ZOZOBRA MEMORIES
“Pinning down my most memorable Zozobra is not an easy task. There was the one when I had my first kiss with that tall, dreamy boy in a pickup truck. Maybe it was the one when my 4-year-old child got a glowing butterfly that made him happier than any other toy. I loved the time I hung out with the chief of police and talked about gloom in the Police Department. My absolute favorite was probably when it rained and my family huddled under a makeshift tent with a good, long-lost childhood friend and his family. We danced silly dances to keep warm, and yelled our lungs out as our gloom burned. That’s really why Zozobra is one of my favorite nights each year, because I give him my gloom and watch it go up in smoke. I emerge every year feeling refreshed, lighter, and freed from my burdens. Thank you, Zozobra.” — Kate Noble, VP for policy and stakeholder engagement at New Mexico Early Childhood Development Partnership
“My dad used to work for PNM, and they would let me play hooky from school. My dad would pick me up and get a chicharrón burrito, and we’d drive up towards Artist Road. He would stop the truck and he would put me on his shoulders and we’d be facing away from the park. Then he’d jump around toward Zozobra. and I could see what color of hair. That’s my favorite memory.” — Ray Sandoval, Zozobra event chair
“I think my best memory of Zozobra was, like many, when we’d be able to drive our cars into Fort Marcy with a bucket of KFC and play until the lights went down and Zozobra got lit up! Crowds were smaller and the event was really family-friendly. I love where they’ve taken it today, but it will never be like it was growing up. — Javier Gonzales, former Santa Fe mayor
“(In) 2016, when my friend Maria told me I could come up for the stuffing of Zozobra. That night I actually got to crawl inside Zozobra through his torso up to his neck! It was so cool! That night, I also got to meet Ray Sandoval, one of the hearts behind contemporary Zozobra events. — Tey Marianna Nunn, NHCC Art Museum director