Paying homage to the Land of Enchantment: 'Fiesta of Cultures: All Cultures of New Mexico' features music, dance, food and more

Families can explore a smorgasbord of traditions at “Fiesta of Cultures: All Cultures of New Mexico” at the Coronado Historic Site in Bernalillo on Saturday, Oct. 19.

The event will showcase cultural performances, live animals, a community ofrenda/offering display, kiva tours, and food and art vendors.

Paying homage to the Land of Enchantment: 'Fiesta of Cultures: All Cultures of New Mexico' features music, dance, food and more

“New Mexico’s cultural landscape is as vibrant and rich as it is complex and deep-rooted,” said Katrina Gallegos, regional site manager for the Coronado and Jemez historic sites. “‘Fiesta of Cultures’ explores this reality through dance, food, demonstrations and tours.”

The event includes performances by The Wilde Bunch Square Dancers, an LGBTQ+ square dance group from Albuquerque; Pueblo Enchantment Dancers from Acoma Pueblo; Van Hanh Vietnamese Lion Dancers and the Son Como Son Cuban salsa band. The event will also feature animal demonstrations from Llama del Sol and On a Wing and a Prayer bird rescue, tours of the site’s reconstructed kiva, and a community ofrenda/offering display for visitors to share photos to remember loved ones who have died.

The fiesta also offers a juried show of local vendors who specialize in art, crafts and jewelry. Food trucks, including Manko: Native American Fusion, will be available in the parking lot. The Department of Cultural Affairs’ Wonders on Wheels mobile museum will offer tours of their exhibit “Growing New Mexico/Creciendo Nuevo México,” traveling from the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces.

Coronado Historic Site and the ruins of Kuaua Pueblo are located in Bernalillo, with the Rio Grande and Sandia Mountains to the east. In 1540, Francisco Vásquez de Coronado entered the Rio Grande Valley somewhere near this site while searching for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold. Instead of treasure, he found a dozen Native farming villages. The site shares the complex history between the Indigenous Tiwa People and the Spanish explorers. Visitors can learn more about this history at the Visitor Center Museum, as well as explore the footprint of the Kuaua ruins, a reconstructed kiva and ancient Kuaua kiva murals.

Admission is $10 per person; free for children 16 and younger, Friends of Coronado and Jemez members, Museum of New Mexico Foundation members, Native/Tribal affiliations, disabled veterans and foster families. Tickets are available for advanced purchase online at my.nmculture.org or at the event. For a full schedule of activities, visit museumfoundation.org/events.

“Fiesta of Cultures” is sponsored by the Friends of Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites, Museum of New Mexico Foundation and Santa Ana Pueblo. Artist demonstrations are sponsored by The Wilde Bunch. Additional support provided by the Town of Bernalillo Lodgers’ Tax Grant. Small business support from Metal the Brand, Kakawa Chocolate House and the Range Café.