SFR Picks—Week of Nov. 13

Be-spoked

Cranksgiving merges giving and bicycling in one glorious scavenger hunt

Twenty years ago, Cranksgiving began in New York City as a friendly competition between bike messengers. The idea was that bicycling aficionados would travel by two-wheel in a citywide scavenger hunt, picking up specific food items from grocery stores and then donating the meals by the end of the day to their local food banks. Word is, it was so much fun and felt so good, they did it all again the following year. In the time since, Cranksgiving has spread across the country, entering into nearly 100 more communities, and Santa Fe, for the past 10 years, has been one of them.

"I got sucked in when the [local bike club] Pedal Queens put on their first or second one quite a few years ago, and just had so much fun doing it that I came back for more," organizer Bill Lane tells SFR. "There was a point a couple years ago when they were going to take a break, and my hand went up in the air and I said 'I wanna do that!'"

Involvement in Santa Fe's 11th annual Cranksgiving is easy—all you really need is a bike, a lock and $15-$20. You can, of course, bring more money, and organizers sweeten the deal with competitive categories like fastest riders, youngest riders and others.

"Every place makes it their own," organizer Nathalie Nunez says. "This year, we're really trying to encourage families to come spectate, too."

Cranksgiving has always been family friendly, and Lane and Nunez hope to up participation this year to 100 riders. The record is set at 75, but they say registration thus far leads them to believe they'll do better this year. Regardless, there are numerous ways to get involved, and both Lane and Nunez stress that having fun is the main goal outside of stockpiling a bonkers amount of food for Santa Fe's Food Depot. Last year, they estimate, riders brought in roughly one ton of donations—a feat made all the more impressive in that people do it without motorized help..

"This is the world's largest pedal-powered food drive," Lane says, "but it feels like one of the most fun drives out there."

"I've been part of different organizations and fundraisers, and Cranksgiving is so laid back and you're having so much fun, but doing so much good," Nunez adds.

Registration is encouraged through cranksgiving.org, but riders can also just show up to the HQ at Back Road Pizza day-of and take part. Costumes are also encouraged, but not mandatory.
(Alex De Vore)

11th Annual Cranksgiving:
10 am Saturday Nov. 16. Free
(but bring cash to buy food).
Back Road Pizza,
1807 Second St.,
955-9055

Punk AF

Punk's not dead, it's just kind of tired, and its forebears and keepers of the flame continue releasing albums, playing fast and loud and touring the land with their "fuck government" appeal. Enter MDC, one of the most celebrated hardcore acts of our time and the type of punk royalty we'd expect to skip right over Santa Fe for other, larger cities. But then, MDC is buds with The Elected Officials, a one-time local cadre of misfits and the disillusioned who themselves have roots in local punk bands like Blackie Youth and others. MDC is going acoustic this time out with singer Dave Dictor making things a little more intimate. The Elected Officials, however, continue their reign of slappers and anti-capitalist lyricism. The moral? Punk rules. (ADV)

MDC and The Elected Officials: 
8 pm Thursday Nov. 14. $5.
Tumbleroot Brwery & Distillery,
2791 Agua Fría St.,
303-3808

Wasted, Trashed, Etc.

Every time my socially programmed self accidentally unwraps a plastic straw instead of sipping my bev from the rim, I immediately have visions of the sea turtle I just murdered, its skull impaled by single-use plastics from lazy, inconsiderate people like me. One day I'll overcome my unconscious reliance on Big Plastic, but until then the folks at the Santa Fe Recycle Art Fest have plenty of -material to work with: recycled garbage must make up at least 75% of the art on display this weekend, which keeps some amount of trash out of the ocean, probably. Plus, this year promises to be the first waste-free event ever hosted at the convention center, setting a model for all future events. (Cole Rehbein)

21st Annual Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival:
5-8 pm Friday, Nov. 15; 9 am-5 pm Saturday, Nov. 16;
10 am-5 pm Sunday, Nov. 17. $5.
Santa Fe Community Convention Center,
201 W Marcy St.,
955-6590.

The Prints and the Paupers

This week's cover story delves into the idea of collecting art for the non-rich, and we can think of no better event for fledgling collectors than at the Santa Fe Art Institute's upcoming Pop-Up Print Sale. An explosion of hand-done and unique prints, the sale features 10 artists stretching their skills into the artistic and the practical. Our personal faves on hand? Mikayla Patton (Lakota) and Terran Last Gun (Amskapi Piikani). For her part, Patton is a thoughtful printmaker exploring contemporary themes with traditional underpinnings while Last Gun, a serigraph master who has shown at local galleries and at Indian Market, has a technique and compositional eye that are nothing short of stunning. You'll find lots more, too, just in time for the holidays—just don't feel bad about picking something up for yourself, either. (ADV)

SFAI Pop-Up Print Sale:
Noon-5 pm Sunday Nov. 17. Free.
Santa Fe Art Institute,
1600 St Michael's Drive (on the Midtown Campus),
424-5050.