It's a fundraising event many in the construction and design industry look forward to, in part because they get to do what construction companies do best — build something.
The Parade of Playhouses event is in its third year and once again has rallied a slew of heavy hitters from the construction and architecture and design industries.
Local construction and design companies — 20 in all — will partner to build elaborate playhouses, the kind put in someone's backyard. For a look at what they built last year, click through the slideshow.
The playhouses are then auctioned off at a gala event, usually in the range of $10,000 to $20,000 each.
The event benefits New Mexico Appleseed, a nonprofit that provides services for the poor and underserved. It won Business First's 2015 Nonprofit of the Year in the public and societal benefit category.
Last year, the event raised more than $220,000 for the organization.
This year's teams include Bradbury Stamm with Antoine Predock. Predock, based in Albuquerque, is an internationally acclaimed architect who built San Diego's Petco Park stadium. The team will do something different this year. They're building a tiny house, a popular trend where people choose to live in homes that average between 100 and 400 square feet.
Companies also participating in the event include Jaynes Corp., Dekker/Perich/Sabatini, Franken Construction, Brycon Construction, SMPC Architects, Baker Architecture + Design and Hartman + Majewski Design Group, among others.
“These playhouses are always complete works of art and the money raised is a big chunk of our budget," said Jenny Ramo, New Mexico Appleseed’s executive director. "We could not be more grateful to our generous builders, architects and sponsors."
This year's gala takes place Sept. 23 at ABQ BioPark Zoo.