This Halloween season, the Bernalillo Community Museum invites families to join in a day of festivities at the inaugural Tricks and Treats Fall Adoption Fair.
Taking place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 26, the event offers an opportunity to support pets in need while enjoying seasonal activities at the museum.
Agencies participating in the event include the Sandoval County Animal Resource Center, the Rio Rancho Animal Resource Center and Cross My Paws Animal Rescue.
“We work with a lot of local businesses and nonprofits and we wanted to do something to help with the pet population,” Ashley Flores, director of the Bernalillo Community Museum, said. “We’re a new museum and a lot of people don’t even know we’re here, so we thought this could be a fun fall event.”
In addition to pet adoptions, the fair will feature a variety of free activities including pumpkin decorating, beaded corn making, and leaf painting, along with other fall-themed games. Visitors of all ages are encouraged to join the fun, whether they’re ready to adopt a pet or simply want to enjoy a festive day out.
“We’re hoping that some dogs and cats get adopted, of course, but we want everybody to know that even if you’re not looking for a dog or cat right now, still come out and have a good time at the museum,” Flores said.
There will be vendors and food trucks at the event and attendees can enjoy popcorn and candy while checking out the animals. Admission to the museum is free. On display now is the “History of Sports in Bernalillo” exhibit, which highlights the history and accomplishments of local teams and organizations and community programs in Bernalillo.
According to Flores, as a community museum, they recognize that animal overpopulation is a major issue and they want to ensure all the homeless animals in the area find homes. This is especially important given that the Town of Bernalillo lacks a shelter and the county resource center is quite small.
While the event is free, the museum is asking attendees to bring donations to support local animal rescue agencies. Items needed include treats, toys, blankets and dog or cat food. The rescue agencies have provided a list of acceptable and unacceptable donations, specifying that they cannot accept homemade or used treats, open bags of pet food, rawhides or items that are broken or have missing pieces. As a thank you, people who donate will receive a raffle ticket for a chance to win prizes.
According to Flores, in addition to the museum’s event, the Martha Liebert Public Library will be offering crafts. Down the road, the Bernalillo Police Department is hosting a prescription drug take-back event.
Flores said that this is a great opportunity for people to safely dispose of old animal medications, support a good cause by donating items to the rescue agencies and possibly take home an animal in need.