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Showtime: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Tickets: Free
Event Location: Socorro Rodeo & Sports Comple

 

THE EVENT
Get ready for an in-person 4th of July Celebration at its new home, the Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex, with old and new features.  Expect great music from Socorro's favorite local bands & NM's favorite son, Al Hurricane Jr.  With plenty room for dancing, waterslide & jump balloon (1-5pm), food and other vendors, and of course, a fantastic fireworks display from NM Tech's EMRTC at Dark.

Reservations are required for RV Camping ($30), tailgate/dry camping ($15) if you want to bring your own grill (tailgate means you want to BBQ some food and that requires a reservation and a tailgate space). And there is still room for vendors: for-profit ($50), non-profit ($25).

The Socorro Fire Department will be running a Cornhole Tournament with signups starting at 9am; $25/singles, $60/doubles.  There will be cash prizes TBD.  Contact Chief Baca, 575-418-0737 with questions. Come support the SFD and join the Cornhole fun!

There is LOTS for FREE, which does NOT require a reservation, including public parking, entry to the Rodeo Arena with live bands and space to dance, picnic area on the soccer fields, waterslides and of course, the spectacular Fireworks, this year accompanied by Socorro's own rock guru, Rob Lopez!  Don't forget to bring your own chairs, blankets, tarps, sunscreen, dancing shoes, good cheer and great mood, ready to celebrate our great country and amazing community! 

NOT ALLOWED:  Alcohol - Fireworks - Grills in Arena or Soccer Fields - Pets - Glass - ATVs  

 

THE SCHEDULE
12:00   Socorro Community Band
1:30     Full(ish) Professors
3:00     The Murillos
4:30     Up A Creek
6:00     Et Alia Belly Dance Troupe
7:00     Al Hurricane Jr.
Dark    Fireworks accompanied by Rob Lopez

 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS
Socorro Community Band  12:00pm
A group of local musicians brought together by Dr. Eileen Comstock, play each year for the 4th of July Celebration and for Oktoberfest at the Hammel Museum.  You will get to hear a mix of patriotic songs, marches and classic band music. 

The Full(ish) Professors  1:30pm 
Their music draws from a range of influences, from Americana and folk to popular, and even some ‘80s mixed in. In their day jobs at NM Tech, Julie Ford, vocals, is a Professor in the Mechanical Engineering department, Steve Simpson, vocals and guitar, is a Communication Professor and Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Ephraim Ford, bass, is head of NM Engineering at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. They are joined by various other musicians, including Wes McHaley on fiddle and mandolin, and Paul “Saxypants” Demorest on saxophone. They are guided by Neil Peart's poetic lyric "All this machinery making modern music can still be open hearted." 

The Murillos  3:00pm  
A perennial favorite local band, playing on numerous occasions around Socorro County. Having performed two concerts, without an audience, for NMT PAS during the pandemic, then a parking lot concert on Primero de Mayo, they are now excited to be performing for the 4th of July Celebration in its first incarnation at the Socorro Rodeo & Sports Complex!  Varying combinations of the Murillo family have been playing together for years, said Richard Murillo. “Any time anyone needs us, we play. We enjoy playing together as a family.” Other members are brothers George and Patrick with his son Matthew. Lefty Gonzales plays drums.  The group brings out a good crowd, always ready to dance to their music, a wide variety of Spanish favorites, classic rock, country and new sounds. Tori said she is looking forward to singing one of her newest learned songs “Drinking Alone,” by Carrie Underwood. “It’s kind of a bluesy country song,” she said, adding, “I’m a huge fan” of Underwood’s.

Up A Creek  4:30pm
About the band to come soon!

Et Alia Belly Dance Troupe  6:00pm
This is the long standing NM Tech Belly Dance Club.  Their advisor is Julie Johnson, who teaches and choreographs all the dances.  Belly dance is a folk dance, the world's oldest dance form.  The group will perform several styles from regions of the middle east including classical, modern pop and folkloric.

Al Hurricane Jr.  7:00pm
Born to Alberto Nelson Sanchez (Al Hurricane) and Nettie M. Fleming on October 30, 1959, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  His birth name is Alberto Nelson Sanchez, Jr. Hurricane is a nickname inherited from his father. Al, Jr. grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico throughout many parts of the city including: Old Town, 19th and Marble, the West Side, Academy Acres and finally settling in the Northeast Heights.  His first public performance was at the early age of 5 at the Civic Auditorium in Albuquerque. The song he sang for the audience that night was "Love Potion #9." Early in his youth, he began to learn the drums and switched to guitar lessons at age 5. From guitar lessons he then began to learn the trumpet at age 8. In July 1970, Al, Jr.'s parents divorced and he decided to live with his father. At the age of 12, his father entered him into piano lessons while he continued playing the trumpet in school bands, such as the symphonic and the jazz band.  This is when Al, Jr. started to learn some of his father's songs as well as those of his uncles', Tiny Morrie and Baby Gaby. This eventually led to him joining the Al Hurricane Band. He started out by going and playing just one song, then two, and then his repertoire grew from there.  Most of his practice was from performances at the Far West Night Club where he and his dad performed for many years. Al, Jr. attended many schools while growing up in Albuquerque.  For his final three years of high school, he attended and graduated from Highland High School in May 1976 at the age of 16. After graduation, Al, Jr. chose to take a year off before going on to college, which to this day he admits was a mistake. However, his decision to work with his dad was not a mistake. It was the beginning of a partnership that continued for the remainder of Al Sr's career. Along the way in his career, Al, Jr. has acquired many nicknames such as: El Joven, The Godson of New Mexico, and Berb.  He was only 14 when he recorded his first song, "El Pintor," and has been performing for 30 years. Al, Jr. is also a main musician on his father's recordings, supplying trumpet, valve trombone, keyboards, keyboard bass, and has programmed drums.  His trumpet and valve trombone were also featured on the recordings of Tiny Morrie and Baby Gaby. When Al, Jr. made his first recordings in the Hurricane Studios in Albuquerque, it was on the very equipment that Buddy Holly used in Clovis, NM. 

Rob Lopez  9:30pm (during fireworks display)
Known for his hard-driving rock-n-roll sound, Rob Lopez has played around the state. Rob started playing the guitar in 1974.  His mom gave him a $75 Les Paul copy for his birthday.  Rob has been playing for 24 years and is always a crowd favorite. States Rob Lopez: "if you could take Zappa, Hendrix, Zeppelin and ZZ Top, throw it in a blender with a sprinkle  of Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath, that's the sound I want!"

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