Join the dancers of NMBC along with 100s of other volunteers and performers for this once in a generation event!
Friday, August 30th, 2024
Fort Marcy Park, Santa Fe, NM
Tickets available at burnmygloom.com!
What, or Who, Is Zozobra?
The Burning of Zozobra is a unique cultural event in Santa Fe staged annually by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe in Zozobra Field at Fort Marcy Park on the Friday of Labor Day weekend as an exciting and fiery finale to the last days of summer.
The History of Zozobra
Artist William Howard “Will” Shuster, Jr. created the first Zozobra in 1924 as the signature highlight of a private party for Los Cinco Pintores, a group of artists and writers who made their way to New Mexico in the 1920s. He was inspired by Easter Holy Week traditions in the Yaqui Indian communities of Arizona and Mexico, in which an effigy of Judas is led around the village on a donkey and ultimately set alight. Shuster and his friend, E. Dana Johnson, editor of the local newspaper, came up with the name Zozobra, which in Spanish means “anguish, anxiety, or gloom.”
Shuster’s creation first burned in his backyard in 1924 as a 6-foot effigy and, over the years, has grown to a towering 50-foot high marionette. Made of wood, wire, and cotton cloth and stuffed with bushels of shredded paper, which traditionally includes obsolete police reports, paid-off mortgages, and even divorce papers, Zozobra is a dark and eerie character, part ghost and part monster. Since those early days, the people of Santa Fe, families, and friends new and old, have annually made their way to Zozobra Field at Fort Marcy Park, a few blocks from the historic Santa Fe Plaza, to view this one-of-a-kind Labor Day Friday pageant.
What was The Zozobra Decades Project?
In 1964, Santa Fe artist Will Shuster, the creator of Zozobra, granted the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe the exclusive rights to the Burning of Zozobra. Since then, as keepers of the flame (pun intended), the Kiwanis have made an enduring commitment to this iconic tradition.
From 2014 to 2023, Zozobra revisited his past through the Zozobra Decades Project, a ten-year journey through each successive decade of Zozobra’s existence.
Put simply, the Decades Project focused on creating a comprehensive and cohesive design that blends the style and substance of each era in Zozobra’s life and demise. The Club’s extensive archives allowed organizers to delve deeply into Zozobra’s look throughout the previous 99 years, matching the overall design of all the elements –– from his face and attire to the artifacts and music –– with the history and events of each era. Each year of the Decades Project has its own set of collectible souvenirs to mark the occasion. And most important of all, the Project annually gave the Kiwanis a valuable teaching moment to meaningfully honor their mission of helping children learn about their history.
Now, with the conclusion of the fun and festive Zozobra Decades Project, The 100th Burning of Zozobra will present a once-in-a-century celebration taking place on the Friday before Labor Day, Friday, August 30, 2024, in Santa Fe, NM! This is one you don’t want to miss!