Travel to Santa Fe for the Big 400
New Mexico's Capital City Gets Ready to Celebrate its Founding
Jul 19, 2008
Santa Fe will soon be celebrating its 400th anniversary, although no-one could agree on the best date to celebrate. When exactly was the founding of the oldest European settlement west of the Mississippi? The New Mexico historians have been kept busy trying to establish the best date to commemorate.
Tom Chavez, who was formerly the New Mexico State Historian and therefore a man to be listened to, found documents which suggested there was a European settlement near Santa Fe as long ago as 1607.
Some people say that 1608 was the year that the Spanish Conquistadors moved from further north in New Mexico to what would become La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis (The Royal City of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi).
Or was the founding of Santa Fe in 1609, when the Spanish Viceroy instructed Don Pedro de Peralta, the Governor of New Mexico, to settle La Villa Real?
Or was Santa Fe actually founded in 1610, the date of the city charter and the date that appears on the city seal?
In the end the sensible people of Santa Fe figured: why argue? They decided that to celebrate 400 years of history would really need at least three years to do it justice, so the city is set for one long anniversary party from now through until 2010. Some early events are planned for 2008, mainly to let people know about the background to the anniversary, and to the fascinating history of Santa Fe. Then a founding day event will take place in 2009, with a big party being thrown in 2010 to celebrate the city charter. For this fiesta they hope the city will be filled to the rafters with visitors out to have a good time.
The Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Logo
No event these days is complete without a logo, and the Santa Fe 400th Anniversary Committee held an open competition with a $2,000 prize for anyone who could capture 400 years of history in one small image. The winner was Derek LaDuke, a graphic designer who lives in Albuquerque. His design shows the Zia sun symbol, used on the New Mexico flag, rising over a group of pueblo buildings.
So there's never been a better time to travel to Santa Fe than... well, any time in the next three years!
You can find out all there is to do in Santa Fe at the official website of the Santa Fe, New Mexico, Convention and Visitors Bureau. Click here.
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