What is a quintessential Santa Fe experience that is utterly unique to our town and is much beloved by locals and tourists alike? Most would agree on The Burning of Will Shuster’s Zozobra, which kicks off the annual Fiestas de Santa Fe, commemorating the reconquest of the capital by General Don Diego de Vargas in 1692.
Zozobra, otherwise known as Old Man Gloom, is a giant marionette effigy burned to dispel the troubles and worries of Santa Feans from the previous year. Residents are encouraged to write down their worries to be burned alongside Zozobra – people have even been known to have their legal papers burned with Old Man Gloom.
Ticket information for the August 31st event can be found here:
Learn more about the history of Zozobra in the video below.