New Mexico’s rural electric cooperatives spread holiday cheer throughout the year.
Story by Dixie Boyle
The holiday season in New Mexico is a festive time of sharing the seasonal traditions—lighting luminaries, Christmas caroling, making biscochitos and posole, stringing Christmas lights and eating turkey with family and friends. The season is also a time of giving and sharing with those less fortunate.
New Mexico’s Rural Electrical Cooperatives, generally known for supplying electricity and fixing power outages, also help with community events during the holiday season . It donates to food banks, families in need, Toys for Tots, veteran programs and food and clothing drives. They also participate in community events like Christmas light parades.
Sierra Electric Co-op staff and members spend endless hours helping to light more than 3,000 luminaries each holiday season at Elephant Butte State Park on the sec ond Saturday in December. Luminaries line paths on the beach leading to campsites where people congregate to enjoy the lights while partaking in posole, cocoa, cookies and holiday greetings. All donations received at the event go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Employees of Roosevelt Electric Cooperative in Portales donate money out of their pockets each year to a family in need identified by the local school system. The employees purchase food, clothing and presents so the family can enjoy the holiday season.
Most co-ops participate in community annual Christmas light parades by decorating their bucket trucks and company vehicles with colorful displays.
Farmers’ Electric Co-op in Clovis has gone all-out for the annual light parade for more than 30 years. They participate in the Christmas Light Parade every year, which they have won at least 20 times. The co-op enjoys friendly competition
with other community businesses.
Not only do electric cooperatives donate time to community events throughout the year, they also sponsor many events. They sponsor education foundation scholarships and contribute to the Government-in-Action Youth Tour, allowing high
school students to visit Washington, D.C. New Mexico co-ops also sponsor a yearly safety coloring contest, career fairs and student intern ship programs. Northern Rio Arriba Electric Co-op , in Chama , hosts an annual golf tournament to raise scholarship money for local high school students.
Cooperatives also provide aid to one another in times of need. Northern Rio Arriba Electric was a drop-off point for food, clothing and supplies for those impacted by of the Calf Canyon/Hermits Peak Fire.
Trunk-or-treat tailgating parties have become a popular trend. Many of the state’s rural electric companies open their parking lots to children, providing a safe location for them to receive Halloween candy. These events offer another way for electric cooperatives to connect with their communities.
A full agenda of holiday events is planned throughout New Mexico this holiday season. The small town of Madrid lights up the town during the holidays, as does Ruidoso’s Festival of Lights Parade. Tularosa had one of the first luminaria tours in the state, and the event continues to grow, as does Taos’ Yuletide festivities and Gallup’s annual light parade.
From Albuquerque’s historic Old Town & Country Club Luminaria Tour to Carlsbad’s Christmas on the Pecos, the holidays in New Mexico are a magical time for sharing holiday traditions with family and friends.