siebold joins James Yon from The Lowdown podcast for a live recording of pedagogical humor.

7 pm, $20-$60

DISTILLERY TOUR

Santa Fe Spirits Distillery 7505 Mallard Way, Ste. 1 (505) 467-8892

Get yourself a reservation and check out where your whiskey went before ending up in your bloodstream.

3 pm, 5 pm, $20

EL MUSEO CULTURAL MERCADO

El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe 555 Camino de la Familia (505) 992-0591

Shop your way through an eclectic collection of art and antiques.

9 am-4 pm, free

FAIRY HAIR FUN!

Santa Fe Children's Museum 1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Get your locks be-tinseled by Santa Fe's resident fae representative. Guaranteed to make you feel at least 17% more magical.

3:30-5:30 pm, free FREE KIDS SING-ALONG

Audubon Center & Sanctuary 1800 Canyon Road (505) 983-4609

Let’s be honest here—kids singing off-key is still pretty cute, whereas adults singing off-key is both painful and vaguely depressing.

10:30-11:15 am, free

FRIENDS OF SFPL BARGAIN

BOOK SALE

Santa Fe Public Library Main Branch 145 Washington Ave. (505) 955-6780

Man, lots of library sales lately! We can only imagine how beautifully organized the offerings are.

11 am-5 pm, free GET TO KNOW THE SANTA FE RIVER WATERSHED: FAMILY ART-MAKING AND RIVER EDUCATION

Santa Fe Watershed Association 1413 Second St., Ste. 3 (505) 820-1696

Art therapist Jessi Cross shares aqua-centric creative activities aimed at educating youngsters about the local river.

10 am-noon, free

THE CALENDAR

KARAOKE WITH CAKE

Cake’s Cafe

227 Galisteo St. (505) 303-4880

Keep the previous evening's crash karaoke going at a second location—with slightly earlier hours and more pastries.

7-11 pm, free

LA TIENDA FLEA

La Tienda at Eldorado

7 Caliente Road

Imagine if you took all the individual yard sales happening on a given weekend and combined them into a single space.

8 am-noon, free

NATIVE TREASURES ART MARKET

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

710 Camino Lejo (505) 476-1269

Shop booth upon both of museum-selected Indigenous artists to benefit MIAC's exhibitions and educational programming.

10 am-5 pm, $5

PUBLIC GARDEN TOUR

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Check out the staff’s personal floral faves.

11 am-noon, free

PUEBLO FIBER ARTS SHOW

Poeh Cultural Center

78 Cities Of Gold Road (505) 455-5041

The New Mexico Fiber Arts Guild joins forces with the Poeh Cultural Center and School for Advanced Research for a showcase of Pueblo weaving, embroidery, spinning and beyond alongside dances, demos, food trucks and more.

9 am-4 pm, free

QUIVER & TEMPT SOCIETY PRESENTS: HISTORY OF BURLESQUE

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Morgon Sedusa leads the audience on an odyssey through burlesque's radical past and present.

7:30 pm, $25

ROCKY TUCKER'S BIRD WATCHING TOURS

El Rancho de las Golondrinas

334 Los Pinos Road (505) 471-2261

Bring binoculars and check out the avian inhabitants of the Leonora Curtin Wetlands.

7:30 am, $5 suggested

SCIENCE SATURDAYS

Santa Fe Children's Museum

1050 Old Pecos Trail (505) 989-8359

Wade Harrell from the Reptile and Bug Museum brings cold-blooded buddies to cuddle.

2-4 pm, free

SENSORY EXPERIENCE WITH MIRA BURACK

form & concept

435 S Guadalupe St. (505) 216-1256

The artist leads a sense-centric exploration in the midst of her video installation, Sacred Bouquet

10:30 am, free

SPEAKEASY EXPRESS

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St.

(844) 743-3759

Hop onboard and pretend it's prohibition times.

7 pm, $109

SPRING BIRD WALK

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Bring or borrow some binoculars and check out the season's bird bunch.

9-10:30 am, $8-$10

FILM

ENCANTO COMMUNITY

PICNIC

Railyard Park

740 Cerrillos Road

(505) 316-3596

Bring your own basket to hang in the park with Mirabel, Bruno and the gang.

6 pm, free

SATURDAY MORNING

CARTOONS

Beastly Books

418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 395-2628

Nostalgic ‘toons and cereal on tap all day. Pajamas highly encouraged.

11 am-7 pm, free

FOOD

MAS CHILE POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

So much chile, you might as well be in Valparaiso.

4-10 pm, free

PLANTITA VEGAN BAKERY

AT REUNITY RESOURCES

Reunity Resources

1829 San Ysidro Crossing (505) 603-0897

Check out the online menu for up-to-date info on Plantita's lastest slate of vegan treats.

9 am-1 pm, free

POKI TAKO POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Chef Randy Tapia's dreamy poke bowls and fusion faves.

4-9 pm, free

MUSIC

ADWELA & THE UPRISING

Boxcar

530 S Guadalupe St. (505) 988-7222

Virginia-based roots reggae.

9 pm, $5

BILL HEARNE

La Fonda on the Plaza

100 E San Francisco St. (505) 982-5511

Old fashioned Americana and honky-tonk.

6:30-9 pm, free

BOB MAUS

Inn & Spa at Loretto

211 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 988-5531

Piano and voice takes on blues and soul classics.

6-9 pm, free

CHARLES TICHENOR CABARET

Los Magueyes

Mexican Restaurant

31 Burro Alley (505) 992-0304

Familiar melodies for piano and voice, with occasional musical guests.

6 pm, free

CHATTER (IN)SITE

SITE Santa Fe

1606 Paseo de Peralta (505) 989-1199

Beethoven piano sonatas alongside spoken word from Stella Reed.

10:30 am, $5-$16

CURRY SPRINGER DUO

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Acoustic rock from local fixtures Don Curry and Pete Springer.

1 pm, free

EL SHOW WITH NOSOTROS

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Tumbleroot’s now-monthly latin night band returns with support from Proyecto Cumbion.

8 pm, $15

HIGH DESERT PLAYBOYS

CHOMP: Santa Fe 505 Cerrillos Road (505) 470-8118

Albuquerque bluegrass and Americana amongst abundant snacking opitons.

6:30 pm, free

HOLLY MEAD AND JON GAGAN

GiG Performance Space

1808 Second St.

Two composers—a pianist and a bassist, respectvely— join forces.

7:30 pm, $25

HONDO COYOTE

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Upbeat traditional country crooning.

8 pm, free

ROBERT FOX JAZZ TRIO

Club Legato

125 E Palace Ave. (505) 988-9232

Jazz on jazz on jazz. Jazz cubed, if you will.

6 pm, free

RON CROWDER BAND

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Gentle rock from a New Mexico native.

8 pm, free

RON ROUGEAU

Pink Adobe 406 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 983-7712

Acoustic tunes from the '60s and '70s.

5:30-7:30 pm, free

RYAN AND THE RESISTORS

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Burqueño country.

3 pm, free

THE CALENDAR ENTER EVENTS AT SFREPORTER.COM/ CAL

SUNSET SERENADE

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St.

(844) 743-3759

All rails and cocktails.

7 pm, $109-$129

WUBBLAND

The Bridge@

Santa Fe Brewing Co.

37 Fire Place

(505) 557-6182

A bass-centric evening led by EDM artist SHROUD.

8 pm-1 am, $20

THEATER

BLACK RANGE TRILOGY

Teatro Paraguas

3205 Calle Marie

(505) 424-1601

Exploring the landscape of a New Mexican family across generations.

7:30 pm, $15-$25

SWEAT

Santa Fe Playhouse

142 E De Vargas St.

(505) 988-4262

Hey, speaking of unions, did y’all hear that the Meow Wolf collective bargainers in Denver are getting closer to a deal?

2 pm, 7:30 pm, $15-$75

WORKSHOP

ADOBE DOWNTOWN

San Miguel Chapel

401 Old Santa Fe Trail

(505) 983-3974

With the way the Santa Fe housing market is going, you never know when being able to make your own building materials could come in handy.

9 am-1 pm, $0-$25

COMMUNITY ART WORKSHOP

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road

(505) 992-2588

Drop in for long as you'd like to work on drawings, puppets banners and more for a June procession honoring the Rio Chiquito—which used to flow where Water Street now stands.

11 am-3 pm, free

INTRO TO SEWING: MAKE A DRAWSTRING BAG!

Hacer Santa Fe

311 Montezuma Ave.

(505) 467-8174

Laura Martin teaches the ins and outs of basic machine

stitching. All materials included.

1 pm, $50

PAPIER-MACHE EXTRAVAGANZA

Santa Fe Public Library Southside

6599 Jaguar Drive

(505) 955-2820

Create alebrije creatures inspired by the library's ongoing installation. Presented in partnership with the Museum of International Folk Art.

11 am-12:30 pm, free

PRANAYAMA SHAKTI YOGA

The Spa at Four Seasons Rancho Encantado

198 NM-592

(505) 946-5700

Elementally-focused yoga.

10:30-11:30 am, $18-$90

SUN/28

ART OPENINGS

CATHEDRAL PARK SUMMER

ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW SERIES 2023

Cathedral Park

131 Cathedral Place (505) 955-2143

Check out the all-local creative offerings presented by the Northern New Mexico Fine Arts & Crafts Guild.

10 am-5 pm, free

RAILYARD ARTISAN MARKET

Santa Fe Farmers Market Pavilion

1607 Paseo de Peralta (505) 983-7726

Buy fine art and crafts directly from local creators. Let us tell ya, goats milk lavender soap hits differently when you can chat with the goat’s owner.

10 am-3 pm, free

DANCE

ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET

FOLKLORICO RECITAL 2023

Lensic Performing Arts Center

211 W San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234

Folklorico and flamenco students present a celebration of traditional Norteño movement styles.

6 pm, $35

EVENTS

EL MUSEO CULTURAL MERCADO

El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe

555 Camino de la Familia (505) 992-0591

An eclectic collection of art and antiques.

10 am-4 pm, free

GARDEN STAGE AT LA

TIENDA RIBBON CUTTING

Upstart Crows Performance Space

La Tienda at Eldorado

Join Theatre Santa Fe President Talia Pura in celebrating the official launch of a new performance space with food, drink, music and more.

6 pm, free

GEEKS WHO DRINK

Desert Dogs Brewery and Cidery

112 W San Francisco St. (505) 983-0134

Trivia promising to range "from Hungary to The Hunger Games."

7-9 pm, free

NATIVE TREASURES

ART MARKET

Museum of Indian Arts & Culture

710 Camino Lejo

(505) 476-1269

Your final opportunity to buy from Indigenous artists while simultaneously supporting the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture.

10 am-5 pm, $5

OPEN MIC

Honeymoon Brewery

Solana Center 907 W Alameda St., Ste. B (505) 303-3139

Let the hard kombucha fuel you. All mediums encouraged.

6:30 pm, free

OPEN MIC JAZZ

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Join High City Jazz Quartet onstage and bring your Billie Holiday or Chet Baker dreams to life.

5-7 pm, free

ORCHARD QUARTET POETRY

READING

Teatro Paraguas

3205 Calle Marie (505) 424-1601

Collaborators Mary McGinnis, Kathamann, Lynn LaLa and Marmika Paskiewiicz read together from their new self-titled joint collection.

5 pm, free

PUBLIC GARDEN TOUR

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Relish all the aesthetic pleasures of the growing season with none of the gardening.

11 am-noon, free

QUIVER & TEMPT SOCIETY

PRESENTS: HISTORY OF BURLESQUE

Wise Fool New Mexico 1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Morgon Sedusa leads the audience on an odyssey through burlesque's radical past and present.

7:30 pm, $25

FOOD

POKI TAKO POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Did we mention Chef Randy Tapia is serving Hawaiian burgers now, too? Yeah. You’re welcome.

4-9 pm, free

MUSIC

60S DANCE PARTY

La Reina

El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931

Groove to supersonic 1960s hits with DJ Swilley and guest DJ Prairiedog.

7-10 pm, free

BILL HEARNE

La Fonda on the Plaza

100 E San Francisco St. (505) 982-5511

Old timey Americana and honky-tonk.

6:30-9 pm, free

DK & THE AFFORDABLES

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Intensely danceable roots music.

12-3 pm, free DIRTY RED AND THE SOUL SHAKERS

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Blues-rock.

3 pm, free

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

by Simon Stephens

Directed

DOUG MONTGOMERY

Rio Chama Steakhouse

414 Old Santa Fe Trail

(505) 955-0765

Master pianist Montgomery performs in the President's Room.

6 pm, free

JIM ALMAND

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Singer-songwriter.

1 pm, free

JOHNNY LLOYD

The Hollar

2849 NM Hwy 14, Madrid (505) 471-2841

Old school Americana.

12-2 pm, free

SANTA FE FLOWDOWN

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

A jazz and hip-hop jam sesh, originated in Austin.

5 pm, free

SUNSET SERENADE

Sky Railway

410 S Guadalupe St. (844) 743-3759

All rails and cocktails.

7:15 pm, $109-$129

TALES AS OLD AS TIME

St. Francis Auditorium at New Mexico Museum of Art

107 W Palace Ave.

(505) 476-5072

John Lynch directs the Concordia Santa Fe Wind Orchestra in a performance of works by Hirokazu Fukushima, Julie Giroux and more.

2 pm, free

THEATER

BLACK RANGE TRILOGY

Teatro Paraguas

3205 Calle Marie (505) 424-1601

Three stories, one family.

2 pm, $15-$25

WORKSHOP

BELLYREENA BELLY DANCE

YogaSource

901 W San Mateo Road (505) 982-0990

The human spine can do some amazing things with practice.

1 pm, $15

MON/29

ART OPENINGS

CATHEDRAL PARK SUMMER ARTS & CRAFTS

SHOW SERIES 2023

Cathedral Park

131 Cathedral Place (505) 955-2143

Your last chance to shop from Northern New Mexico Fine Arts & Crafts Guild-selected creators before July.

10 am-5 pm, free

BOOKS/LECTURES

STEPHEN H. LEKSON

Hotel Santa Fe

1501 Paseo de Peralta (505) 982-1200

On the Chaco-adjacent Chimney Rock archaeological site. Presented by Southwest Seminars.

6 pm, $20

EVENTS

FREE KIDS SING-ALONG

Queen Bee Music Association

1596 Pacheco St. (505) 278-0012

Add do-re-mis to the little ones’

a-b-c education.

10:30-11:15 am, free

JULESWORK FOLLIES: END OF MONTHLY #28

Online

https://bit.ly/3PDWARW

The long-running and pro-feline virtual variety show continues goin' strong with playlets, live music and more.

5 pm, free

LEISURELY BIKE RIDE

Fort Marcy Park

490 Washington Ave. (505) 955-2500

Bicycle! Bicycle! Bicycle! 10-11 am, $5

MEMORIAL DAY CEREMONY

Santa Fe National Cemetery

501 N Guadalupe St. (505) 988-6400

Reflect on the real toll of war with speeches from Sen. Ben Ray Luján, Cesar Romero and more.  10 am, free

OPEN MIC WITH CAKE

Cake’s Cafe

227 Galisteo St. (505) 303-4880

All mediums welcome—visual artists can bring pieces, too.

5:30-8 pm, free

OPEN SPACE-TIME

Rainbow Rainbow at Meow Wolf

1352 Rufina Circle (505) 395-6369

There’s no pot of gold at the end of the (Rainbow) rainbow, but there are first come, first served art supplies on hand.  Noon, free

FILM

MEMORIAL DAY 2000

No Name Cinema

2013 Pinon St. nonamecinema.org

A delightfully disgusting found footage cult classic—presented on VHS and run twice in a row.

7 pm, $5-$15 suggested

FOOD

POKI TAKO POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery

2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Vegan and regular poke bowls alongside fusion experiments.

4-9 pm, free

MUSIC

DOUG MONTGOMERY

Rio Chama Steakhouse

414 Old Santa Fe Trail (505) 955-0765

Expert ivory tickling.

6 pm, free

JIM ALMAND

Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Americana, country and blues.

4-6 pm, free

QUEER NIGHT

La Reina

El Rey Court

1862 Cerrillos Road (505) 982-1931

It's kind of tragic that we don't have a full-on queer bar in Santa Fe, but thank goodness La Reina's got our backs on Monday.

5-11 pm, free

TYRON BENOIT

Mine Shaft Tavern

2846 Hwy. 14, Madrid (505) 473-0743

Americana, Rock and zydeco.

3 pm, free

WORKSHOP

JUGGLING AND UNICYCLING

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Learn everything from the basics of one wheel riding to active passing and advanced juggling patterns.

7:30-9 pm, $18-$22

MONDAY MORNINGS WITH MAURA YOGA

Santa Fe Botanical Garden

715 Camino Lejo (505) 471-9103

Early morning stretching in the midst of the garden.

8:30-9:30 am, $20-$25

PRANAYAMA SHAKTI YOGA

The Spa at Four Seasons Rancho Encantado 198 NM-592 (505) 946-5700

Elementally-focused yoga designed to open (and, apparently, strengthen) chakras.

5:30-6:30 pm, $18-$90

TEEN/TWEEN AERIALS WITH KRISTEN

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

For all those 11-15 who are curious about acrobatics, this class offers the opportunity to explore trapeze, lyra, fabric and rope.

5:15-6:15 pm, $19-$24

TUE/30

ART OPENINGS

GRANT JOHNSON: UNDISCLOSED LOCATIONS

Strata Gallery

418 Cerrillos Road, (505) 780-5403

Surreal photographs of fragile environments—the locations of which the artist is keeping secret for protective purposes.

10 am-5 pm, Tues-Sat, free

EVENTS

COMMUNITY HEALTH FAIR

Northern New Mexico College

921 N Paseo De Onate, Española (505) 929-0746

A one-stop application shop for low- to no-cost health insurance, career opportunities, communal resources and more. Presented in association with BeWellnm.

3-7 pm, free

GEEKS WHO DRINK

Boese Brothers Brewpub

145 Central Park Square, Los Alamos (505) 500-8325

A British-style pub quiz.

8-10 pm, free

GEEKS WHO DRINK

Santa Fe Brewing Company

35 Fire Place (505) 424-3333

Don't call it trivia.

7 pm, free

NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE:

BEST OF ENEMIES

Lensic Performing Arts Center

211 W San Francisco St. (505) 988-1234

David Harewood (Homeland) and Zachary Quinto (Star Trek) star as William F. Buckley Jr. and Gore Vidal trading barbs at the dawn of nightly TV.

7 pm, $19-$22

OPEN MIC POETRY AND MUSIC

Chile Line Brewery

204 N Guadalupe St. (505) 982-8474

Be a modern-day bard for your fellow Santa Feans.

8 pm, free

STAND UP COMEDY CONTEST

Jean Cocteau Cinema 418 Montezuma Ave. (505) 466-5528

No Bull Comedy's monthly humor battle returns. You might wanna call in advance for tickets—they tend to sell out.

6:30 pm, $10

FOOD

POKI TAKO POP-UP

Tumbleroot Brewery and Distillery 2791 Agua Fria St. (505) 393-5135

Randy Tapia's got your back for ultra-fresh seafood fusion.

4-9 pm, free

SANTA FE FARMERS' TUESDAY MARKET

Farmers Market Pavilion

1607 Paseo de Peralta

(505) 983-7726

A truly radishing selection of locally grown (and made) goods.

8 am-1 pm, free

MUSIC

TROY BROWNE Cowgirl

319 S Guadalupe St. (505) 982-2565

Dextrous Americana.

4-6 pm, free

WORKSHOP

AERIAL FABRIC CLASS

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Use silks to approach the ceiling.

10:30 am-12 pm, $23-$28

BEGINNER ROPES WITH CAREY

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Make like a spider climbing back to your web.

5:30-7 pm, $23-$28

DEVELOPING INNER

STRENGTH AND JOY

Santa Fe Women's Club

1616 Old Pecos Trail

Find enthusiasm for meditation with this ongoing series. Today's session focuses on distractions.

6-7:30 pm, $10

HATHA YOGA

The Spa at Four Seasons Rancho Encantado 198 NM-592 (505) 946-5700

Think about the breath in your lungs, not the burning in your calves.

10:30-11:30 am, $18-$90

QUEER BURLESQUE WITH AUDREY

Wise Fool New Mexico

1131 Siler Road (505) 992-2588

Each class both teaches and critically examines an element of a burlesque act: costuming, teasing off clothes, walking the stage or presenting a persona.

7:30-9:30 pm, $18-$22

Inside the Writers’ Studio

Sundance Institute Native Lab returns to Santa Fe with hopes for Southwest representation

BY SIENA SOFIA BERGT siena@sfreporter.com

Nobody looked up when the door opened. The kind of feverish excitement that most writers’ rooms achieve only in brief bursts propelled the feedback session for Rutherford Falls writer and co-star Jana Schmieding’s (Cheyenne River Lakota) new feature project, Auntie Chuck. A discussion of the comedic potential of horny Elders transitioned into collective quoting from My Big Fat Greek Wedding before circling back to suggestions for sharpening the main character’s downward spiral. Commentary that felt constructive rather than competitive made the process look effortless.

The five fellows for the 2023 Sundance Institute Native Lab gathered in a small conference room off the Indigenous-owned Hotel Santa Fe’s dining area earlier this month to read each other’s scripts aloud and provide peer support alongside the program’s men-

tors. In addition to Schmieding, this year’s circle included Eva Grant (St’át’imc Nation), Quinne Larsen (Chinook), Anpa’o Locke (Hunkpapha Lakota and Ahtna Dené) and Cian Elyse White (Māori)—only the second cohort in the program’s history composed entirely of women and nonbinary artists.

Despite the intensive workshopping process, writers do not edit a single page while in Santa Fe.

“There’s no actual writing involved,” Director of the Indigenous Program Adam Piron (Kiowa/Mohawk) explains. “We emphasize for them to just take in the feedback, take in suggestions or inspirations that they have and then sit with it. And then later on when they feel ready, to take another crack at what they’re working on.”

That instruction gives filmmakers the freedom to focus elsewhere during their six days in Santa Fe—such as on the relationships they build, both with each other and with the mentors hand-selected annually to best suit participants’ projects.

“Obviously, it’s a very competitive process, but we also do sort of curate the cohort,” Piron tells SFR. “We are building a community and an extension of all the alumni that have come before them.”

Formidable filmmakers from Taika Waititi (Māori) to Long Line of Ladies director Shaandiin Tome (Diné) to Jhane Myers (Comanche/Blackfeet), producer of the hit Comanche-language Predator installment Prey, have passed through some variation of the Sundance labs. But the Native program looked very different even four years ago than it does today. Under the guidance of former director N. Bird Runningwater (Cheyenne/ Mescalero Apache), the intensive served as a space for Indigenous filmmakers to shoot shorts and proofs-of-concept. The transition to its current focus on feature and episodic narrative screenwriting reflects changes in the broader film industry, according to Piron.

“Because there’s this boom that’s been going on in TV around Indigenous stories or Indigenous-led work, that’s something we’ve been able to incorporate a lot more,” he notes. “We’d gotten submissions for episodic stuff [before], but it was always a bit harder to figure out how to support it. Now that the floodgates to some extent have been opened, I don’t want to say it’s easier, but there are more people making those types of projects.”

Beyond the lab’s shifting content and structure, the program has moved physically as well. While it always took place in New

Mexico, Runningwater initially hosted the gathering on his home turf at the Mescalero Apache Reservation. The move to Santa Fe initially made sense because of an informal agreement with the former Santa Fe University of Art and Design, which allowed fellows to use the school’s equipment in filming their shorts. In the wake of that institution’s demise, several other advantages to the Sundance/Santa Fe relationship emerged.

“We have the Santa Fe International Film Festival—they’ve supported a lot of the Sundance independent filmmakers—and the Jean Cocteau,” says Santa Fe-based Myers. “I think that having it here is kind of a reinforcement of Native people in the film community, because a lot of us are based here.”

Peshawn Bread (Comanche/Kiowa/ Cherokee)—a 2019 Sundance Native program alum, director of Mistress Red and Myers’ child—goes even further.

“When you think about Westerns, New Mexico comes to mind, and that’s the epitome of Native stereotypes in film,” Bread notes. “But then you’re bringing actual authentic Native creativity to the area where our stereotypes are created. And you’re defeating the stereotypes by having these Native creatives in one space. It just brings a certain type of magic and everyone seems to glow in Santa Fe.”

Perhaps the setting also tacitly encourages Indigenous creatives to bring projects back to their home communities for production, rather than feeling confined to the industry’s coastal urban outposts. But whatever the reason for that particular Santa Fean sparkle, Bread, Myers, Piron and the current fellows are all in agreement that the program—which will begin accepting 2024 applications this winter—needs artists Indigenous to the Southwest to apply.

“If somebody is interested in applying, apply to all the labs.” Schmieding urges. “It’s important that we have Southwest representation at these labs, especially if we’re there.”

Sundance Native Lab fellows gather outside the Hotel Santa Fe alongside program advisors and staff.

COURTESY OF THE SUNDANCE INSTITUTE/

BLACKBERRY

Fast X Review

BY ALEX DE VORE alex@sfreporter.com

Full disclosure? I’ve only seen the first Fast and/or Furious movie from 2001, but I must ask—what the hell happened with this series since then? Like, what in the emmer-effing, essing, effing eff happened? I thought these movies were about a cop who got Point Break’d by a car thief/mechanic and then they stole cars and stuff while racing? That first one was fun, even, but it turns out in Fast X from director Louis Leterrier—whom you likely know from movies like Now You See Me and The Transporter—the principal characters from eight movies I didn’t see now work for some kind of clandestine agency (called, get this, The Agency) and the things they must do are so absurdly over-the-top in the least fun ways that...y’know what? We should’ve sent a fan to review this, maybe.

In Fast X, Dom Toretto (a particularly wooden Vin Diesel) and the gang (people, I assume, from previous Fast films, such as Michelle Rodriguez and Charlize Theron) run afoul of this guy Dante (Jason Momoa, whose portrayal of mental illness is disappointing and lazily based in disaffected Joker-esque errati-

6 + BARUCHEL IS EXCELLENT - HOWERTON IS FORGETTABLE; REMINDS US PHONES ARE PRISONS

Uh-oh, friends and cinephiles, it seems we have unwittingly wandered into the timeline wherein filmmakers pump out business-glory prattle like the one about the Nike shoe guys and the other one about the janitor guy who invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos (who, the Los Angeles Times reports, did not actually invent said Cheetos). One could easily argue such films fan the flames of today’s sick brand worship. And though BlackBerry from writer/director Matt Johnson seemingly straddles the style, another take ultimately emerges: Progress ain’t pretty and people are jerks.

BlackBerry recounts the rise of Canada’s Research in Motion, the company founded by nerds who created the first-ever smartphones in the 1990s. Of course, by today’s standards, BlackBerrys would be woefully out of date, but there once was a time when an email and instant messaging machine that could also phone was the height of amazing in the business and private sectors. Most of our phone habits were born of BlackBerry and, according to the movie, RIM controlled nearly half of the entire cellphone market at one point. Johnson’s film looks at how the company got there, how its founders were ill-suited to compete in a rapidly evolving marketplace and how the iPhone singularly crushed practically all competitors shortly after its 2007 first-gen launch.

cisms) whose father they killed in a previous movie. He’s back now and attacks Dom’s family, which is the one thing everyone knows Dom hates. So the crew jetsets around the planet hacking stuff and driving fast and firing guns and driving some more until your head spins. Then Brie Larson appears to say, “You’ll never get away with this, bad guys!” followed by John Cena (who is way too good an actor to do this crap) and Jason Statham, furrowed brow and all (he belongs here). Then a car falls out of a plane. Then you nod off in the theater for about 15 minutes, but come to just in time for the cliffhanger conclusion you don’t care about but that makes you wonder if you’ll ever see the sun again. Then you’ll wish the new SpiderMan cartoon had come out this weekend like you’d thought it would.

Anyway, Fast X is stupid, even by the specially-made extra low bar by which these films deserve to be evaluated; and it is loooong. Too long. It’s long and stupid and bad. It’s not even fun in an

Here the inimitable and underrated Jay Baruchel (Man Seeking Woman—maybe the funniest show ever) tackles Mike Lazaridis, the soft spoken co-CEO and co-founder of RIM who totally gets the tech but not the people. His foil, as it were, is Jim Balsillie (Always Sunny’s Glenn Howerton), a brash and success-obsessed capital-B businessman type who drops F-words while trampling anyone who doesn’t show him the respect he believes he deserves. Baruchel has an undeniable vulnerability throughout the film, even when the chips are way down. Howerton, however—who has proven he’s got chops on shows like AP Bio—takes the cartoonish route. Some of this comes down to the writing, but in contrast to the legendary Michael Ironside as a bullish exec meant to keep the phone nerds in line...well, let’s just say quiet, threatening rage feels scarier than nonstop shouting any day. If the goal was to prove how real-life Balsillie was all bite and no substance, then mission accomplished. Still, Howerton delivers an irksome and dimensionless performance

There are enjoyable yet briefer turns from vets like Cary Elwes as the PalmPilot sonofabitch who thwarts Balsillie whenever possible, or Saul Rubinek (Frasier) as the Verizon guy who helped BlackBerry conquer the world. Johnson himself takes on a role as Lazaridis’ partner and friend, Doug Fregin, though his constant reminders that nerds enjoy Ninja Turtles and Spielberg movies and Doom feel less like sly nods and more like Balsillie’s nuclear tirades—awkward. And so it goes up until the mid-aughts, when the SEC took a look at the company; and the disastrous BlackBerry Storm release. That phone was meant

escapist way like John Wick, nor bombastic like the recent and pretty enjoyable Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Instead, it’s written badly (thanks for nothing Dan Mazeau, Justin Lin and Gary Scott Thompson), its actors act badly (all the lines are like, “I took him down and I’ll take you down!” or, like, “I did it to protect you, John Cena’s nephew!”), its music and cinematography are forgettable and even its car-fuballet nonsense that finds people driving up walls or out-driving explosions or turning kayaks into planes (not kidding) plays so terribly that you almost want to call up Rita Moreno and Helen Mirren (they’re both in this thing somehow!) and ask them if the producers just straight up drove dump trucks full of money to their houses. C’mon Vin Diesel, you’re Groot, bro. Try a little, jeeze.

FAST X

Directed by Leterrier

With Diesel, Rodriguez, Momoa, Cena, Mirren, Moreno Regal, Violet Crown, PG-13, 141 min.

to be the iPhone killer, but did you have one? Did anyone? The film posits that something like 93% were returned or forgotten. And though there’s no question that RIM and BlackBerry changed how we live, do business and interact with our phones and tech—not to mention how data is packaged and sold—Johnson and company don’t quite broach the question we should really be asking: Was it actually for the better? (ADV) Violet Crown, R, 120 min.

STILL

8

+ INSPIRING AND NOSTALGIC

- OVERUSE OF DRAMATIC B-ROLL

It’s tempting to describe the arc of Michael J. Fox’s advocacy for Parkinson’s research in a direct course from the actor’s diagnosis at age 29 with an early onset of the disease. Yet, the new documentary Still candidly explains how Fox hid his illness for seven years before he publicly acknowledged what he thought at first must be the “cosmic price” he had to pay for skyrocketing Hollywood success.

The script distills some of Fox’s wordsmithing from his four books into a story that vacillates between the late-night circuit and the red carpet, and his daily reality of medication and physical therapy to adjust to diminishing functions. There’s a good measure of nostalgia as many viewers already know the story: His breaks came first with TV sit-

coms, then stardom followed when Back to the Future and Teen Wolf hit No. 1 and No. 2 on the Blockbuster chart the same week in August of 1985.

Director Davis Guggenheim makes great use of Fox’s myriad roles, using clips from The Secret of My Success and Family Ties, for example, as story devices in Fox’s own timeline. In Still’s interview segments, Fox discusses the irony that for the early years of his television and movie career, he never stopped moving. Then, as the tremors, rigid muscles and spasms that characterize the disease descended on him, stillness eluded him in a new, involuntary way.

The Marty McFly sparkle lingers in his blue eyes, but looking into Fox’s 61-year-old face as he struggles to form words can take one’s breath away. He explains a thrust into work, depression and alcoholism that comprised his initial response to the illness; he only went public after it became too difficult to hide.

Pity him not, Fox admonishes: “If you pity me, it’s never going to get to me. I’m not pitiful. I’ve got shit going on. I am a tough son of a bitch. I am a cockroach.”

True that: Fox famously fought back by establishing a philanthropic foundation for Parkinson’s research and advocating to Congress. To date, he’s raised more than $2 billion and he’s still at it. (Julie Ann Grimm) AppleTV+, R, 95 min.

I’m going fast and I’m furious.

by Matt Jones

PSYCHICS

MIND BODY SPIRIT

Rob Brezsny Week of May 24th

ARIES (March 21-April 19): My reading of the astrological omens inspires me to make a series of paradoxical predictions for you. Here are five scenarios I foresee as being quite possible in the coming weeks. 1. An epic journey to a sanctuary close to home. 2. A boundary that doesn’t keep people apart but brings them closer. 3. A rambunctious intervention that calms you down and helps you feel more at peace. 4. A complex process that leads to simple clarity. 5. A visit to the past that empowers you to redesign the future.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Do you want a seed to fulfill its destiny? You must bury it in the ground. There, if it’s able to draw on water and the proper nutrients, it will break open and sprout. Its life as a seed will be over. The plant it eventually grows into will look nothing like its source. We take this process for granted, but it’s always a miracle. Now let’s invoke this story as a metaphor for what you are hopefully on the verge of, Taurus. I invite you to do all that’s helpful and necessary to ensure your seed germinates!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Your meandering trek through the Unpromised Land wasn’t as demoralizing as you feared. The skirmish with the metaphorical dragon was a bit disruptive, but hey, you are still breathing and walking around—and even seem to have been energized by the weird thrill of the adventure. The only other possible downside was the new dent in your sweet dream. But I suspect that in the long run, that imperfection will inspire you to work even harder on behalf of your sweet dream—and this will be a blessing. Here’s another perk: The ordeal you endured effectively cleaned out stale old karma, freeing up space for a slew of fresh help and resources.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Testing time is ahead, but don’t get your nerves in an uproar with fantasy-spawned stress. For the most part, your challenges and trials will be interesting, not unsettling. There will be few if any trick questions. There will be straightforward prods to stretch your capacities and expand your understanding. Bonus! I bet you’ll get the brilliant impulse to shed the ball and chain you’ve been absent-mindedly carrying around with you.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Biologist Edward O. Wilson said that the most social animals are ants, termites, and honeybees. He used the following criteria to define that description: “altruism, instincts devoted to social life, and the tightness of the bonds that turn colonies into virtual superorganisms.” I’m going to advocate that you regard ants, termites, and honeybees as teachers and role models for you. The coming weeks will be a great time to boost your skill at socializing and networking. You will be wise to ruminate about how you could improve your life by enhancing your ability to cooperate with others. And remember to boost your altruism!

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Jack Sarfatti is an authentic but maverick physicist born under the sign of Virgo. He suggests that if we make ourselves receptive and alert, we may get help from our future selves. They are trying to communicate good ideas to us back through time. Alas, most of us don’t believe such a thing is feasible, so we aren’t attuned to the potential help. I will encourage you to transcend any natural skepticism you might have about Sarfatti’s theory. As a fun experiment, imagine that the Future You has an important transmission for you— maybe several transmissions. For best results, formulate three specific questions to pose to the Future You.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): I have five points for your consideration. 1. You are alive in your mysterious, endlessly interesting life, and you are imbued with the fantastically potent power of awareness. How could you not feel thrilled? 2. You’re on a planet that’s always surprising, and you’re in an era when so many things are changing that you can’t help being fascinated. How could you not feel thrilled? 3. You have some intriguing project

to look forward to, or some challenging but engaging work you’re doing, or some mind-bending riddle you’re trying to solve. How could you not feel thrilled? 4. You’re playing the most enigmatic game in the universe, also known as your destiny on Earth, and you love ruminating on questions about what it all means. How could you not feel thrilled? 5. You never know what’s going to happen next. You’re like a hero in an epic movie that is endlessly entertaining. How could you not feel thrilled?

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “Trust those that you have helped to help you in their turn,” advises Scorpio author Neil Gaiman. Let’s make that one of your mantras for the coming weeks. In my astrological understanding, you are due to cash in on favors you have bestowed on others. The generosity you have expressed should be streaming back your way in abundance. Be bold about welcoming the bounty. In fact, I hope you will nudge and prompt people, if necessary, to reward you for your past support and blessings.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): So many of us are starved to be listened to with full attention. So many of us yearn to be seen and heard and felt by people who are skilled at receptive empathy. How many of us? I’d say the figure is about 99.9 percent. That’s the bad news, Sagittarius. The good news is that in the coming weeks, you will have an exceptional ability to win the attention of good listeners. To boost the potential healing effects of this opportunity, here’s what I recommend: Refine and deepen your own listening skills. Express them with panache.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Because you’re a Capricorn, earthiness is probably one of your strengths. It’s your birthright to be practical and sensible and wellgrounded. Now and then, however, your earthiness devolves into muddiness. You get too sober and earnest. You’re bogged down in excess pragmatism. I suspect you may be susceptible to such a state these days. What to do? It may help if you add elements of air and fire to your constitution, just to balance things out. Give yourself a secret nickname with a fiery feel, like Blaze, or a crispy briskness, like Breezy. What else could you do to rouse fresh, glowing vigor, Breezy Blaze—even a touch of wildness?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): I love to use metaphors in my writing, but I hate to mix unrelated metaphors. I thrive on referring to poetry, sometimes even surrealistic poetry, but I try to avoid sounding like a lunatic. However, at this juncture in your hero’s journey, Aquarius, I frankly feel that the most effective way to communicate with you is to offer you mixed metaphors and surrealist poetry that border on sounding lunatic. Why? Because you seem primed to wander around on the edges of reality. I’m guessing you’ll respond best to a message that’s aligned with your unruly mood. So here goes: Get ready to surf the spiritual undertow all the way to the teeming wilderness on the other side of the cracked mirror. Ignore the provocative wasteland on your left and the intriguing chaos on your right. Stay focused on the stars in your eyes and devote yourself to wild joy.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “The gift of patience opens when our body, heart, and mind slow enough to move in unison.” So says Piscean poet Mark Nepo. I feel confident you are about to glide into such a grand harmony, dear Pisces. Through a blend of grace and your relaxed efforts to be true to your deepest desires, your body, heart, and mind will synchronize and synergize. Patience will be just one of the gifts you will receive. Others include: a clear vision of your most beautiful future; a lucid understanding of what will be most meaningful to you in the next three years; and a profound sense of feeling at home in the world wherever you go.

Homework: What is the most spiritually nourishing pleasure you should seek out but don’t?

Newsletter.FreeWillAstrology.com

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s Expanded Weekly Audio Horoscopes and Daily Text Message Horoscopes . The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

© COPYRIGHT 2023 ROB BREZSNY

PSYCHIC/TAROT READINGS & SPIRITUAL COUNSELING

“We saw you around this time last year and you were so accurate. We were hoping to schedule another session” S. W. , Santa Fe. For more information call 505-982-8327 or visit www.alexofavalon.com.

What we feel, know, and see is true. Sometimes we need a spiritual guide to assist in seeing our truth. Osara, an African water deity is your natural mirror, come see yourself/come see Osara. 505-810-3018

I’m a certified herbalist, shamanic healer, psychic medium and ordained minister, offering workshops, herbal classes, spiritual counseling, energy healing and psychic readings. Over 30 years’ experience helping others on their path towards healing and wholeness. Please visit lunahealer.com for more information or to make an appointment.

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CASEY’S TOP HAT CHIMNEY SWEEP

Thank you Santa Fe for voting us BEST of Santa Fe 2022 and trusting us for 44 years and counting. We are like a fire department that puts out fires before they happen! Thank you for trusting us to protect what’s most important to you. Be safe and warm!

Call today: 989-5775

Present this for $20.00 off your fireplace or wood stove cleaning in the month of May.

LEGALS

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

COUNTY OF SANTA FE FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF NORMA EVANS, DECEASED. Case No. D-101-PB-2023-00088

NOTICE OF HEARING BY PUBLICATION. UNKNOWN HEIRS OF NORMA EVANS DECEASED, AND ALL UNKNOWN PERSONS WHO HAVE OR CLAIM ANY INTEREST IN THE ESTATE OF NORMA EVANS, DECEASED, OR IN THE MATTER BEING LITIGATED IN THE HEREINAFTER MENTIONED HEARING. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN OF THE FOLLOWING:

1. NORMA EVANS, Deceased, Died on Feb 17, 2023

2. ROBERT E. EVANS filed a Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy, Determination of Heirship, and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative in the above-styled and numbered matter on March 28th, 2023, and a hearing on the above-referenced Petition has been set for Jun 14, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. at the First Judicial Courthouse before the Honorable Kathleen McGarry Ellenwood via Remote Access which are conducted by Google Meets. The Court prefers counsel and parties to participate by video at: https://meet.google.com/wof-cof -tuq. If it is not possible to participate by video, you may call 1 (563) 503-5060 and enter PIN: #818 230 380#

87501, has been appointed as Personal Representative of the Estate of Elke Ottilie Bannwart, also known as Shanti E. Bannwart, and Shanti Elke Bannwart-Roesnner, Deceased. Creditors of the estate must present their claims within four (4) months after the date of the first publication of this notice or within sixty (60) days after mailing or other delivery, whichever is later, or the claims will be forever banned. Claims must be presented to the Personal Representative, Claude R. Phipps, Jr., in care of The Wirth Law Firm, P.C., 708 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, NM 87501, or filed with the First Judicial District Court of Santa Fe County, New Mexico.

Dated May 11, 2023 Respectfully submitted, The Wirth Law Firm, P.C. Attorneys for the Estate of Elke Ottilie Bannwart, also known as Shanti E. Bannwart, and Shanti Elke Bannwart-Roesnner, Deceased.

708 Paseo de Peralta

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 (505) 988-1668 ext. 103

By: Peter Wirth

KATHLEEN VIGIL, District Court Clerk

By: Bernadette Hernandez Deputy Court Clerk

STATE OF NEW MEXICO COUNTY OF SANTA FE FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT Case No. D-101-DM-2023-00163

Petitioner, Benito Loya Miramontes VS. Respondent, Gloria Olivas Sinaloa.

YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that Alexis Nieto De Giron, the above-named Petitioner/Plaintiff has filed a civil action against you in the above-entitled Court and cause number, the general object thereof being: To Dissolve the marriage between the Petitioner and yourself. Unless you enter your appearance in this cause within thirty (30) days of the date of the last publication of this Notice, judgment by default may be entered against you.

Alexis Nieto De Giron, Petitioner/Plaintiff.

706 Felipe Place Santa Fe, NM 87505 Witness this Honorable, SHANNON BRODERICK BULMAN, District Court Judge of the First Judicial District Court of the State of New Mexico, and the seal of the District Court of Santa Fe/Rio Arriba/Los Alamos County, this 19th day of May, 2023.

Kathleen Vigil Clerk of the District Court

Bernadette Hernandez Deputy Clerk

FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT COUNTY OF SANTA FE STATE OF NEW MEXICO No. D-101-PB-2021-00280

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF LUCY DIPONZIO, DECEASED. NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR ORDER OF COMPLETE SETTLEMENT OF ESTATE BY

PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE TO:FRANCINE ANNE LAROSA

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the following:

1.LUCY DIPONZIO, Deceased, died on November 09, 2021;

2.Gregg Gleba filed a Petition for Order of Complete Settlement of Estate by Personal Representative in the above-styled and numbered matter on May 2, 2023; and, 3.A hearing on the above-referenced Petition has been set for July 14, 2023, at 10 a.m. at the Judge Steve Herrera Judicial Complex, 225 Montezuma Avenue, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501, before the Honorable Matthew J. Wilson. All parties are to appear remotely for this hearing. Parties may appear either by video at meet.google. com/bbu-aujx-qfx or by calling 1-336-949-8079 and entering pin number 862702640#. Pursuant to Section 45-1-401 (A) (3), N.M.S.A., 1978, notice of the time and place of hearing on the above-referenced Petition is hereby given to you by publication, once each week, for three consecutive weeks.

DATED this 15th day of May, 2023. Gregg Gleba, Petitioner THE CULLEN LAW FIRM, P.C. Attorneys for Petitioner 2006 Botulph Road P.O. Box 1575 Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504 (505) 988-7114 (office) (505) 995-8694 (facsimile) lawfirm@cullen.cc

Clean, Efficient & Knowledgeable Full Service Chimney Sweep/Dryer Vents. Appointments available. We will beat any price!

505.982.9308 Artschimneysweep.com

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

TAI CHI Chih & Qigong

Beginners Course starts June

3: (Please note: if you can’t start on the 3rd, you can start the following Saturday 6-10 or the very last start time will be 6-17) This weekly course will be taught outside at the Galisteo Rose Park. Saturday mornings: 9:00 - 10:15am

It takes about 8 - 9 sessions to learn the 20 postures. OK to miss a class. Cost: $10 / session, pay as you go.

Benefits: Stress reduction, Balance and Coordination, Brain gym: Neurogenesis & Resiliency You must register by email: danielbruce1219@ gmail.com, NO pre-payment necessary. For more information: visit the web site: The Santa Fe Center for Conscious Living

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

COUNTY OF SANTA FE

FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT CASE NO: D-101-CV-2023-00947

IN THE MATTER OF A PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF ERIN TERESE MONTOYA.

NOTICE OF CHANGE OF NAME. TAKE NOTICE that in accordance with the Provisions of Sec. 40-8-1 through Sec. 40-8-3 NMSA 1978, et seq. The Petitioner, Erin T. Montoya, will apply to the Honorable Maria Sanchez Gague, District Court Judge of the First Judicial District at the Santa Fe Judicial Complex, 225 Montezuma Ave., in Santa Fe, New Mexico, at 10:55a.m. on the 10th day of July, 2023. For an ORDER FOR CHANGE OF NAME from Erin

Terese Montoya to Erin Terese Sanchez

KATHLEEN VIGIL, District Court Clerk

By: Bernadette Hernandez Deputy Court Clerk

STATE OF NEW MEXICO

COUNTY OF SANTA FE FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT CASE NO: D-101-PB-2023-00109

IN THE MATTER OF THE ESTATE OF Elke Ottilie Bannwart, also known as Shanti E. Bannwart, and Shanti Elke Bannwart-Roesnner, Deceased.

NOTICE TO CREDITORS NOTICE

IS HEREBY GIVEN that Claude R. Phipps, Jr., whose address is The Wirth Law Firm, P.C., 708 Paseo de Peralta, Santa Fe, New Mexico

NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF SUIT. STATE OF NEW MEXICO to Gloria Olivas Sinaloa, Respondent(s), GREETINGS: YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED that the above-named Petitioner(s) has (have) filed a civil action against you in the above-entitled Court and cause number, the general object thereof being: Order for Service of Process by Publication in a Newspaper. If you do not file a response or a responsive pleading in said cause within thirty (30) days after the last publication of this Notice, a default judgment against you may be entered.

Benito Loya Miramontes, Petitioner’s name.

3845 Riverside Dr Santa Fe, NM 87507 5053958572

Witness the Honorable, SHANNON BRODERICK BULMAN, District Court Judge of the First Judicial District Court of the State of New Mexico, and the seal of the District Court of Santa Fe County, this 18 day of May, 2023.

Kathleen Vigil Clerk of the District Court

Esmeralda Miramontes Deputy Clerk

FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT STATE OF NEW MEXICO COUNTY OF SANTA FE. Case No. D-101-DM-2023-00155 Petitioner, Alexis Nieto De Giron VS. Respondent, Roy Nieto. NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF SUIT. STATE OF NEW MEXICO to Roy Nieto. GREETINGS: