This account of the passage of the events of Fiesta Weekend about 1950-1960 is so authentic, so genuine, and so volatile, it tugged at my very heart-strings. It appeared on a facebook page which is a "closed" group. I asked the author if she'd allow me to reprint it, and happily she agreed.
It is written by Sra. Adelina Ortiz de Hill, an honored, respected and loved "grand dame" in our little group.
fiestas
de antes: by 6:00 oclock friday afternoon it seemed like the whole town
had converged at magers field. the queen, de vargas and a crowd were
entertained by the villeros alegres,pablo mare's tipica orchestra,
dancers, singers and mariachi's. as it got dark this giant effigy came
to life animated by the voice of harold gans flaying his arms and
groaning. he went up in flames and the fireworks always outdid the 4th
of july.a saftified crowd returned to the plaza to watch the crowning of
the queen and the entertainment on the roof of the la fonda.mrs cleo
fernandez (wife of tony, us congressman) sang las golondrinas, feria de
las flores,(flowers were tossed to the crowd) and la paloma releasing
white doves. johnny valdez and billy palou offered up their composition
the fiesta song and the crowd joined in.
maida and julio did their famous cape dance, the queen was crowned
.then all the lights were turned off and the sound of a pulsating drum
silenced the crowd, suddenly a flood light shone on a dancer dressed in
red recreating the drum dance he did in the movie the jazz singer(first
talkie with al jolson). jacques cartier remained an act to look forward
to for years. next day, saturday, the childrens pet parade. at the ranch
we had three ducks and a goat that followed us every place we went. we
dressed them in bandana scarfs and sombreros entered them, they and my
younger brother panicked so i had to carry the ducks, luckily my goat
stood by me. that afternoon the reentry by devargas, saturday night
parties and dances. sunday morning a procession with the queen and
devargas attending high mass. that night the candlelight procession to
the cross of the martyrs the whole town was dark as the neon signs were
turned off and only the candles shone. monday became a combined
historical and hysterical parade day. great memories.
