Museum celebrates Blessing of the Fields

The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum will celebrate a long, historical tradition on May 15 with the annual Blessing of the Fields.

The fiesta is from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the colorful procession around the museum’s campus to bless the animals, orchards and vineyard is from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Admission is $2 per person.

After the procession, visitors can enjoy lunch or snacks from one of the food booths, or visit the museum’s greenhouse for the annual Garden Sale, featuring vegetables and herbs, as well as cacti, trees and shrubs.

Musical performances begin at 11:15 a.m. in the theater with Ballet Folklorico de Colores de Cristo. They will be followed by Las Perlitas del Pueblo (folklorico) at 12 p.m. Ballet Folklorico de Onate will take the stage in the theater at 1 p.m., and Ballet Folklorico Amanecer will perform in the courtyard at 1:30 p.m. Las Perlitas del Pueblo will perform again at 2 in the theater.

Also providing music throughout the day in the courtyard will be Mariachi Alma de Las Cruces.

Children can enjoy piñata busting at noon and 1 p.m., and other children’s activities include tin stamping and santos painting. There will be a variety of demonstrations, including bread baking, salsa making, wool spinning, weaving, dowsing, wood carving and living history.

Arts and crafts vendors, headlined by Virginia Maria Romero, will have items for sale.

For more information, please call (575) 522-4100.