1 Burn your gloom—with a few new twists.

Zozobra, the towering 50-foot effigy filled with New Mexicans’ flammable worries, burns at Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe on Friday night. The 101st Burning of Zozobra sees Old Man Gloom dressed for the future in steampunk attire, with this year’s attendance capped at 50,000.

The event includes several new elements this year, including LED wristbands that are timed to light up for a show involving the entire crowd’s participation. Organizers also tapped the International Museum of Dance (IMOD) to create a program of art and dance to appear alongside the effigy.

IMOD co-directors of community research and engagement Gabriel Carrion-Gonzales and Angel Guanajuato have been working on the performance, titled FAN.TAS.MA, for 18 months. Appearances include UNBOUND, a dance ensemble representing the Genízaro culture; queer circus Wise Fool; fashion designers Josh Tafoya and the Son of Picasso; and hoop dancing from the Lightning Boy Hoop Dancers. “These artists are carrying their community’s stories,” says Guanajuato. While practicing at Fort Marcy Park early in the week, he noticed a Zozobra sticker on every other car and posters all over town. “This is the second-biggest stage in New Mexico,” he adds. “It’s feeling very surreal.” 

IMOD’s programming also includes an auxiliary stage in Majors Field featuring models, lowriders, and muralists interpreting the steampunk theme. FAN.TAS.MA takes the stage just beneath Zozobra at 8:30 p.m., showcasing short performances from each of the artists. “Angel and I take art very seriously,” Carrion-Gonzales says. “We know it heals and changes lives.”

Gates open at 4 p.m. and close at 8:45 p.m. with the burning happening just after.

Celebrate Native arts and culture at the Totah Festival in Farmington. Photograph courtesy of the Totah Festival Foundation.

2 Attend Farmington’s biggest bash.

The 36th annual Totah Festival kicks off in Farmington on Friday and includes a juried market where Native artists sell handmade works, a powwow, a 5K run, and a rug auction. Taking over the Farmington Civic Center Friday through Sunday, Totah honors the original name for this stunning region of northwestern New Mexico, meaning “between the waters.” Each day offers an array of beautiful silver and turquoise jewelry, ceramics, and paintings, plus a lineup of traditional dances that include categories for Tiny Tots.

Explore historic grain mills with guided tours, tasty food, and scenic views. Photograph courtesy of the Cleveland Roller Mill Museum.

3 Tour the mills of the Mora Valley.

The third annual Valley of the Mills Tour invites folks to visit three historic grain mills between Santa Fe and Taos in the scenic Mora Valley, an area once known as the breadbasket of the Southwest. The La Cueva Mill at the newly renamed Houser Raspberry Ranch, Cleveland Roller Mill, and St. Vrain Mill each welcome visitors on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for this rare opportunity to learn about the historic grain-growing economy of the region. Expect guided tours, scenic vistas, tasty eats, and art vendors at each location, along with a showcase of sustainable farming practices and an interesting slice of New Mexico history. Start at the La Cueva Mill and ride the Las Vegas No. 11 Trolley to the other mills. The trolley leaves on the hour beginning at 10 a.m. both days.

See powerful new works by Indigenous artists in a group show at Duende Gallery, including Johanna Case-Hofmeister's "Nuns and Skull." Courtesy of Duende Gallery.

4 See a quartet of powerful artists.

Four artists whose practices are intimately tied to nature are featured in Mud, Bone, Blood, Ice, opening Saturday at Duende Gallery, in Galisteo. The gallery, which occupies one of the oldest dance halls in New Mexico, is featuring sculpture, installation, sound, and photography that meditate on human relationships with the land. 

“The theme, for me, is about exploring this kinship we have with the natural world, which in many ways is being lost or forgotten,” says gallery founder Robert King (Chahta Okla, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma). “Take a moment, slow down, sit with the work and let it speak to you as an act of resistance.” King’s ceramics are part of the exhibition, which he co-curated with gallery director Jamie Herrell (Cherokee Nation). They say the show came together through community ties to the Institute of American Indian Arts, where Herrell received a degree in museum studies.

Attend an opening reception Saturday from 4 to 8 p.m. and an artist talk at 2:30 p.m. in collaboration with the Santa Fe Artist Institute. Mud, Bone, Blood, Ice is on view through November 30.   

Toast Labor Day with wine, live bands, and gourmet eats at the three-day Harvest Wine & Music Festival. Photograph courtesy of the Harvest Wine & Music Festival.

5 Raise a glass to summer’s end.

Savor Labor Day weekend and the unofficial end of summer over a glass of local wine at the Harvest Wine & Music Festival. It happens in two locations: Balloon Fiesta Park in Albuquerque, and the Southern New Mexico Fairgrounds in Las Cruces. Catch some of New Mexico’s finest musicians— including Levi Platero, Lindy Vision, Innastate, Austin Van, Unlyshed, Kat Crosby & the Rhythm Gators, and more—plus gourmet eats and handmade goods from local vendors. The festival is open Saturday, Sunday, and Monday at both locations.

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