Featured

By the light of night: Los Luceros, Fort Selden historic sites to be decked out in luminarias, farolitos

Around 900 luminarias will be in place to celebrate “Las Noches de Luminarias” at Fort Selden Historic Site on Friday, Dec. 15.

Courtesy of Robert Paquette

Adrian Gomez Adrian Gomez Adrian Gomez Journal Arts Editor

Published December 14, 2023 - 8:00 a.m. Modified January 18, 2025 - 2:00 a.m.

'LIGHTS OF LOS LUCEROS'

‘LIGHTS OF

LOS LUCEROS’

WHEN: 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16

WHERE: Los Luceros Historic Site, 253 County Road 41, Alcalde

HOW MUCH: $10 adults, $5 children, plus fees, at my.nmculture.org

'LAS NOCHES DE LUMINARIAS'

‘LAS NOCHES

DE LUMINARIAS’

WHEN: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15

WHERE: Fort Selden Historic Site, 1280 Fort Selden Road, Radium Springs

HOW MUCH: $7 for adults, free for children 16 years old and under, at my.nmculture.org

Luminarias and farolitos are part of New Mexico traditions during the holiday season.

The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs is hosting two events this weekend at two of its historic sites.

From 5–9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 15, at Fort Selden Historic Site in Radium Springs, the site will host “Las Noches de Luminarias.”

According to organizers, there will be 900 luminarias, or lighted paper lanterns, that will light the grounds of the historic site.

Officials said the event is a chance to not only celebrate with visitors but educate them about the site.

As early as 400 A.D., Native American farmers, the Mogollon, lived on the same land that would become Fort Selden centuries later.

In 1598, the area was known as Paraje Robledo, a welcome paraje (campsite) on El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro, or the Royal Road to the Interior Lands.

Fort Selden was established in April 1865 to bring peace to the region. Several of the units that served there were African American-only regiments referred to as Buffalo Soldiers.

It was then abandoned in 1891 as hostilities lessened and the needs of the military changed. Today, ghostly adobe ruins are all that remain of Fort Selden offering visitors a glimpse of another time.

“Lights of Los Luceros” at Los Luceros Historic Site in Alcalde will take place from 5-9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16.

At Los Luceros, there will be farolitos, luminarias and Christmas lights lining the site’s walking paths, helping visitors find their way as they stroll under the magnificent Milky Way. The historic buildings will don their own holiday finery, too.

Arts and crafts vendors, selling Pueblo pottery, quilts, biscochitos and more, will be there to help with your last-minute gift purchases.

“If the weather is good, visitors will also have the chance to view the winter stars and observe bright planets with astronomers from PEEC (Pajarito Environmental Education Center) and Pajarito Astronomers,” officials said in a statement.