Not only in a career as a financial advisor, but also, investing time and energy into the growth and development of Artesia.

At the end of last year, Carlsbad MainStreet brought the Pearl of the Pecos Arts and Cultural District program under their non-profit organization. This has been a great move for our organization since our district boundaries are almost identical, and we work hand in hand on so many major events and activities. At the beginning of this year, the two director positions for each of these programs merged into one allowing us to open an Assistant Director role within our organization.

We have a remarkably busy 2022 planed with lots of programs, events, and activities taking place downtown. MainStreet is thrilled to be able to have CavernFest return to our community after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic. This will be the fifth annual CavernFest and the biggest our community has seen yet. Randy Rogers Band will headline the event, and we have added a Friday night to the festival mix. This free event takes place the weekend of June 10th and 11th. Our Downtown Farmers and Makers Market starts up again on June 16th kicking the season off with a Third Thursday. During our Third Thursday our market extends out into the streets with a different theme each month. We invite other nonprofits and community organizations to join in the fun. Our market and Third Thursday season will go through the end of September. Carlsbad MainStreet saw remarkable success last year with the addition of the Firefighter Combat Challenge held Downtown and plans to see its return on August 26th and 27th in partnership with the City of Carlsbad’s Fire Department.

Pearl of the Pecos has a busy event season too beginning with an Art in the Park Affair on May 21st. We will partner with other local organizations to celebrate our beautiful Halageuño Arts Park and see the installation of a new sculpture piece. On June 1st we will host a Música Buena Flamenco Concert in our Arts Park in partnership with Carlsbad Public Library. We will also bring the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Wonder on Wheels traveling exhibit to Carlsbad. Our annual signature event HeritageFest is set for September 17th, and we already have some exciting actives in the works. Also, on the Arts & Culture side, we have some exciting news to share: Pearl of the Pecos received Capital Outlay Funding from New Mexico MainStreet and the Economic Development Department to get a Cultural Economic Development Plan for our district. Completing a Cultural Development Plan for our community is one of the final steps toward achieving our state designation for Carlsbad’s Arts & Culture District.

Stay tuned to our websites www.pearlofthepecos.org and  www.carlsbamainstreet.com for all the events happening around town on our online community calendar. If anyone is interested in getting involved in the events and projects we have planned for the year ahead, please do not hesitate to reach out. Our office is located at 102 S. Canyon St. Our office line is (575) 628-3768 or email carlsbadmainstreet@gmail.com.

We hope to see you Downtown at one of the many community events that we planned for 2022!

Kat Davis,
Executive Director, Carlsbad MainStreet Arts & Cultural District