Apr17th

Travel to the past at Fort Selden’s 19th Annual Frontier Day, April 21

Posted at 3:37 pm | Filed Under Event News 

by Bianca L. Granado

Travel back to a time when there were no cells phones, cars or televisions. It was a different kind of life where a fort had to be built just to keep people in the Mesilla Valley safe from the bad guys. Travel to a celebration of Old West history at Fort Selden’s 19th Annual Frontier Days, Saturday April 21 and Sunday, April 22, located 13 miles North of Las Cruces on 1-25, Radium Springs exit 19.

This year’s Annual Frontier Days will focus on the Civil War Out West and the Confederate Occupation. Jeff Wooten, Monument Ranger, said prior to building the fort it was the site of Camp Robledo, a confederate army headquarters and that Confederate Occupation seemed like an appropriate theme for the events.

Every year, Fort Selden staff dress up and recreate life during the historic time. This year they honor the Buffalo Soldiers, an all black cavalry sent to Fort Selden to protect settlers from the Apache raids after the Civil War. There will be infantry, cavalry and artillery demonstrations. Food, games and dancing make the Frontier Days enjoyable for adults and children.

“We want to make people aware of what was going in the late 1800’s before and after the Civil War,” said Wooten.

What was going on were raids by desperados, apaches and bandits said Wooten. Fort Selden was built in 1865 to help qualm these raid and was decommissioned after 25 years.

“There is a lot of history here. Hopefully, people become aware of this history with Frontier Days,” said Wooten.

For more information, contact the Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau at 505-541-2150, or by email at cfaivre@las-cruces.org.

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