Home Care In Mesilla, NM

Di?a de los Muertos begins next week. Here’s how Las Cruces, Mesilla and Don?a Ana communities are celebrating the Day of the Dead.

Di?a de los Muertos is a Mexican holiday recognized from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 each year. It is a time when people welcome the souls of the departed back to the physical world for a short time.

People prepare for the holiday by constructing ofrendas, or altars, with photographs of their loved ones, candles, marigolds (cempasu?chil) and favorite foods of the departed.

It is believed that the souls of children can return to the living world for 24 hours Nov. 1 and adults Nov. 2.

Area communities have organized several events to celebrate Di?a de los Muertos this year. Take a look at the schedule.

Di?a de los Muertos in the Mesilla Plaza

Each year, the Calavera Coalition organizes its annual Di?a de los Muertos celebration and takes over the entire Mesilla Plaza. From Friday, Oct. 27 through Sunday, Oct. 29, the plaza will host ofrendas, calaveras, vendors and entertainment. Here is the weekend schedule:

The procession will be joined by the Aztec Dancers. People are invited to return to the plaza following the visit to the cemetery for Pan de Muerto.

Donations of non-perishable foods will be accepted during the entire event for Casa de Peregrinos Food Pantry as well as donations of pet food for ACTion Programs for Animals. Proceeds from the Mesilla celebration will go to Community of Hope and Casa de Peregrinos.

The event is free and open to the public. The Mesilla Plaza is located on Calle Principal in Mesilla.

Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra Pops 1 concert

The Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra is presenting its first pops concert of the season at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28 and 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29 at the Atkinson Recital Hall on the New Mexico State University campus. The theme is Di?a de los Muertos.

The concert is a collaboration with Paso del Norte Chamber Orchestra from Ciudad Jua?rez.

The program includes:

Michele’s Dance Academy’s Ballet Folklorico Pasos del Alma will join the symphony for two pieces.

Members of the audience are also encouraged to dress for the concert. Tickets can be purchased online at lascrucessymphony.com.

The Atkinson Recital Hall is at 1075 N. Horseshoe St.

Di?a de los Muertos art and community altar at the Don?a Ana Arts Council

The Don?a Ana Arts Council will welcome members of the community Wednesday, Nov. 1 to bring items and images to add to the community altar. A celebration of the book of life will be held from 1 to 4 p.m.

People will be able to view Di?a de los Muertos art in the gallery space, meet “La Catrina Inolvidable” and learn about the history of “La Catrina.”

The event is free and open to the public. DAAC is at 230 S. Water St.

Evening event for the Community at Branigan Cultural Center

Community members are invited Friday, Oct. 27 to the Branigan Cultural Center for a celebration of Day of the Dead. Community altars will be on display as well as the center’s latest exhibit, “A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern New Mexico.”

The 5 to 7 p.m. event will include pastries from La Fiesta Bakery, calavera coloring, flower making and skull-ornament decorating.

The entertainment schedule includes:

The event is free, family friendly and open to the public. Branigan Cultural Center is at 501 N. Main St.

Morning celebration for the Community at Branigan Cultural Center

Branigan Cultural Center will continue the Di?a de los Muertos celebrations Saturday morning, Oct. 28, during the weekly Las Cruces Farmer’s and Crafts Market. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., people are welcome to view the community altars, make papel picado, decorate skull ornaments and visit the exhibit, “A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in New Mexico.”

The entertainment schedule includes:

The event is free, open to the public and family friendly.

Fiesta in the Village of Don?a Ana

The Don?a Ana Village historic Preservation Committee is hosting a Di?a de los Muertos celebration at 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4 on the Don?a Ana Village Plaza and De La O Visitors Center.

Members of the public are welcome to set up ofrendas on the plaza between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. that day. From 2 to 8 p.m., people can enjoy vendors, food trucks, live entertainment and games.

The event is free and open to the public. The De La O Visitors Center is at the corner of Cristo Rey and Joe Gutierrez Streets in Don?a Ana. The plaza is located across the street.

Leah Romero is the trending reporter at the Las Cruces Sun-News and can be reached at 575-418-3442, [email protected] or @rromero_leah on X, formerly Twitter.

We are standing in the grassy plaza in historic Mesilla, population 1,780, just four miles from downtown Las Cruces. The intense, late-April New Mexico sun has sent us seeking shade on this delightful little piece of real estate as we wait for our guide.

The town square, the enormous church looming over it and the adobe buildings surrounding it are reminiscent of so many villages elsewhere in the state and south of the border, but something is askew.

Mural artist, historian and tour guide Preciliana Sandoval provides an answer to our unasked question.

“The Basilica San Albino is a French Gothic-style cathedral because the priest who was the pastor at the time this church was built (in 1906) was French,” explains the lifelong Mesilla resident, who regularly enthralls visitors with stories about the town, its early and current inhabitants, and the occasional ghost.

The church also was named after a French saint, Albinus of Angers (Albino in Spanish).

The original San Albino Church was erected in 1852 on this same site when Mesilla was part of Mexico, according to Alexandra McKinney, an educator and historian with New Mexico Historic Sites.

Back then, the Catholic Church regularly assigned French priests to its parishes. This remained so for decades, even after the Gadsden Purchase in 1854, a watershed moment for Mesilla.

Also called the Treaty of Mesilla, the Gadsden Purchase dictated that the United States pay Mexico $10 million (about $250 million in 2023 dollars) for land that is now southern Arizona and the southwest corner of New Mexico.

Suddenly Mesilla was no longer a part of Mexico, and even though the town’s Mexican roots are deep, sometimes it takes a little doing to bring forth the obvious.

For instance, 15 years ago, Sandoval says, she and several women wanted to stage a Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at the basilica, but “the (parish priest) wouldn’t let us have a celebration, so we rented the plaza and turned it into a cemetery.

“That first year, there were five women and a little red wagon with skeletons in it and a few other people. Now, about 5,000 show up every year for a two-day festival.”

Some are working hard to preserve Mesilla’s history and uniqueness, including residents who are fighting to prevent the installation of a 60-foot cellphone tower in their historic district.

“We have a lot of newcomers,” Sandoval says. “They care about the environment.”

Mesilla will soon have a new venue to showcase its history — the Taylor-Mesilla Historic Site, “one of the oldest (buildings) on the Old Mesilla Plaza, with the earliest portions dating to the 1850s,” says McKinney, who is tasked with converting the home into a museum.

In 2003, the Taylors donated their home, two of the attached stores and their collection of Spanish Colonial, Mexican, Native and New Mexican artwork, furniture, textiles and pottery to the State of New Mexico.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the home provides “a remarkable opportunity to highlight the importance of Southern New Mexico in the state’s history,” McKinney says.

The opening date is to be announced, but you can follow updates at facebook.com/groups/taylormesillahistoricpropertyfacebookcommunity.

For more photos and discussion, visit newmexico.org/places-to-visit/regions/southwest/old-mesilla and facebook.com/elouise.ondash.

1 Experience the magic of Christmas.

Christmas Carols & Luminarias in Mesilla Spend Christmas Eve at the Historic Mesilla Plaza, where thousands of luminarias, Christmas lights, and carolers make the square a cheery place to ring in the holiday.

Canyon Road Christmas Eve Farolito Walk Wear a festive coat and hit Canyon Road in Santa Fe, which is covered in farolitos, little bonfires, and folks singing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve come dusk. “Farolito” means little lantern, and the paper-bag magic brightens the storied artists’ road, bringing all the warm holiday feelings. The fun starts at sundown.

Old Town Christmas Eve Luminaria Walk Big red bows adorning adobe church walls, holiday characters made of twinkly lights, and thousands of luminarias adorn Old Town Albuquerque on Christmas Eve. Take in the festive sights while listening to carolers perform at the gazebo in the center of the plaza.

Sky City Luminaria Walk Under a blanket of stars, walk the path from Sky City Cultural Center to the San Esteban del Rey Mission, which will be lined with luminarias to celebrate the holiday. It starts at 5 p.m. with a luminaria lighting, hot chocolate, and cookies.

2 Attend The Nutcracker—with Elvis.

Ballet Taos gives Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece a fun twist in A Retro Nutcracker. Set in the 1950s, this nostalgic iteration includes Elvis, fully festive sets, elaborate costumes, and 40 youth performers alongside the company’s professional dancers. Arrive at the Taos Center for the Arts early and enjoy a tea party with the Sugar Plum Fairy hosted by Tea.O.Graphy. See the show on Friday and Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m.

3 Stroll through the gardens.

Grab a warm cup of cocoa and stroll the Santa Fe Botanical Garden’s farolito-lined paths during La Luz de Las Noches, open from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. December 21 through January 1 (except December 24 and 25). Plants and trees are covered in sparkly lights and performers sing holiday songs throughout the garden.

This weekend’s festivities feature cocktails by As Above So Below Distillery, including the event’s signature La Luz cocktail. See performances from Esther Rose and the Young Voices of Santa Fe Opera on Thursday; violinist Rachel Kelli and the Violin Queen perform with dancers ShanDien LaRance and Edwin Felter from Lightning Boy Foundation on Friday; and flamenco tunes by Vicente Griego and an appearance by Los Niños de Santa Fe on Saturday.

If you’re a last-minute shopper, you can find a selection of art at the gift shop, which will highlight a different artist each evening.

4 Hear nature sing.

Santa Fe Desert Chorale’s Candlelight Carols presents the sounds of the season with A Glimpse of Snow and Evergreen, honoring the beauty of snowy mountains in the Land of Enchantment. Their performance is conducted by Joshua Habermann, the artistic director of the chorale. The final performance happens Friday at 7 p.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis de Assisi.

5 Let music take you to Siberia.

Born in Siberia, Snow Raven (Sakha) uses traditional knowledge, techniques, and instruments to create songs unique to her and her people. “Healing is a big component of Snow Raven’s music,” says Ricky Carlini, owner of Daleee at KTaos Solar in Taos. “Snow Raven has a strong message about connecting people of different races and backgrounds and bringing community and humanity together.” Taos-based dance group Sanji opens the concert on Saturday with an hourlong set at 7 p.m. before Snow Raven takes the stage around 8 p.m.

Read more: For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.

MESILLA, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — La Posta De Mesilla will be hosting a visit from America’s Best Restaurants later this month as they will be featured in the TV program.

America’s Best Restaurants, a national media and marketing company focusing on bringing attention to local, independently-owned restaurants, will bring its ABR Roadshow to La Posta De Mesilla on January 26.

Popular dishes will be highlighted, along with an extensive on-camera interview with owners Tom and Jerean Hutchinson about the restaurant’s special place in the community.

The episode will be aired extensively on social media channels at a later date.

La Posta opened in 1939 under the ownership of Katy Griggs Camuñez. Jerean, Katy’s great-niece, took over the business in 1996 along with her husband Tom.

The Hutchinsons want to showcase the history of the unique eatery and the legacy of the founder in their episode.

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While they had no previous restaurant experience prior to taking over La Posta, they have expanded the venue to include shops and additional dining areas.

The restaurant is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The adobe structure, built in the 1840s, has a festive, colorful interior with twinkle lights, wooden ceiling beams, interior murals and an outdoor courtyard with patio seating.

A piranha tank and colorful exotic birds brighten up the lobby.

Popular menu items that are likely to be featured on the episode include the ‘famous’ fajitas, available with chicken, shrimp, steak or veggies; the La Posta Burger, chile rellenos, and ‘Tostadas Compuestas’, a dish invented at La Posta in 1939, which consists of toasted corn tortilla cups filled with frijoles, red chile con carne, green chile beef or chicken and topped with lettuce, tomatoes and cheese or their unique Mexican slaw.

Over one hundred tequilas are available, including their own Herradura Private Reserve Double Reposad. They also offer their famous salsas, spices and sauces for retail sale.

America’s Best Restaurants will be filming on location on Friday, January 26.

The restaurant’s finished episode premiere date will be announced on their Facebook page and will be featured on America’s Best Restaurants’ website at https://americasbestrestaurants.com/rests/new-mexico/la-posta-de-mesilla.

Restaurants featured on the ABR Roadshow are found through customer nominations or by a restaurant applying to be featured at www.americasbestrestaurants.com.

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MESILLA, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — The Mesilla Board of Trustees voted Wednesday in favor of Verizon building a cell phone tower in the town.

The Mayor of the town of Mesilla Russell Hernandez said this is all happening because Verizon applied to put up a tower to improve cell signal in the area.

The cellphone tower was approved during a board meeting on Wednesday but not without making two motions after hearing from over a dozen residents.

“Those two requirements were to change it from a monopine structure to a water tower structure and the other was to move it from its current setback that it’s been requested to be a little bit farther in on the property," Hernandez said.

The original proposal was to install the tower about 75 feet from the property close to a pecan orchard, however, that now has changed to 250 feet from that property line.

Hernandez said the main pushback to the original proposed location was because residents did not like the original design which would have resembled a fake pine tree and residents believed that would negatively impact the historic look of Mesilla.

KFOX14 spoke with residents who said they're glad there was a compromise made.

“I’m encouraged by the water tower is much preferable and fits in much better in my neighborhood then the plastic fake tree," resident Dáa Brauová said.

But despite residents believing the water tower design is better than the pine tree, some are still not on board with the future cellphone tower.

“I feel like it was a compromise, sometimes you like compromises, sometimes they’re a little bit difficult because it doesn’t go far enough in addressing the issue," resident Ana Willem.

Hernandez added that the building permit will be discussed at their next town meeting.

No date is set yet for that follow-up meeting.

KFOX14 spoke with other residents before the meeting who expressed worry at the tower affecting Mesilla's charm.

A Mesilla resident of over 20 years, Carol McCall acknowledges the necessity of cell coverage but hopes for alternative solutions.

“I think that it is important to have thorough cell coverage, especially for emergency services. But I think that a big cell tower isn’t necessarily the only option or the best option,” said McCall. “It’s been suggested that there are smaller towers that are placed closer together and I think that’s more in keeping with the fabric of the community.”

Meanwhile, a visitor from Las Cruces said he hoped the tower could be discreet to preserve the town's appeal.

“Sometimes they have decorative ways of disguising the towers, but at the same time, it’s a value to people to be able to enjoy the historic nature of this place, “ said visitor Ruben Corona.

RELATED: Mesilla residents against cell tower being considered to be built in historic district

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