GOOD APPLES IN NORTHERN NM
A fall festival at a historic site north of Santa Fe this month will celebrate apples.
If you’re looking for a northern New Mexico road trip, set aside Sunday, Sept. 17, for a fun day at the Fall Apple Festival at Los Luceros historic property in Alcalde, about 30 miles north of Santa Fe on State Road 68.
The festival, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., features demonstrations on heritage apple cooking, cider pressing, live music and tours of Casa Grande and other historic buildings. There also will be an exhibition space for area agricultural groups offering resources such as the FFA, 4H and extension office. It is sponsored by New Mexico Historic Sites.
The 148-acre Los Luceros ranch is located along the Rio Grande near the village of Alcalde and is considered one of New Mexico’s most scenic and historically significant properties.
Its centerpiece is Casa Grande, a 5,700-square-foot, 18th century Territorial-style adobe home, which was renovated by the Cabot Foundation in 2004 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The property also includes a visitor’s center, director’s residence and a small gallery.
In addition to the hacienda and the visitor center complex, the property contains three residences, an 18th century chapel, the original village jail, numerous farm buildings, apple orchards, irrigated pasture and bosque on the Rio Grande.
The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, which purchased the Los Luceros property from the family of Frank and Ann Cabot in 2008, is the state’s cultural steward and is working to ensure the site’s preservation and integrity.
The department’s intent is to bring together historic preservation, filmmaking education and training, agricultural and environmental interests.
Los Luceros is currently used as a cultural destination with interpretative exhibits and public access; as a retreat center for workshops and seminars related to New Mexico’s film industry; crop-growing, and environmental studies programs.