Thursday, July 18, 2013

Fiestas de Taos 2013

Fiestas de Taos begins this week! Traditionally celebrated the third weekend of July, Fiestas is a centuries old (at least 300 years) party held in Taos Plaza. Filled with music, dancing, food, crafts, a children's parade, historical parade, mariachis, etc, this event is always one of the most popular draws of the summer.

¡QUE VIVAN LAS FIESTAS!

CELEBRATE FIESTAS DE TAOS

Taos, New Mexico!

July 19-21, 2013

2013 Theme: Welcome! Our Community is Your Home!
¡Bienvenidos! Nuestra Comunidad es Su Casa!

A centuries old fiesta celebrating the gathering of generations to enjoy delicious cuisine, traditional music, and fellowship, while honoring the cultural uniqueness of Taos. The Taos Fiesta Council proudly invites you to join us for the 2013 Fiestas de Taos on the historic Taos Plaza.

¡QUE VIVAN LAS FIESTAS!

I wanted to learn a bit more regarding the history of Fiestas so I attended a lecture last Saturday given by Don Francisco Trujillo, president of the Taos Fiesta Council. The speech was filled with stories regarding the patron saints of Taos...Santa Ana and Santiago, anecdotes about how some of the traditions began and the historical perspective for Taos Culture. Mr Trujillo made a very interesting point. He reminded us that post Native American rule, New Mexico was under Spanish control for 300 years, Mexico for only 25 years and then became a US territory in 1850 and a state in 1912. The culture in New Mexico, especially in Northern New Mexico is a blend of all of these cultures. I am very much looking forward to seeing how they all come together during the Fiesta. I will post again next week with photos and a recap. If you are in Taos this week this is a must-do event. If not, put this on your calendar for next year!

images courtesy of fiestasdetaos.com

The schedule for this years Fiestas de Taos is as follows:

FRIDAY, JULY 19, 2013

12:00 pm - 12:30 pm	Spanish Soundtrack

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Dicky Cordova

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm	Mystic Dance

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm	The UZ Band

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm	Niños Bailadores

4:00 PM - 5:00 pm	Legacy of Santa Fe

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Catalina Rio Fernandez & Flamenco Nuevo Mexico

5:30 pm - 6:45 pm	FIESTA MASS - OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

6:45 pm - 7:00 pm	PROCESSION WITH MARIACHI

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	The Fun Adixx

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm	OPENING CEREMONIES ON TAOS PLAZA

8:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Mariachi Encantadoras del Río Grande

10:00 pm	PLAZA CLOSES


SATURDAY, JULY 20, 2013

9:00 am - 10:00 am	Mariachi Capitaleño

10:00 am - 10:30 am	CHILDREN’S PARADE

10:30 am - 11:00 am	Mariachi Capitaleño

11:00 am - 12:00 pm	Mystic Dance

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm	Baile Illusion

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm	The Legacy Band of Colorado Springs

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm	Los Zapateados

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm	The Tanya Griego Band

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Baile Español

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Monica Yvette y Grupo Confianza

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Lydia Rael - Baile Folkloriko de Santa Fe

7:00 pm - 8:00 pm	Suave

8:00 pm - 9:00 pm	The Julian Lucero Band

9:00 pm - 10:00 pm	Izcalli In Nanantzin (Danza Azteca)

10:00 pm	PLAZA CLOSES


SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2013

9:30 am - 10:30 am	St. Francis Choir

10:30 am - 11:30 am	Audrey Davis Trio

11:30 am - 12:30 pm	Trio Los Gallos

12:00 pm	HISTORICAL PARADE

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Ernestine Romero

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm	Dwayne Ortega

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm	Mezcal

3:30 pm - 4:00 pm	SPECIAL COMMUNITY PRESENTATION

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm	Gonzalo

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm	Severo Martinez y Fuego

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm	Darren Cordova y Calor

7:00 pm	CLOSING CEREMONIES ON TAOS PLAZA

my best,
diane
July 18th , 2013

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Thursday, July 11, 2013

Taos Pueblo Pow-Wow

One of my favorite things about living in Taos, New Mexico is the opportunity to experience the customs of many different cultures. The annual Taos Pueblo Pow-Wow is a perfect example and the celebration begins this week. This will be my first time attending the event and I cannot wait to tell you all about it and what I learn.

photo courtesy Taos Pueblo

The Taos Pueblo website describes a pow wow as "a gathering of Indian Nations in a common circle of friendship." They consist of music, dancing, drumming, food, arts & crafts (trading) and catching up with old and new friends. If you are anywhere near Taos this weekend, July 12th-14th, you should consider adding this to your schedule. I will blog about the experience next week. In the interim, the daily Pow-Wow schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 2013

12 noon	Gates Open to the Public
	Arts & Crafts and Food Booths Open
2 pm	Dance & Drum Contest Registration Opens

7 pm	GRAND ENTRY

8 pm	Dance Competition Begins

SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2013

10 am	Gates Open to the Public
	Arts & Crafts and Food Booths Open
10 am-2 pm	Dance & Drum Contest Registration
10 am-12 noon	Gourd Dancing
12:30 pm	Drum Roll Call

1 pm	GRAND ENTRY

1 pm-5 pm	Dance Competition Begins
	Intertribal Dancing
5 pm	Supper Break
6:30 pm	Drum Roll Call

7 pm	GRAND ENTRY

8 pm	Dance Competition Begins
	Intertribal Dancing

SUNDAY, JULY 14, 2013

10 am	Gates Open to the Public
	Arts & Crafts and Food Booths Open
10 am-12 noon	Gourd Dancing
12:30 pm	Drum Roll Call

1 pm	GRAND ENTRY

2 pm	Final Dance Competitions
	Intertribal Dancing

6 pm	ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONTEST WINNERS


*ALL TIMES & EVENTS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

my best,
diane
July 11th , 2013

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Monday, July 8, 2013

Arroyo Seco's 4th of July Parade

minutes before the parade starts

Arroyo Seco is a small town 7 miles north of Taos on the way to Taos Ski Valley. They bill themselves as the "Jewel of Taos" and, with their collection of art galleries, shops and restaurants set among the beautiful backdrop of Taos Mountain, this is not an exaggeration. I tend to visit often....healthy breakfasts at Sol Food Market, green chile and beer at Abe's Cantina y cocina, best ever local organic ice cream at Taos Cow, browsing the shops and art galleries....all make for a wonderful day.

But my favorite day to visit Arroyo Seco is the 4th of July for their spirited, fun, interesting and oh-so-different parade. I describe this event as "part parade, part audience participation, part structure, part chaos" as you often can't tell what is an official entry and what is simply lack of crowd control. Don't get me wrong, people are nice, polite and respectful...they just don't understand the concept of "staying on the sidelines and watching". This is what makes the parade so much fun. Seco gallery owner Jack Leustig puts it this way:

"The parade is partially controlled chaos with lots of local flavor, horses, kids. It’s just an odd parade with lots of different creative approaches, old cars, farm vehicles pulling trailers with people handing out hotdogs, all kinds of things. Some organizations put a lot of effort into their floats ... you never know, anybody can show up and they do.”**

The small town feel seems perfectly appropriate for the 4th of July. As a big city girl, this is what I dreamed of as a child. Locals and tourists alike fall under the spell of the spirit of the day. I was standing next to people from Florida, Connecticut, Texas and Oregon. They all seemed charmed although, due to the "partially controlled chaos", they kept asking "Is it over?" I laughingly kept repeating..."No, More floats are coming. We just like to wander through the road visiting in between each one". And that sums up the parade...Celebrating the Holiday, Celebrating Friends & Family, Celebrating the Spirit of Taos. If you don't live here put this on your calendar now for next year. Everyone should experience the Seco 4th of July Parade at least once!

our friends sharon and richard...love running into people we know at the parade

my favorite float of the parade

Lots more Seco 4th of July photos on our facebook page
**from the Visit Seco website

my best,
diane
July 5th , 2013

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Friday, July 5, 2013

The Huffington Post Loves Taos

courtesy The Huffington Post

The Huffington Post "gets" Taos. Thank you to Jenny Block for writing such an insightful and informative article listing eleven ways to experience this magical place. I have done everything they recommend EXCEPT the llama trekking. Trust me, I have now made this a priority. Read on for all of their suggestions...and come visit. Soon!