Wildlife West Nature Park in Edgewood’s season is winding down, with the last Chuckwagon Dinners planned and an annual fundraiser, the Dirty Dash, planned this month.
In addition the Santa Fe County Folk Festival will be held this year at Wildlife West.
Photo by Roger Holden.
On Aug. 13 and Aug. 20, Chuckwagon Dinners will feature Holy Water and Whiskey; the final barbecue dinner of the season will be Sept. 3 for the Labor Day weekend, featuring the Watermelon Mountain Jug Band. All performances are held in the park’s all-weather ampitheater.
There is no Chuckwagon Dinner Aug. 27, the weekend that the park will host the 42nd Annual Southwest Pickers Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Festival.
Each Chuckwagon Dinner show opens at 6 p.m. with a free-flight peregrine falcon demonstration by falconer Tom Smylie.
New arrivals to the park and wildlife zoo include two 10-month old cougars and three 5-month old coyotes. Tickets include admission to the park, and the shows support the non-profit native wildlife zoo, which is managed through volunteer support.
Dinner shows cost $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, $12 for children 5 to 11 years old, and kids age 4 and younger are free. Reservations to the Chuckwagon Dinners are required by 2 p.m. the day of the show.
Make reservations at 505-281-7655 or at wildlifewest.org.
Another August event is the annual Dirty Dash—a 5K mud run to be held this year Aug. 20.
The course runs through the park and includes 12 obstacles and eight mud pits. All ages are welcome and costumes are encouraged.
Free parking and showers are part of the event. To see photos from past events and register, visit thedirtydash.com. The mud run is a fundraiser for the nature park.
Volunteers are being sought to help with the event, and The Dirty Dash will donate $75 for each person who works at least six hours to set up before the event and help during the run.
To volunteer, contact Wildlife West at 505-281-7655.
The Southwest Pickers music festival will be Aug. 27 at Wildlife West, from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The festival is billed as a celebration of traditional acoustic music, and will include a mix of bluegrass and “old-time performers,” according to a press release from the group.
The day’s events include instrument and band contests, jam sessions, workshops, free camping and activities for all ages. Featured performers include Albuquerque’s Higher Ground Bluegrass.
Sharing top billing will be The Adobe Brothers, a group that has been playing together as a band since 1979; other performers include The Virginia Creepers, Boxwood Concort, The North Valley Tune Tanglers, ATC Acoustic Band and Fiddle Kids.
Tickets are available at southwestpickers-festival.org.
