Filed under: Activities & Attractions, Family Day Trips, Uncategorized

Experiencing Taos Plaza Live!

Every summer when we would come to visit and camp in the vicinity of Taos, NM we eagerly looked forward to Thursday evenings. On that night, local merchants and KTAO, the world’s largest solar powered radio station, come together to sponsor a live performance by a (typically) local act, presented free to the public from 6 pm to 8 pm.

Townspeople and tourists alike come together to enjoy the music, camaraderie and atmosphere of the Taos Plaza. Shops stay open a bit later; sponsors give away or sell various items, such as T-shirts, newspapers, and the like. A great time is had by all.

Over the years, we have seen a number of New Mexico favorites at the plaza, including Kim and the Caballeros (a personal favorite), Michael Hearne of South by Southwest and Jimmy Stadler. All great acts that you would normally have to pay a cover charge to hear.

I attended my first Taos Plaza Live! of this summer on June 7^th. A very popular local band, The Monkey Feeders, was playing. They were a big hit!

Though I attended this event alone as my husband had flown back to Wisconsin to “tie up a few loose ends” for the next few weeks, it was no different than before—except that I had no dance partner. My feet wanted to move and to join the other couples dancing on the plaza.

But I witnessed strangers becoming friends, young and old alike having a great time, strangers watching their neighbors’ seats and purses while the other went out to dance.  Some of the sponsors on this night were Centinel Bank, the Adobe Bar, the Historic Taos Inn, el Monte Sagrado Resort, the Taos News, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and the People’s Bank of Taos, just to name a few. The Taos News was giving away free copies of their award-winning weekly newspaper that came out today. Other sponsors are distributing various items of interest. I am wishing I had not already purchased a paper earlier in the day.

One of the best things about Taos, NM is that it is a “come as you are” and a “live and let live” kind of town. There are people dressed in proper summer sundresses (even at 7 pm in early June it is 88 degrees), others dressed in jeans and t-shirts, and still others dressed in more extravagant outfits. No one bats an eye at what anyone is wearing. I love this place, especially since I just ran out of the house in what I was wearing for the day, a beige skort and a black t-shirt. I tend not to be a person very focused on my appearance so Taos is a great fit for me.

I also love the eclectic collection of people I see here. There are elderly couples as well as babies in diapers and strollers. The majority of the crowd seems to be about my age, roughly 50-60-ish, but ready and eager to dance and thoroughly enjoying the music. There are others as well: a woman twirling a baton wearing a skirt and short boots. Thereis a member of the Taos Whiplashes, Taos’ own roller derby team, wearing her team uniform, skate-dancing to the music. There is much to see and experience about Taos. I love this place. It suits me. So if you are in the neighborhood of Taos, NM on a Thursday night, be sure to check it out. You won’t be disappointed.

To locate your “home away from home” for your visit to Taos, browse Woodall’s listings of New Mexico RV camping resorts.

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