Complete your holiday shopping at Small Business Saturday in downtown Farmington
The holiday season will move into high gear in Farmington over the next several days, beginning with the annual downtown Small Business Saturday celebration on Nov. 25 and continuing with other events throughout next week.
Small Business Saturday, a national promotion designed to encourage people to shop and spend at local businesses, will be held at galleries, shops and restaurants throughout the downtown district from noon to 8 p.m. The work of more than 70 artists will be featured at 18 venues during an art walk taking place from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., while some special events also are slated. More than two dozen businesses in the district are participating in the event, which will stretch from the Artifacts Gallery at 302 E. Main St. to Inspired Moments at 310 W. Main St.
Among the special events are the grand opening of the new 305 Studio at 305 W. Main St., the sister gallery to the adjacent Heart Gallery at 307 W. Main St. owned by Patrick Hazen and Karen Ellsbury. The 305 Studio space was remodeled this fall and has been divided into eight small studios where artists such as Tamie S. Cottrell, Ginger Neeley, Derrick Kosea, Karen Coy and Rod Hubble create and/or display their work.
“Now, it looks better than my side, so I’m a little jealous — just kidding,” Ellsbury said.
A larger space in the back serves as the public home of the Northwest New Mexico Arts Council, the organization that stages the quarterly art walks and other events downtown. President Flo Trujillo said the organization has retained its official home at 100 W. Broadway Ave., but that space is open to the public on a by-appointment-only basis.
The new space at the 305 Studio gives the arts council staff a location where it can engage with the public on a daily basis in a relaxed, inviting environment, Trujillo said. Free coffee, tea and hot chocolate are offered, as are snacks.
“I want them to know we are here,” Trujillo said of downtown visitors. “It’s our job to promote downtown Main Street in any way possible.”
Next door at the HEart Gallery, Ellsbury said she took the opportunity this fall to declutter that space, moving out much of the gallery’s furniture, installing new flooring and opening up the floor plan to better showcase the art, which includes her paintings and Hazen’s photography.
“We just purged a lot of stuff,” Ellsbury said.
The gallery will be offering 25% off all artwork during Small Business Saturday, and the staff at Wines of the San Juan will be on hand to pour the winery’s products.
Visitors also will have the chance to get a look at the gallery’s new pocket park in back. Ellsbury said that while she was busy with the remodeling inside, Hazen has been working on finishing the outdoor space, a project that was funded by a $15,000 grant from AARP New Mexico to the arts council.
The long, narrow space now features a deck, two covered pergolas, overhead lighting, pavers and two murals. Hazen said he still plans to construct a ramp at the south end of the space and have a mural painted on the east wall, but other than that, the project is largely completed.
The park is envisioned as a space for small, intimate outdoor gatherings, but it also features a children’s art section with a sink. It is highlighted by a mural at the southwest corner of a Navajo code talker that was painted by Ivan Lee.
Trujillo said she is excited about the possibilities for using the space, especially when the weather turns warm again.
“I think the community really, really appreciates having a place like this,” she said.
Snowballs, movies and decorated windows
Elsewhere in the district, Trujillo said a snowball fight station will be set up in Orchard Plaza for children from 3 to 5 p.m., complete with barricades and soft, fluffy, faux snowballs that she compared to small pom-poms. Mrs. Claus also will be on hand to accept letters from children for Santa Claus, while other children’s activities are planned.
Also, beginning at 2 p.m., the Totah Theater at 315 W. Main St., will offer free screenings of the films “The Polar Express” and “It’s a Wonderful Life” on a continuous, rotating basis until 8 p.m. Concessions will be sold in the theater lobby.
Trujillo said she envisions families wandering in and out of the theater throughout the afternoon and evening, using it as a respite from the cold or taking a break from shopping while enjoying the classic films.
Finally, Trujillo has asked downtown merchants to participate in a holiday window-decorating contest. Visitors taking part in the art walk will have the chance to vote on their favorite window at Inspired Moments and at the Connect Space, 203 W. Main St., and enter a drawing for a $100 Visa gift card. The winning business will receive a trophy it can display throughout the holiday season, she said.
Three days of Christmas
The holiday festivities continue on Tuesday, Nov. 28 with the opening of the annual Festival of Trees at the Farmington Civic Center, 200 W. Arrington St. The festival, which continues through Saturday, Dec. 2, features several elaborately decorated Christmas trees and a series of special events scattered throughout the week, including storytime sessions, a family night, and lunch and dinner events. Call 505-427-9399.
The city’s community Christmas tree-lighting ceremony is slated for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 29 on the lawn of the Civic Center. The ceremony will be highlighted by live entertainment and a special appearance by the Grinch.
And at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 30, Main Street through downtown Farmington will welcome thousands of visitors for the city’s annual Christmas parade. The parade begins at Wall Street on East Main Street and continues through the district to Auburn Avenue. Call 505-325-0279 for parade entry information.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription: http://bit.ly/2I6TU0e.
This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Festival of Trees, tree-lighting ceremony and parade in Farmington
