June 16th Event Features Authentic Territorial Village
ALBUQUERQUE NM—As New Mexico celebrates its 100th year of Statehood, the City of Albuquerque is preparing for what may well be the largest public event ever held in the city. On Saturday, June 16th, Central Avenue will be closed from 2nd to 10th Street to accommodate the tens of thousands of attendees at Centennial Summerfest, the largest Centennial celebration in New Mexico.
Over the coming months the City’s Cultural Services Department will be providing information on all of the exciting entertainment, features and activities that will be a part of this huge free public event.
One of the highlights that will take visitors back in time is the Territorial Village at Robinson Park between 8th and 10th Streets. The Territorial Village will feature live entertainment by the son of western film and music icons Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, Roy “Dusty” Rogers, Jr. Additional performers include: Syd Masters, an award-winning singer and songwriter of traditional western music; Will Banister, a rising country music star; and Santa Fe musical legends Bill and Bonnie Hearne, performers of country and folk music who are well-known and well-
respected nationwide. The New Mexico Territorial Brass Band will open with a performance of traditional songs from the era.
The New Mexico Gunfighters Association will bring some excitement to the Village in the form of “shoot-’em-ups” that pit good guys versus bad guys to help protect the Territorial Village residents and visitors. The High Desert Dancers will be demonstrating some of the dances popular in the Southwest, along with a little history of each dance. A “Storytelling Tent” will feature a collection of presentations that honor New Mexico’s past with Chautauqua performances that bring history to life, all courtesy of the New Mexico Humanities Council and other historians.
Visitors to the Territorial Village will experience life in the 19th and early 20th century through displays and live demonstrations. The Village will feature a blacksmith hammering iron, weavers, a flint napper (working with stones to create arrowheads and other items), mountain men, a gunsmith, Civil War displays and the famous Buffalo Soldiers, plus a demonstration of straw appliqué. A “posse” will gather to go after the bad guys, and “Urban Family” will stroll through the area performing popular songs from the Old West. Many of the historic demonstrations are courtesy of El Rancho de las Golondrinas (The Ranch of the Swallows), a living history museum located just south of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
What are sure to be very popular attractions are an authentic Chuck Wagon serving up delicious fare for purchase and a Growers’ Market offering locally-grown produce.
The Territorial Village Schedule:
| Noon – 12:40 p.m. | Territorial Brass Band |
| 12:40 – 1 p.m. | High Desert Dancers |
| 1 – 2:30 p.m. | Roy Rogers, Jr. |
| 2:40 – 3:40 p.m. | Bill and Bonnie Hearne |
| 3:40 – 4:30 p.m. | Will Banister |
| 5 – 6 p.m. | Syd Masters |
The Centennial Summerfest in Albuquerque, the largest event in New Mexico celebrating 100 years of statehood, will feature popular genres of music on five different stages along Central Avenue, a Science & Technology Center, a juried art exhibition, food vendors, a Kid’s Fun Zone, and much more. The event begins at Noon and closes at 6 p.m. when the Main Stage becomes the focal point for the evening with a performance by the multiple Grammy®-winning band, “Los Lobos.”
Centennial Summerfest is produced by the Cultural Services Department, City of Albuquerque, Richard J. Berry, Mayor. For additional details on all special events, please visit www.ABQsummerfest.com or call 311. TTY users call 711.
