Nearly 60 events planned for Downtown plaza this summer

Plaza de Las Cruces, 100 N. Main St., will be a very exciting place to be this summer as local organizations and City of Las Cruces departments have scheduled nearly 60 events (so far!) through September, the city said in a news release.

Rio Grande Theatre (RGT) staff are hosting Swing Dance on the Plaza at 7 p.m. every Wednesday through October. Swing dance lessons will be given 7-8 p.m., followed by open dancing until 10 p.m.

June events include an expanded First Fridays Downtown Friday, June 3. Additional vendors and live music throughout the summer will highlight the event.

Other June events at the plaza include the Juneteenth Jazz Arts Festival, June 14-19, hosted by Branigan Cultural Center. The city’s Juneteenth celebration will also include New Mexico Music Commissioner Derrick Lee, the Doña Ana County NAACP, Doña Ana Arts Council and Make Music Day, which will include live music on the plaza and at RGT. All events will be free and open to the public.

Thursday Night Music on the Plaza, hosted by the Parks and Rec Department, will begin at 7 p.m. Thursdays, July 14 and 21, and Aug. 4 and 18. The series includes performances from local, regional and nationally recognized artists, including the Border Jazz Orchestra; Mariachi Raices De America, featuring Antonio Reyna; Motley 2; Sloan Armitage; Claudio T Trio; and Austin Jimmy Murphy. All performances are free to the public.

Other summer events include food truck Taco Tuesdays every Tuesday throughout the summer; a food truck competition Friday, June 24; the Tequila, Tacos & Cerveza Fest Saturday, July 16; the Las Cruces Police Department’s National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 2; the Las Cruces Beer Fest Saturday, Aug. 13; SalsaFest Saturday, Sept. 24; and Southern New Mexico Pride Festival Saturday, Oct. 1.

For a complete list of plaza events, visit www.las-cruces.org/2508/Downtown-Events-Calendar.

For more information, call 575-541-2150 and email downtown@las-cruces.org.