400th Anniversary Celebration Begins

On Labor Day weekend, Santa Fe officially kicked off its 400th birthday celebration with Viva! Santa Fe, a weekend of concerts and festivities.

Historians and organizers have placed the origin of the city somewhere between 1607-1610, depending on who's looking and where.

1607 - Juan Martínez de Montoya testified before Acting Governor Cristobal Oñate that he had established the plaza of La Villa de Santa Fe.

1609 - Spanish Viceroy Luis de Velasco signed an order to make Santa Fe the capital of New Mexico on March 30. He also named Pedro de Peralta as Governor.

1610 - The new Governor arrived in Santa Fe to assume his office, and to let the residents know of their new status.

Santa Fe thus lays claim to being the oldest capital city in the U.S.--and it's been a capital under three governments (Spain, Mexico, and the U.S.).

Unfortunately, the weather was rainy off and on all weekend, but all events took place. At the Saturday night concert I attended it rained primarily before the performances began--and the dancers, singers, and musicians were all on a covered stage. Still, a lovely small-town evening! Photographs of performers throughout this post include Black Eagle (Grammy-winning Jemez Pueblo drummers and dancers), Blackfire (Navajo band), singer Lila Downs (whom I actually first saw perform in Massachusetts, at the Somerville Theatre), and the 13 women of the El Paso mariachi group Mariachi Femenil Flores Mexicanas.

Other performances (no photos) were by Ozomatli and "The King of New Mexico Music" Tobias Rene.