The 22nd annual Mescal Roast and Mountain Spirit Dance will be held Thursday through Sunday at Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Parks in Carlsbad to honor the culture and history of the Mescalero Apache people, according to a New Mexico State Parks release.

The four-day event begins at 10 a.m. Thursday with a prayer ceremony and blessing of an agave roasting pit, an actual ritual observance conducted by Apache spiritual leaders, the release said.

The agave will roast for four days before it is ready for Sunday's feast.

On Friday and Saturday, Native American crafts will be on sale all day, while an interpretive round table will be held at 2 p.m., a Mescal feast dinner at 6 p.m., an Apache war dance at 7 p.m. and Mountain Spirit Dance at 8:30 p.m.

Sunday at 11 a.m., the Mescal Pit will be opened, there will be mescal tasting, a closing ceremony and a giveaway, according to the release.

Admission to daytime activities during the Mescal Roast from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. is free of charge after the park's normal day-use fee of $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 7-12 and free to children under 6, the release said.

Tickets for the Mescal feast dinner Friday and Saturday are $15 each and include evening activities from 6 p.m. to closing.

Organizers recommend advanced ticket purchases, since tickets are limited to 300 each night. 

Tickets will be on sale at the park or by calling (575) 887-5516, the release said.

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