Luminarias at Jemez Historic Site/Courtesy photo
NEWS RELEASE
A beloved holiday event at Jemez Historic Site, “Light Among the Ruins,” will now be known as “Lights of Gisewa” and will take place on Friday, Dec. 8 and Saturday, Dec. 9. This year, event organizers have also added a special “Photographer’s Night” to the event on Dec. 7, allowing photographers to photography the Site without the crowds.
The name changed this year to acknowledge Gisewa, now known Jemez Historic Site, which was once occupied by the people of Jemez Pueblo.
“We want to emphasize that there is an actual Jemez ancestral village and that it is not just an abandoned site in ruins. It is still a village that Jemez ancestors lived in and used,” said Marlon Magdalena, Instructional Coordinator Supervisor with the Jemez Historic Site.
The “Lights of Gisewa” event is a display of more than 1,500 farolitos that light the pathway and the perimeter of the Site and historic mission church. Volunteers with the Friends of the Coronado and Jemez Historic Site fold and fill the paper bags with sand and help light the farolitos prior to the event. With no light pollution, the contrast between the light and dark is striking. The Site will also has several food and crafts vendors available at the event.
New this year on Thursday, Dec. 7 from 5-9 p.m., Site organizers are offering professional and amateur photographers a “Photographer’s Night” to allow photography of the Site without the crowds. This unique opportunity is $100 per person and includes parking, complimentary hot beverages and easy entry. To maintain the safety and enjoyment of the event, tripods, camera equipment, and flash photography will only be allowed during this event on Dec. 7.
Free shuttle service will be available to and from the Jemez Community Park to the Site, with stops at the Village Plaza to allow visitors to disembark and shop area businesses or eat at the restaurants.
Tickets are available online in 30 minute time slots, to manage crowds and enhance enjoyment of the event for visitors. Entry times are every half hour beginning at 5 p.m. and ending at 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 8 and 9. Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for children 16 and under. Pueblo residents are free.
The Site will cap the number of attendees to 2,000 per day. Last year, there were an estimated 3,000 attendees at the event.
Pets are not allowed at this event for safety purposes. No flash photography or flashlights are allowed at the event on Dec. 8 and 9.
Jemez Historic Site is located on NM Highway 4, just north of Jemez Springs, New Mexico. From Bernalillo, take Highway 550 north to San Isidro. Head north on Highway 4 through Jemez Springs.
For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit https://my.nmculture.org/ events.