As long-ago radio DJ’s might have said, ‘Put your mittens around your kittens! Gonna party like it’s 1851!’ Well, not exactly. But if you’re around Colorado’s oldest town, San Luis, it’s going to be a grand old time celebrating not only America’s 250th birthday, but the town’s 175th.
San Luis, located approximately 177 miles south and west of Denver, has made all the plans for a grand old time come July 4th. Actually, the town’s official birthday came and went last April 5th, but Town Manager Teddy Leinbach said the big ‘parranda’ was put on hold to meld the two birthdays.
There are a couple of reasons for the move, said Leinbach. One is the fact that people are not traveling in April, especially to a place where weather can be completely unpredictable.
It is never a surprise in San Luis, where the elevation is nearly 8,000 feet, and a springtime blizzard hits. The next and most obvious reason for the July party; it’s summer, when people hit the road.
On the Fourth of July weekend, San Luis, whose normal population is around 500, said Leinbach, will swell to around 4,000 to celebrate the Fiesta de Santiago y Santa Ana. Extra security, said the North Carolinian by way of Virginia native, will be hired as well as brought in from nearby Alamosa and Taos, New Mexico.
While San Luis is not equipped for housing crowds of that size, there are options for those who want to stay the night. The town has a hotel and a few bed and breakfast spots, but others will have to stay with relatives or book rooms in Alamosa or in Taos, about an hour away.
While most of the 250/175/150 celebrants will be familiar with San Luis, those making their first visit will find a town of amazing history, said Leinbach.
They will see the amazing sculpture and art of San Luis native Huberto Maestas who, along with local artisans, carved the town’s Stations of the Cross. Leinbach also said the town’s Heritage Center, a WPA (Workers Progress Alliance) project erected during the Depression is worth a visit.
The Heritage Center houses art created by local artists, including colcha, traditional embroidery, paintings and memorabilia of the earliest days of this long-ago Spanish hamlet.
Houses an extensive collection of local art, including traditional embroidery and murals, items reflecting a Penitente Morada and an array of local memorabilia. Of special interest is the morada, a recreation of a Penitente meeting house. Additionally, the Museum has a diorama of the village and classic examples of century’s old religious objects and Santos.
The Heritage Center had been closed for several years when burst pipes made the facility uninhabitable. But Leinbach said locals, using state and other grants, spent four years refurbishing the structure.
The Heritage Center, said Leinbach, “tells the history of San Luis…we see that as a huge way of sharing our story” and using it as an economic driver.
Leinbach, who has been part of the community for the past four years, says this year’s celebration will be worth the trip for out-of-towners. He promises plenty of food, entertainment—including a dance with a “traditional Mexican band” —a car show and, as the oldest town in Colorado, plenty of history.
