102nd Burning of Zozobra

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe and the Stephen Watts Kearny Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) are joining forces in a historic partnership to educate about New Mexico's contribution to the cause and to celebrate America's Semiquincentennial through the 102nd Burning of Will Shuster's Zozobra. This year's Zozobra event carries the theme "The Tyranny of Gloom vs. the Spirit of '76," casting Old Man Gloom as a would-be tyrant who has stolen King George III's royal robes, crown, and scepter—only to be overthrown by Santa Fe's Torchbearers in a blaze of revolutionary joy. The theme directly echoes the spirit the DAR has championed for more than a century: that the promise of American independence is worth celebrating, defending, and passing on.

Zozobra, now in its 102nd year, has always been a community ritual of release and renewal—a tradition that invites Santa Feans to cast off what troubles them and step into a future of possibility. In 2026, that ritual takes on new national resonance as the country marks 250 years of independence.

Tickets available here: https://www.ticketsignup.io/TicketEvent/Zozobra