The Big Ditch Crickets, ready to party. (Courtesy photo)On Thursday, May 23rd from 6:30pm-9pm at the Old Elk’s Lodge, the Silver City Museum and the local string band Big Ditch Crickets invite the public to a square dance in celebration music, community, ranching culture, and of course Bluesfest weekend. Admission is free; a suggested donation of $5 helps support the museum’s education programs, collections care and exhibitions.

The Big Ditch Crickets have been playing community, square, and folk dances of different kinds for the past 6 years. This rotating cast of around 15 stringed instrumentalists got together in part because many of their children were taking music lessons from what are now two of the current members. The parents decided they wanted a band of their own, and now they play a lively traditional repertoire around Silver City and Las Cruces.

The Silver City Museum is currently exhibiting Ranching in Grant County, an exploration of the county’s rich heritage in cowboy culture. Part of the exhibit is devoted to how cowboys and cowgirls enriched their lives and had fun when they weren’t raising cattle. Live music and dancing has always been a big part of that tradition.

The Silver City Museum creates opportunities for residents and visitors to explore, understand, and celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of southwestern New Mexico by collecting, preserving, researching, and interpreting the region's unique history.For more information, please contact the museum at (575) 589-5921 info@silvercitymuseum.org , or visit the museum's website: www.silvercitymuseum.org