2019 Reina'sWelcome

To visitors and guests of our community, my warmest welcome to the Fiestas de Taos!

I begin with a sincere thank you to everyone for their continuous love and support throughout the initial period while I competed for the title of La Reina de Las Fiestas de Taos 2019. I am very thankful and blessed to have been afforded the privilege to be Reina de Las Fiestas de Santiago y Santa Ana de 2019 and to be able to represent my community, culture and family. Growing my education within the Catholic faith in order to better represent my community as reina locally and throughout Northern New Mexico is one of my priorities. Also, I hope with this experience I am able to learn more about my culture and religion.

I am extremely excited to see the smiles on the faces of everyone in attendance as we continue these amazing customs with our various traditions and our beautiful Royal Court. It is truly a blessing to have this opportunity to be a role model for the younger generation and encourage them to follow their dreams and hopefully inspire many to maintain our beautiful Hispano culture and traditions, as well as keeping alive the Catholic traditions, especially through Las Fiestas de Taos. Taos is filled with beautiful people, a mix of cultures and various traditions — unique in so many other ways, too. I am blessed to live in a community with remarkable and beautiful cultures, and the traditions that go along with these cultures. It will be exciting to participate in different local events, as well as around Northern New Mexico throughout the upcoming year.

To my Royal Court, las Princesas de Taos, I congratulate each of you and am thrilled to build and develop an unbreakable bond this year that will last a lifetime. In just the short time we have spent together so far, already I can tell we will represent our community together as a team and we will have lots of fun doing it. I acknowledge the Taos Fiesta Council members for their unselfish time and commitment, because this is truly their passion. Thank you to the Fiesta Council for doing so much for Taos and us girls, and for working diligently to ensure every aspect of Fiestas is just right. From the beginning we were welcomed with open arms and support, and it truly feels like a family already. I thank each of my sponsors for their support and generous donations. Thank you most especially to my entire family for all their love, support and advice. Truly, I could not have done this or continue to do this without you all.

To my mom, dad and brothers, I love you and thank you for supporting me and taking on this huge responsibility of being the reina’s family. To the families of my Royal Court, las Princesas de Taos, thank you for loving and supporting your daughters so that this whole undertaking we have obligated you to can come together successfully. In honor of the theme of this year’s Fiestas de Taos, “Once a Taoseño, Always a Taoseño,” I challenge everyone and their families to truly bring out the Taoseño in you and show it at this year’s Fiestas de Taos. I am ready to experience an incredible year as reina and to represent my community and culture of Taos to my fullest with honor, dignity, love and respect.

¡Que Vivan las Fiestas! Sheyenne Carleen Cecilia Torrez

REINA DE LAS FIESTAS DE TAOS 2019

Sean Kelly Portraits/Charles McLaughlin