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Thursday, December 31
Early Eve
If you want to celebrate New Year’s Eve a little early, head on out to Los Ranchos de Albuquerque where Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm hosts New Year’s Eve at Campo. Gather on the heated outdoor patio at the Campo restaurant (4803 Rio Grande Blvd. NW) for a celebratory, year-end meal. (Not to worry: Tables are socially distanced and stocked with the inn’s signature Lavender Hand Sanitizer Spray.) Brunch goes from 9am to 1pm on Dec. 31. A festive à la carte menu is available from 2 until 6pm. And afternoon diners get treated to live music from local jazz legends Le Chat Lunatique, who will play from 3 until 7pm. Advance reservations are required and can be made online at lospoblanos.com/dining/campo-reservations.
Celebrate Compassion
Champagne and fireworks not your speed? Maybe you need something a bit more mindful for New Year’s Eve. Peaceful Mind, Peaceful World—NYE Celebration is hosted by Kadampa Meditation Center New Mexico in Santa Fe and Meditation in Rio Rancho. From 6:30 to 9pm on Dec. 31, this free alternative New Year’s Eve event streams live online, inviting participants to “come together in spirit and mind to set a joyful and positive intention for the New Year.” Gen Kelsang Chokyan, Buddhist monk and resident teacher at KMC New Mexico, is on hand to “guide us in meditation, share inspirational words of wisdom and conclude with prayers to Buddha Avalokiteshvara.” Be sure to have a candle on hand to light at the spiritually appropriate time. For more details go to meditationinnewmexico.org/.
New Year’s Ravin’ Eve
You can always look to Santa Fe’s House of Eternal Return for a cool, crazy time. For several years the sci-fi art attraction, run by longtime experimental art collective Meow Wolf, has been an awesome place to see music (most often of the EDM variety). It has hosted a number of mind-blowing holiday parties as well. This New Year’s Eve, with everyone stuck at home and not out roaming the multiverse at will, Meow Wolf is reaching out with Virtual Carousel: LIVE at House of Eternal Return. From 9:30pm on Dec. 31 to 12:30am on Jan. 1, revelers are encouraged to log on to Facebook Live for an evening of “special performances in the chamber of sassy freaks.” Among the musical performers are Jasmin Williams & Michael Burt Jr., Commodore 256 and Spoolius. Santa Fe actor, dancer, comedian and performance artist Rod Harrison and Liviana from Albuquerque’s drag provocateurs Saints Ball are among the special opening acts. Feel free to dress up and get weird in the privacy of your own living room. For more info go to facebook.com/events/113693787165120.
Saturday, January 2
Panic! In the Living Room
This last year was a rough one. And maybe you’re still processing it, emotionally speaking. What better way to do that with a night of gloomy, introverted shoegazing music? Still Sad and Effex present Emo Night ABQ: New Years, New Tears on Jan. 2 starting at 8pm. Get in the moody mood with this dark dance event streaming free and live from Effex Night Club in Downtown ABQ. Stay home and cry along to songs by the bands you grew up with spun by the city’s saddest DJs. To get in on the angsty action, tune in to twitch.tv/effexabq.