By Madeleine Ahlborn | maddy@alamosacitizen.com
GREETED by Liza Marron at the entry to the Frontier Drive-Inn with an information table about SLV Local Foods Coalition, the evening begins for locals and visitors at the 10th annual Harvest Festival in Center.
Music plays, children dance, faces are painted, goods are purchased, conversations begin and continue, and competitors gear up for a french fry eating contest. Ike of Sol Mountain Farm in Del Norte won and accepted the painted harvest pumpkin as the grand prize. All this as the sun begins to set in the west behind the iconic big screen.
This year’s harvest celebration brought people from all walks of life, enjoying the magic that has been built through generations of hard work, determination, and hope for the future in the heart of our agricultural and creative communities. Creatives display works in many media: drawings, prints and woodworking. The event featured the unveiling of the commissioned Skylos, a modern experimental approach to adobe structures by architect Ronald Rael and his team.
Friday at the Frontier Drive-inn was packed with community members spanning all corners of the Valley. The number of visitors was smaller on Saturday, but many came out to enjoy the historic dancing by Semillas de la Tierra at the Ford Garage in Center. Erica Enriquez, who won The Dish’s July 2022 chili cook-off, shared her recipe, which she served with tacos, tamales, rice and beans. An afternoon panel at the Ford Garage included Rael, Sarah Jones, Christi Bode, Emma Reesor, and Liza Marron who spoke about their projects and shared collaborative ideas for local businesses. Eric Carpio from the Fort Garland Museum & Cultural Center introduced the panelists.
People seen:
Ronald Rael, creator/architect behind Skylos and Mud Frontier Rael spoke about the concept behind not only the Skylos but also to other works that are and have been in development over the years. “La Fronteras nos dividen pero la Tierra nos Une”/“The boarders divide us the earth unites us” is a statement on Rael’s first slide of the panel discussion which speaks to a deep-rooted concept carried throughout a multitude of projects across the country.
