Cool Picks for the Week

• HIPICO Santa Fe Summer Series Begins – Santa Fe’s best party for horse lovers of all ages has everything from world-class hunter/jumper equestrian competition to food trucks, handcrafted beer and wine, fine art and special events like hoop dances and wiener dog races. Get all the info and scheduling at hipicosantafe.com; general admission is free, but you can also VIP it if you want. Fri. July 19 – Aug. 11. HIPICO Santa Fe 100 S Polo Drive.
• Hike from Battleship Rock to McCauley Warm Springs – Join the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and hike leader Ken Collins on this moderate 4-mile round-trip hike. Battleship Rock is a distinctive formation on the section along Highway 4 after it has turned south towards the village of Jemez Springs. Given the time of the year, it is essential to bring rain gear, as well as water, lunch and sunscreen. Generally biting insects are not a problem. Meet in the parking lot of the Santa Fe Botanical Garden and leave in a carpool by 9 am. Trekking poles and sturdy footwear are strongly recommended. Santa Fe Botanical Garden $10 – $15 Fri, July 19 at 715 Camino Lejo.
• Buckaroo Ball’s Willie Nelson Tribute – Pull on your cowboy boots for a two-stepping country-Western dance and concert celebrating Buckaroo Ball’s 25th anniversary featuring True Willie, America’s most authentic Willie Nelson tribute band, honoring Nelson’s guest appearance at the first Buckaroo Ball in 1994. Pre-concert entertainment provided by Will Banister and the Modern Day Ramblers. Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino  $35 Fri, July 19 at 7pm at 20 Buffalo Thunder Trail.
• Bel Canto Opera Ball & Dance Party – An energetic DJ mash-up dance party that starts with classic waltzes and ends with your favorite dance music to celebrate Bel Canto, SITE’s exhibition of contemporary explorations of opera. $150 per couple. SITE Santa Fe SITE Santa Fe Fri, July 19 at 9pm at 1606 Paseo de Peralta.
• Many Mothers Open House –  to see their new office space and Village Closet. Sat, July 20 from 9am to noon. Refreshments, raffle prizes, “shop” for new and gently used clothes, toys, books, breastfeeding/feeding supplies, baby carriers, and more! Many Mothers’ Village Closet is a place where you can find donation-based, new and gently used items for babies 0-3 years old. Please note that items under $50 are cash only. 1919 Fifth Street, Suite I.
• Young Native Artists Summer Show & Sale –  art, jewelry, pottery and more from the next generation of Native American artists and craftspeople. Children and grandchildren of artists associated with the Palace of the Governors’ Portal Program demonstrate and sell their own arts and crafts in the courtyard. Palace of the Governors  Sat, July 20 & Sun, July 21 from 10am – 4pm at 105 W Palace Ave.
• Ice Cream Social for Santa Fe Youth Symphony – Mention SFYS when you order and have 20% of your ice cream tab donated to the music education nonprofit. Ecco Espresso and Gelato  Sat, Jul 20 from 8am – 10pm at 128 E Marcy St.
• IAIA Summer Readers Gathering – The annual series featuring faculty and visiting writers reading their work in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.Institute of American Indian Arts Institute of American Indian Arts in the Library and Technology Center Sat, July 20 & Sun, July 21 at 6pm at 83 Avan Nu Po Rd.
• Smarter Smart Phone Photography – This short class familiarizes participants with basic rules of composition and common controls that are built into smart phone camera applications, as well as introduces some basic free software applications for editing photos and some fun tips and tricks to help improve your smart phone photos. Free with museum admission. Registration is required, contact Chris Nail at 476-5075 or chris.nail@state.nm.us New Mexico Museum of Art $6 – $12 Mon, Jul 22 at 3:30pm 107 W Palace Ave.
• The Transition Network members and their guests are invited to Solace Crisis Treatment Center for a program about service to those who have experienced sexual violence and other traumas. Come, learn about Solace’s services and also areas where they need volunteer help for those who are interested. Mon. July 22 from 5:45-7:30 pm, 6601 Valentine Way, Santa Fe (near the Southside Library), women 50 and forward welcome.  Refreshments served.  For more information e-mail santafechapter@thetransitionnetwork.com.  $5.00 suggested donation.
• Music on the Hill – last concert of the summer series on the campus of St. John’s College in Santa Fe. Wed. July 24 at 6pm features Latin music by the band Nosotros.
• 100 Women Who Care in Santa Fe Nomination Forms Deadline – Nomination forms for non-profits are due on Wed. July 24. Download your form from the website and email to Katie Rountree. Mark your calendars for the next meeting, Wed. Aug. 7 at 6pm at the Scottish Rite Temple.
• Monitoring Monarchs – Learn to identify and tag butterflies. Help the Santa Fe Botanical Garden track butterflies in the Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve to learn about migration patterns, seasonal changes, and population fluctuation. Thurs, July 25 from 8:30am – 11:30am at27283 W Frontage Road, La Cienega.

More Coolness

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• Saturday Writers’ Sanctuary with Joanne Fay Brown: Jumpstart your writing, Juice up your creativity in the company of other writers. Sat, Aug. 3, 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. We begin at 10:00 a.m. with timed writing exercises. Our work is based on the internationally acclaimed Amherst Writers & Artists method, which enables the artist in you to become freer and more able to write. After lunch you’ll spend the afternoon in silent communion with other writers, working on whatever project is preoccupying you as a writer these days. I’ll have prompts ready if you feel stuck. You are also welcome to walk in the peaceful arroyo just behind my house. Writing ends at 3:30 p.m. but you can stay a while, share some of what you’ve been working on, discuss issues of craft, etc. The day is completed by 4:30. p.m. All are welcome! Space is limited — reserve yours! COST: $99. Lunch is included!  Joanne Fay Brown has been leading Amherst Writers & Artists Workshops since 2012. She worked as a writer in the corporate world for 25 years and now devotes herself to poetry, and to the magic of writing with others. www.joannebrown. We meet in a comfortable home less than a mile from the Santa Fe Plaza. Register: 510-381-1205 or joanne@joannebrown.com * Additional Writers’ Sanctuary on August 24!
• Salt is naturally anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory and studies show that salt therapy can bring about significant improvement in conditions such as chronic bronchitis, asthma, sinus congestion, COPD, allergies, lung diseases and skin ailments. There can also be an uplift in mood, since the cave is saturated with minute salt particles, which give out negative ions, known to help with depression. So a visit to the Santa Fe Salt Cave can have positive benefits from the inside out, body, mind and spirit. Say you saw it on the Cool List! 10% discount offered to seniors, students & veterans and $10 off a single session all day every Thursdays (with a NM state issued ID). Sessions start on the hour.  Reservations recommended: 505-365-2875 or ​santafesaltcave@gmail.com. Located at 1424 Second St.

If you have something you want to post to the Cool List regarding a non-profit in Santa Fe Email me & I’ll be happy to share for free. If you have something you’d like to post regarding your for-profit business, service or event, I’ll be happy to share for a small fee. Email me for details.

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Saludos,

Jody