Five Things to Do This Labor Day Weekend

1 Get fired up for Old Man Gloom.

Summer ends with a bang as the Burning of Zozobra celebrates its centennial on Friday at Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe. The roaring 70-foot-tall marionette—stuffed full of notes of worry, troubles, and despair—goes up in flames in front of tens of thousands of onlookers chanting “burn him.” For the special occasion, the monstrous effigy puts on his finest duds, including 3-D printed buttons on his vest and real cuff links. This year’s burning also includes movable hands on Old Man Gloom, a drone show paying a tribute to Zozobra creator Will Shuster, and the return of dancing schoolchildren as Gloomies. Gates open Friday at 4 p.m., and attendees must be in the viewing area by 8:45 p.m.

2 See art in all its forms.

Totah Festival & Indian Market

For the first time in five years, the Totah Festival & Indian Market in Farmington features a powwow as part of its weekend roster of events. “We are really excited to bring the powwow back,” says Robert Felson, a member of the board of directors and treasurer for the festival. “This being our 35th anniversary, we are concentrating more on why the market started in the first place, which was because of the artists. This year we are focusing on celebrating them. We are looking to go back to our roots.” More than 80 artists in mediums including jewelry, ceramics, and painting display and sell their work at the Farmington Civic Center on Saturday and Sunday. The powwow happens from 10 a.m. to sunset on Saturday and noon to sunset on Sunday.

Chama Valley Arts Festival and Studio Tour

The 17th annual Chama Valley Arts Festival and Studio Tour highlights the area’s creativity on Saturday and Sunday. Check out more than 40 artists over a three-block stretch of downtown Chama as well as eight studios open to visitors. Find a map with all the studio locations on the event’s website.

She Rises Festival

Now in its second year, She Rises Festival brings women-centric music to Taos on Friday and Saturday. Founded and fostered by Irish musician Andrea Magee and Sarah Hearne Naftis, the festival spotlights musicians from around the world. “We are delighted that we are bringing She Rises to Taos for our second go-around to uplift women in the music industry,” says Magee.

The 2024 performers includes Austin-based Paack, singer/songwriter KT Tunstall, Latinx pop star Gina Chavez, and Deana Carter who may be best known for her hit “Strawberry Wine.” With multiple stages in Kit Carson Park, the festival brings tons of star power and a strong emphasis on community. “This festival is really about togetherness, and a group feeling like they belong,” Magee says. “People need to feel like they’re a part of something. At She Rises, you feel like you’re getting to see these superstars perform with a bunch of friends.”

3 Spice up your life.

The chile capital of the world celebrates the season with the Hatch Chile Festival, Thursday through Sunday. The tribute to New Mexico’s favorite fruit (yes, it’s not a veggie) includes a parade through town on Saturday at 9 a.m., plus a carnival, food and craft vendors, a mechanical bull, and performances from DJs and live musicians at the Hatch Valley High School pecan orchard. Find a full lineup of events on the website.

4 Dream of home.

When people are uprooted and exiled from their homelands, they build new connections and lives elsewhere. However, there may always be a longing for home. These are some of the feelings and ideas behind a new solo exhibition by Albuquerque artist Esther Elia, Khosh min Lakha, opening at the Roswell Museum on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

Elia, whose family is from Assyria, a region that stretches across Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Syria, delves into her heritage with painting, sculpture, and ceramic works. The exhibition title, which roughly translates from Assyrian to “go from here” or “go away,” references that exiled feeling. Her creative process includes collecting oral histories from family members to build a stronger connection to her cultural roots.

“She has four new tiled sculptures in this show,” says Aaron Wilder, curator of collections and exhibitions at the Roswell Museum. “These sculptures are reimagined Assyrian deities. They’re protection figures.” See the sculptures alongside some of Elia’s furniture designs and paintings through November 17.

5 Drink in summer’s last days.

Enjoy the long weekend with wine in hand at the Harvest Wine & Music Festival at Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque on Saturday through Monday. Hosted by the New Mexico Wine & Grape Growers Association, the event features tastings from 20 of New Mexico’s best wineries including Noisy Water Winery, Wines of the San Juan, and Amaro Winery. For the first time, the fest offers live music from local favorites including Le Chat Lunatique, Hello Darlin’, and Hillary Smith and ChillHouse. Over 50 vendors sell handmade goods at an artisan market, and food trucks with cuisine ranging from BBQ to tacos will feed hungry guests. Attendees can also dance at a silent disco, play lawn games, and take a swing at mini golf.

Wineries also set up shop at the Southern New Mexico State Fair & Rodeo grounds for Las Cruces’s Harvest Wine & Music Festival on Saturday through Monday. The fest includes over 200 varieties to sample, two stages of live music including CW Ayon, Guitar Slim, and Chris Baker, an artisan market, food vendors, and more.

Read more: For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.