Archive for the ‘Features’ Category

by Bianca L. Granado  

Where can you find the world’s largest enchilada and some of the hottest entertainment in the Southwest all rolled into one weekend? You’ll only find it in one place: Las Cruces

The 2007 Whole Enchilada Fiesta begins Friday, Sept. 28 and ends Sunday, Sept. 30 at the Hadley Sports Complex. Festivities include two stages with live music, a variety of food, arts and crafts booths, carnival rides and, of course, the making of the world’s largest enchilada. 

Country singer Tony Marques will begin the entertainment when he performs at 7:30 p.m on Friday night followed by Tobias Rene. Popular Tejano singer Bobby Pulido will take the stage on Saturday, and Whole Lotta Rosies, an AC/DC tribute band, will perform on Sunday.

The world’s largest enchilada will be made at 10 a.m on Sunday.

The process of making the enchilada takes approximately two and a half hours. Seven hundred and fifty pounds of stone ground corn is used to make the masa tortillas, 175 gallons of oil are heated to cook the tortillas, 75 gallons of red Chile sauce is spread on the tortillas and 175 pounds of grated cheese and 50 pounds of onions are used to garnish the enchilada.

The Whole Enchilada fiesta began 27 years ago. Years later the fiesta is still going strong. It has been recognized as one of the of the Top 100 events in the USA and has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records.

For more information contact the Whole Enchilada organizers at 505-526-1938 or log on to www.enchiladafiesta.com.

by Bianca L. Granado

Chile, apples and wine all have one thing in common Labor Day weekend in and around Las Cruces: they all have festivals in their honor.

Whether you’re looking for good wine, some of the hottest Chile west of the Mississippi, a plethora of apples for that great pie, all you have to do is take a trip to one of many Labor Day festivals around Las Cruces.

Frequently featured on Food Network and other documentaries around the world, the Hatch Chile Festival was started 36 years ago by local Chile farmers as a big party to celebrate the Chile harvest.

“People from all over the country wait all year to come to Hatch during the festival to get their fresh green Chile supply for winter,” said Marcia Nordyke, festival coordinator. “The chamber receives calls daily making sure when the festival is so they can make the pilgrimage here to get that fresh roasted drug.”

Events include a parade, queen coronation, musical entertainment and contests among other activities.

Nordyke said Hatch is know as the Chile Capital of the World for many years and grows the best Chile around because of the soil and temperatures in the valley.

During the festival, it is estimated that the small municipality of 1,700 people grows to about 15,000 to 20,000 people.

Not even harsh rains or floods can stop this festival from happening as was the case in 2006.

“The Placitas Arroyo flood hit us August 15 and we went ahead with the festival Sept. 2,” Nordyke said. “It rained all weekend. We told people we were up to our ankles in mud but we would be there as long as they were.”

The festival begins Saturday, Sept. 1 with a parade at 10 a.m.

Apples, apples and more apples can be found at the annual Hillsboro Apple Festival located 60 miles north of Las Cruces on Interstate 25.

“We started off as a street sale 43 years ago and evolved into a full blown festival,” said Maree Westland, festival coordinator.

Westland said there would be many vendors offering different games, a variety of food, and arts and crafts.

“We usually get a very large crowd and the vendors play a big part in the events that take place at the festival,” Westland said.

Tradition and longevity are two things that follow this apple festival.

“One of the sweetest moments was when a grandfather introduced his grandchildren to me and said, ‘I brought my kids to this festival and now I’m bringing my grandchildren.”

The festival will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday.

A glass of wine and you’ll be fine at the Eighth Annual Harvest Wine Festival that was started in the tradition of celebrating the grape harvest.

“The wine festival is a great place for people to sample a large assortment of different wines and learn more about the types of wines grown all over New Mexico,” said Dawn Starostka, event planner.

Starostka said there will be 12 wineries to sample over 70 wines from, wine education classes, 45 arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, live music all day, and hourly grape stomps. About 11,000 people attend every year and more are expected this year, she said.

For more information, contact the Las Cruces Convention & Visitors Bureau at 505-541-2444, or by email at cvb@lascrucescvb.org.

By Barbara Alvarez 

Several mariachi groups are learning and performing in and around Las Cruces, gracing lucky area residents with the spirited rhythm and sounds of Mexico. Mariachi comes from various Mexican states, such as Jalisco, Michoacan and Veracruz.

Mariachi is a form of ensemble music, with such diverse instruments as the violin, guitar, trumpet, vihuela, guitarrón and, sometimes, the flute and a harp.    The vihuela is a small, five-string instrument resembling a small guitar. The guitarrón, like the vihuela, is a stringed instrument. It has six strings and is much larger, producing a much lower bass sound.

Mariachi Real de Chihuahua consists of high school and college students. The members generally have had experience playing in other local groups; two of the group’s members, Wendy Martinez and Tony Avila, are music majors at New Mexico State University, and provide private and group instruction.

Martinez, vocalist and violinist with Real de Chihuahua, is the creative director for Mariachi Espuelas de Plata, from Court Youth Center, and Mariachi Espuelas de Cobre, the apprentice group for Espuelas de Plata. She provides instruction to the young violinists.

Avila the violin, guitar, vihuela and guitarrón for Real de Chihuahua. He also sings and occasionally assists with instruction for Espuelas de Plata and Espuelas de Cobre. Avila, a 2002 graduate of Las Cruces High School, is also a former member of Mariachi Diamante de Las Cruces High School.

Mariachi Espuelas de Plata was established in 1998 in a Las Cruces garage by a resident who dreamed of youth learning the music of their ethnic heritage. The parents of the original group members spent many weekends working at fundraisers to earn money for music, instruction, instruments, supplies and trajes  (suits that were worn by wealthy Mexican landowners in the 19th century).

In 1999, Irene Oliver-Lewis, artistic director of the Court Youth Center, invited the group to practice at the Court Youth Center. Oliver-Lewis, now the madrina, or godmother, for both Espuelas de Plata and Espuelas de Cobre, began to put many hours of time and effort into the development of Espuelas de Plata. In addition to inviting the group to practice at the Court Youth Center, Oliver-Lewis, in partnership with the Espuelas de Plata Parent Board, influenced the artistic direction of the group. Even more importantly, the Court Youth Center, in partnership with the mariachi parents, sought financial grants to assist the young musicians.

Nine years later, Espuelas de Plata has blazed an historical path in Las Cruces. The group was selected to perform at the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference in 2000, only two years after their founding. The original group members have all moved on – some to college, some to the work world, and others have continued as musicians in other groups. Only six years after the group was first formed, Espuelas de Plata took yet another important step in their growth by recording and releasing a CD, Herencia del Mariachi, in May of 2004.

Espuelas de Plata has provided instruction to young musicians interested in the art of mariachi during the Hispanic Heritage Week, held annually each summer at the Court Youth Center. This year, the event will be held June 11-15, 2007, from 1:30-5:30 each day, culminating in a concert at the Court Youth Center on Friday, June 15, at 6:30 p.m.

Several other groups have been formed, as well. Some have disbanded, while others are still learning and performing. Three of those groups are Mariachi las Aguilas, Mariachi Palenque and Mariachi Cuerdas de Oro. These groups, as well as others, perform in and around Las Cruces at community celebrations, weddings, quinceañeras, Masses, baptisms, engagement and graduation parties.
 
Mariachi as an art form, and as an expression of the Mexican heritage, is here to stay.

¡Sí, señor!