2020: The most comfortable Zozobra ever

If ever a year were ripe for sending up in flames, 2020 is that year. We all know how lousy it has been. The 96th annual Burning of Zozobra arrives just in time to dispose of gloom, at least for the moments of spectacle as the 50-foot marionette meets his fate in fire.

In 2020, Zozobra will take on the pain, misery and troubles of our town Friday, screaming and groaning all the way to the end. We’ll watch it, not in person in a mass of people at Magers Field at Fort Marcy park, but virtually. From our couches, perhaps the most comfortable Zozobra viewing of all.

Yes, we will miss the collective unburdening that comes with a mass gathering at Fort Marcy park — tens of thousands of people attend each year.

That’s just not safe in a world of COVID19, where large gatherings can become super spreader events. Yet the need to dispel the tensions of these tough times — just as it was during World War II — is more urgent than ever.

That’s why the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe will continue the tradition, burning Zozobra complete with Gloomies, fire dancing and all the pageantry Santa Fe has come to expect. We can still send our troubles up in smoke, too. Those with gloom to burn can visitburnzozobra.com/gloom/ and, for $1, send in the worry. All will be printed out and stuffed into Zozobra before burn time.

Then, Zozobra’s final moments will be livestreamed. From the comfort of home, Santa Fe — and the world, really — can watch. The free livestream will take place from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. on KOAT Channel 7 or online at www.koat.com/. (Find details about the event at burnzozobra.com/.)

will be there, covering the story in words and photographs, as we do every year.

Because of drone technology, it’s likely the 2020 Zozobra will be one of the best versions ever seen. That’s because while the live event can’t be matched for emotion, the drones will capture views from every angle in a way that’s impossible in person. The Zozobra-goer at the back of the field can’t see the monster’s head explode in flames clearly; streaming, we’ll all see the destruction up until that moment when the evil guy collapses in a pit of misery. It will be watched widely, whether in town, at several COVID-safe virtual watch parties scheduled or wherever Santa Fe people have scattered. Ex-santafesinos can share their tradition with new neighbors and friends — at a distance, of course.

The entire globe needs the relief that comes from watching gloom burn away.

As good as the show will be virtually, Kiwanis leaders are firm that spectators should keep away from the field. It is reserved for working club members putting on the show, participants, security officers and media covering the event. To discourage spectators, parking meters from Fort Marcy to near the Plaza will be bagged. That means no parking and people who violate the ban likely will be towed. That can cost anywhere from $250 to $400. Vehicle traffic is impacted, too, around the actual burn site. Bishop’s Lodge Road from Paseo de Peralta to Valley Drive and Old Taos Highway from Paseo de Peralta to Rendon Road will shut down at 4 p.m. For Fort Marcy neighbors, it will be a quieter evening.

Popular vantage points around the field will be patrolled. That includes the Cross of the Martyrs, which overlooks Magers Field and Fort Marcy — the Kiwanis have taken out a permit at the Cross of the Martyrs for the evening, allowing control of the space. They have worked with private property owners as well to watch out for trespassers. People who don’t follow the rules will receive a warning, then a citation and possible arrest.

That’s a prudent approach, considering that too many people in a bunch, even outdoors, could lead to a spread of the coronavirus that would only make gloom worse, not better.

Besides, with the view from home so outstanding, there’s no reason to get up from the couch.