Posted on 08/29/2025 10:34:46 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Get ready to say goodbye to all of your glooms because the 101st Burning of Zozobra is set to take place Friday evening in Santa Fe.
Thousands are expected to pack into Fort Marcy Park. This year’s event has a lot to live up to following last year’s 100th burning celebration.
Old Man Gloom is dressed up in his own funky style again, but with a twist. This year’s theme is steam punk – think a combination of Victorian, old-timey style meets futuristic mechanics. He has a clock, red bow tie, a top hat and blue hair.
KOB 4 has been with Zozobra all day long from his journey leaving the Santa Fe Place Mall, and as he was loaded up on a truck and brought to Fort Marcy.
Because of this year’s steampunk theme, organizers say the Zozobra is actually 500 to 800 pounds heavier than what he normally is. That extra weight is partly because of a special mechanical hand.
“As steampunk would suggest, right? Gears, we’re getting into that industrial revolution time period. Zozobra himself turned from 100 to 101. He’s reinventing himself with some of these robotic esthetics to him. You’ll see that special feature, if you will, later today, along with another surprise I have in store,” said Jacob Romero, construction manager.
The gates at Fort Marcy opened up at 4 p.m. and it is starting to fill up.
Great excuse for New Mexicans to get drunk. I saw it when I lived there as a child. Grew up 30 minutes north of SantaFe in a shthole town called Espanola...which to this day still carries the same quality of reverence. Catholic culture is nutty all over Northern NM. Theres a place called Chimayo thats due East of Espanola where Jesus Christ is supposed to have stood once upon a time and every year at Easter time theres a religious pilgrimage event called “Walking the Santuario” (google it). As a kid, it always creeped me out to see that.
In 1984 Espanola was known as the “Lowrider Capital of the USA”. Today its known as “The Heroin Capital of New Mexico”.
Another distinction NM has is the most DUI’s in the country...mainly from its native Indian population. I think that its now illegal to have any alcohol whatsoever on any NM Indian reservation.
Fk New Mexico!
Apparently burning Mr. Gloom and anxiety doesn’t really do anything. Cause all the past gloom and anxiety is already gone.
...and burning Mr. Zozoba today doesn’t stop the gloom and anxiety for the future. Cause the pageant is already planned for 2026...
Very interesting corporate exercise.
You sure do miss your home state!
I worked in Grants, NM during college. Driving at night and the ditches just sparkled. The following day I investigated to see what sort of rocks or minerals they were (geology student). Turns out it was just broken glass. And I mean miles and miles of ditches.
Pagan, though I think “Burning Man” what with all that it apparently offers, takes the top Babylon prize 😄
https://youtu.be/Wr72NDutUBQ?si=zzk8Qauc5RvkPbjQ
$30 tickets
“another surprise I have in store”
Probably some anti-Trump thing.
I live in NM.
Zozobra is the loony Santa Fe version of Kwanza.
Fake heritage for neo-pagans.
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