Carol Thompson was getting tired of people saying to her, "I thought you went away."

"No," she tells them these days. "We're back."

The "we" she refers to is the Buckaroo Ball, the once-annual Western-themed social event that raised money for local nonprofits that serve youth in need. Thompson, chairwoman of the Buckaroo Ball Foundation, confirmed Wednesday that after a two-year absence, the ball will roll June 17, 18 and 19 in and around the Santa Fe Railyard Park.

It started in 1994 with a gala event at the Eaves Movie Ranch with Willie Nelson as a headliner and continued for 15 years through 2008 — until the economic downturn led organizers to cancel the event two years in a row.

The ball has slimmed down some, and it's relocated to the heart of the city, but it's offering three days of Western fixings and music, family events, an auction, storytelling and, of course, dancing.

"In the last two years we got hurt by the economy, just like everyone else did," Thompson said. "We had to cut back. We took a long, hard look at the event and considered the needs of the nonprofit community and the children at risk we raise money for who still need us, and asked, 'What can we do to bring the Buckaroo Ball back but make it compatible to the economy?'

"We came up with the idea of 'A Little Bit of Buckaroo Ball' all over the Railyard as a community event."

In the past, tickets for the three-day event reached $700 each. Tickets for the opening night gala at the Farmers Market Pavilion this year — including music by South by Southwest and food from the Hotel Santa Fe — are $100.

On Saturday, the ball will host a day of mostly free fun starting at noon with outdoor music, storytelling by Joe Hayes and barbecue food from Whole Hog, for which there will be a small fee. Saturday night will include a free barn dance (minus the barn) and an art-gallery reception at the William Siegal Gallery.

The event wraps on Sunday with a private, $75-a-ticket brunch at the Estrella Del Norte Vineyard.

The ball cost up to $300,000 a year to produce in the past, Thompson said. This year the event will cost under $75,000.

Over its 15-year history, the Buckaroo Ball has raised $6.75 million for nonprofits serving children at risk, according to Fay Kirby, who is on the ball's advisory council. She's been with the event for six years, and said that last year the Buckaroo Ball Foundation still managed to raise money for nonprofits as a donor-advised fund of the New Mexico Community Foundation.

It awarded close to $116,000 in grants to 12 Santa Fe County agencies that were promised funding from the canceled 2009 ball.

One of those groups is St. Elizabeth Shelter, whose executive director, Deborah Tang, said earlier this week, "I heard that they might suspend the balls altogether, so this is good news.

"The ball is a fabulous way for the community to have fun and give back at the same time. We've been supported, and probably will be again, by the ball over the years, so we're thrilled it's back."

Alexis Brown, development director for Girls, Inc., another local recipient of Buckaroo Ball grants, said the ball's long-term funding of Girls, Inc. has been vital.

"The event itself is important because it raises awareness of the issues that youth face in the Santa Fe community," she said.

Thompson and Kirby said ball organizers wanted to move the event into the center of town to encourage wider participation and attract families with children.

Sandra Brice, director of events and marketing for the Railyard Corporation, said Thursday that she began speaking with Buckaroo Ball organizers about three months ago.

"I encouraged them to expand their campus in terms of using the Railyard from end to end," Brice said. "They are restructuring into a mix of public and private events that allows them to still fundraise, but also opens up the event to the community, and the Railyard is the perfect place to do this."

In terms of how many people the ball could conceivably attract, Brice said some 7,000 people attended last year's Santa Fe Gay Pride event in the Railyard. "There's plenty of room here for people to have fun and play and celebrate," she said.

Thompson said the ball can accommodate about 500 people at the opening-night gala.

She's not sure if the scaled-back operation will carry the same fundraising weight this year as in the past, but said, "If we raise $100,000 off this event, we'll be thrilled."

Nonprofits can apply for grants in March. Recipients of this year's grants will be announced in August.

"We've pulled ourselves up from the bootstraps and dusted ourselves off," Thompson said of the event. "We're back."

Visit www.buckarooball.com for more information and to reserve tickets.

Contact Robert Nott at 986-3021 or rnott@sfnewmexican.com.