Year end finale: The 'Farewell Market 2024 Art Market/Music Mashup' features local entertainers, arts and crafts in family friendly space

Garcia Family Christmas Trees will be closing out a successful year with its “Farewell Market 2024 Art Market/Music Mashup.”

The event will feature live music by acoustic artist Eryn Bent at noon, acoustic jazz duo J. Frances & Miguel at 1 p.m. and a TickiFied Open Mic at 2 p.m. The live music will continue through 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 28, on Stage Luchetti, located at the Garcia Family Christmas Trees lot, 8826 Fourth Street NW, in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. Creatives also will be selling their arts and crafts during the event. The lot also will be decorated in holiday lights for fun photo opportunities.

“Three years ago, we were donated a stage,” said Rick Sanchez, owner of Garcia Family Christmas Trees. “I used to be the production manager of the Sunshine Theater for almost a decade. And being a local I was a house production manager, stage manager, and I did all the lighting and all the setups for all the bands for just about a decade. And being a local drummer and local musician, I have a big heart for our local music scene.”

The donated stage was named Stage Luchetti after someone dear to Sanchez’s heart.

“We named it after one of Albuquerque greatest jazz drummers and prominent music store business owner and drum teacher,” Sanchez said. “We decided to coin the venue in honor of Nick Luchetti.”

Luchetti has since passed and the stage remains in honor of his legacy.

“Nick went above and beyond, out of his way so many times for me as one of his customers,” Sanchez said. “And I remember having a gig and being a broke musician, and I literally went in the drum store and said, ‘Nick, I don’t have enough money until I get paid after the gig. I don’t have any sticks. I broke them all.’ (He said) ‘ Kid, kid, calm down. Just go get what you need. We’ll write it down and start you a tab. I trust you kid.’... He was wonderful.”

Luchetti may have been an older gentleman who played jazz but he would turn out to watch Sanchez play in his punk bands and metal bands.

“Out of the blue, I’d look over and sure enough, there’d be Nick cheering us on, and then he kind of disappeared,” Sanchez said. “But he was an amazing guy with what he did for our community, for music and musicians.”

The Stage Luchetti area also offers a family friendly space where visitors of all ages can enjoy an alcohol and drug free environment while listening to live music. Sanchez also wanted to include local arts and craftmakers to be part of the space and sell their wares.

“We’re trying to put together more events that way we can collaborate with more of our community, more musicians, more bands, more arts and crafts creators, and just give a nice safe space for people to come and create and perform,” Sanchez said. “And also we’re trying to keep the venue an all age venue. We’re trying to keep it a nice place for families and younger people to come and enjoy us.”

Visitors attending the “Farewell 2024 Art Market/Music Mashup” are asked to park at the entrance to the Alameda Soccer Complex. Attendees are strongly advised not to park next door at the Ivy Tea Room. For more information, search “Garcia Family Christmas Trees” on Facebook.