Coronado Historic Site hosts Fiesta of Cultures

BERNALILLO — There were many cultures and talents celebrated Oct. 18 at Coronado Historic Center’s Fiesta of Cultures day.

Jessica Coyle, instructional coordinator supervisor for Coronado, said the annual event has gone on for almost 20 years.

“It’s an opportunity for us to invite out different performers from all kinds of groups and vendors to the site. It’s just a chance for us to invite the community,” she said.

Throughout the day, the center had performances from East India, Ireland, Jemez Pueblo, LGBTQ and other cultures. At around noon there was also a horno baking demonstration and a science circus with a focus on water conservancy and ecology in the bosque.

“As part of New Mexico historic sites, it’s our job to promote the culture and history in the state. ... You often will hear that New Mexico is great, that we’re tri-cultural, but there’s so much more here than just Hispanic and Native cultures. We’re really lucky to have a great history,” Coyle said. “We really like to be able to highlight our whole community.”

The turnout was not as busy as Coyle had hoped due to some conflicting events the same day, but she said there was a steady flow of onlookers. The event is also a way to educate the community about a historic site that may not be as well known.

“We’re in ancestral Pueblo village. It gives us the opportunity to talk about New Mexico history pre the Spanish coming into the area and how people were living here, and it’s just a beautiful site. If you’ve had a chance to walk around, we’re really lucky. We have hiking trails along the bosque and the river. We have gorgeous views. It’s a wonderful place to come hiking, birding, and to learn a little bit about New Mexico history,” she said.

The event also raised funds for the site’s Friends Group, which helps pay for programming the rest of the year at the site, according to Coyle.

For more information about the site, visit nmhistoricsites.org.