Public lands take the plaza

Las Cruces has plenty of reasons to celebrate this September. 

Four milestones will meet downtown Sept. 12 when the Bureau of Land Management hosts its first Public Lands Palooza, bringing music, history, outdoor recreation and community organizations to the Plaza de Las Cruces. The event will run from 9 a.m. to noon alongside the Farmers & Crafts Market of Las Cruces. 

For organizers, placing the event in the middle of a busy Saturday downtown provides an opportunity to introduce the BLM and its partners to residents who may not regularly interact with them. 

“It gives us an opportunity to reach the public,” a BLM spokesperson said. “The farmers market has thousands of people, so at any one given time, you’re going to be reaching a good portion of the populace.” 

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the BLM’s 80th anniversary and 50 years since the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The Farmers & Crafts Market is also celebrating its 55th anniversary, bringing several milestones together during the same year. 

“The BLM Las Cruces District is excited to partner with the City of Las Cruces for a community street fair, coinciding with the monthly Downtown Farmers Market,” BLM Las Cruces District Manager Scott Cooke said. 

Visitors will find organizations representing conservation, recreation, history, science, and tourism throughout the plaza. Participants are expected to include the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum, Friends of Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks, Visit Las Cruces, the Las Cruces Four-Wheel Drive Club, Doña Ana County Historical Society, Las Cruces Public Libraries, New Mexico Search and Rescue and the Asombro Institute for Science Education. 

Asombro plans to bring its “creepy crawly critters” for visitors to encounter, while the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs will bring Wonders on Wheels, a customized 38-foot recreational vehicle featuring an exhibition called “Arts of Democracy in New Mexico.” The exhibit traces the development of self-government and democracy in the state. 

The morning will also feature music and dance, with a mariachi band scheduled to perform and organizers working with New Mexico State University’s ballet folklórico program. The City of Las Cruces is expected to display its remote-controlled hot air balloon, while Velo Cruces plans to host a slow bicycle race where winning means doing almost everything except going fast. 

Riders will try to remain upright while pedaling as slowly as possible without losing their balance. The unusual competition is among the activities on display that organizers hope will give visitors a reason to stop, explore the plaza, and learn something along the way. 

The event also gives the BLM an opportunity to show how its responsibilities have changed during its eight decades. Its earlier work centered heavily on grazing, mineral development and timber harvesting, while its modern priorities have expanded to include recreation, energy production and landscape health. 

“We want to inspire pride in our distinctive landscapes and resources,” the spokesperson said. “It’s not BLM’s lands, it’s your lands.” 

Those landscapes are close to home in southern New Mexico. Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument and Prehistoric Trackways National Monument are among the places the agency manages locally, connecting the broader history being celebrated this year with public lands surrounding Las Cruces. 

“The BLM is full of stories of history, exploration, resilience and pursuit of freedom,” the spokesperson said. “That’s in the fabric of our history.” 

Public Lands Palooza is part of the agency’s participation in Freedom 250, a national initiative surrounding the country’s 250th anniversary. The Las Cruces District Office plans additional Freedom 250 events later in the year, with more announcements expected as those events approach. 

While organizers do not have a firm attendance projection, the Farmers & Crafts Market regularly brings thousands of people downtown. The location allows visitors to move between the market and Palooza while also visiting nearby restaurants, vendors, and cultural attractions. 

No special parking arrangements are planned for the event. Visitors can use available parking around downtown as they would during a typical market Saturday, and organizers are encouraging people to explore nearby attractions, including the Branigan Cultural Center. 

Families will have another recognizable face waiting at the plaza. Seymour the Antelope, the BLM mascot, is expected to attend, giving children and other visitors an opportunity to stop for photos. 

Because the Las Cruces District Office has not hosted an event like Public Lands Palooza before, organizers will also get their first look at whether the concept could have a future beyond this year. 

“We’ve never done anything like this before,” the spokesperson said. “It may turn out to be a regular thing, an annual event.” 

For now, organizers hope people leave downtown knowing a little more about the land surrounding them and the organizations working across southern New Mexico. Asked what visitors should make sure they see before leaving, the spokesperson’s answer came easily. 

“You’ve just got to stop by the Las Cruces District Office booths and learn about the BLM, of course.”