Festivals canceled, delayed

TUCUMCARI -- Three Tucumcari festivals usually scheduled during the first half of the year have been canceled or at least delayed because of ongoing COVID-19 health restrictions.

The latest was the New Mexico Music Showcase, usually set in the first weekend in June. One of the organizers, Jerry Lopez, said the festival's committee decided Jan. 28 to cancel the event and concentrate its energies on the 2022 festival.

The official Facebook page for the Rockin' Route 66 festival, scheduled for late June, stated Jan. 27 the event was "on hold" because of the pandemic.

Tucumcari Rawhide Days, usually scheduled in the first weekend in May, also has been canceled and instead will focus on the 2022 event, immediate past chairwoman TJ Riddle said.

The pandemic prompted the cancellation of those events in 2020, as well.