Zozobra named as an official NM Spirit event
Digital Assignment Editor
New Mexico is still celebrating America’s 250th birthday!
On Friday, the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe announced that Zozobra has been named an official NM Spirit event, joining a statewide initiative to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
The designation was granted through the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, which administers the NM Spirit Program.
NM Spirit invites communities statewide to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary through a distinctly New Mexican lens.
With the new designation, the Burning of Zozobra joins the NM Spirit Calendar and will receive NM Spirit branding across its promotion, marketing and public programming.
The Zozobra theme this year will incorporate Zozobra dressed as King George III in a crown, powdered wig, and ermine robe. This year’s theme is The Tyranny of Gloom vs. the Spirit of ’76.
Old Man Gloom burns on Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, at Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe, the oldest capital city in the nation. Gates open at 4 p.m.
