Date: April 11, 2007
Contact: Steve Riley, 505-536-9461
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument Superintendent Steve Riley announced today the following May centennial celebration activities.
Throughout 2007, Gila Cliff Dwellings’ theme Celebrating a Century of Storytelling will guide the special events and programs at the monument, leading up to the actual 100th anniversary on November 16, 2007.
May 1-30, San Lorenzo Elementary Photo Show
The Gila Visitor Center will host a number of student photos in honor of New Mexico Heritage Preservation Month.
Saturday May 12, Weaving our Stories Together
Highway 15, also known as part of the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway, contains sections of the Southwestern New Mexico Birding Trail and the newly established New Mexico Fiber Arts Trail. Celebrate New Mexico’s natural and cultural heritage with special programs from the Southwestern Audubon Society, Southwest Fiber Arts Collective, and the Second Annual Gila Hot Springs Festival.
May 12 In Gila Hot Springs…
8:30-11:00 a.m. Cowboy Breakfast
$5 a plate, Gila Hotsprings RV Park Pavilion
9:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Horse Ride to Jordan Hot Springs
$66 per rider, call 505-536-9551 for reservations
11:00 a.m.- 3:00 p.m. Food and Craft Vendors and goat fleece spinning demonstrations
12:30-1:30pm Yolanda Martinez
Apache drum maker and musician, free concert at the RV Pavilion
May 12 At the Gila Visitor Center…
9:30-11:00 a.m. Bird Walk
Explore off-trail through the riparian areas of the Heart Bar Ranch with David Beatty from the Southwestern New Mexico Audubon Society. Space is limited to 15 hikers, BYOBinoculars. For reservations, call 505-536-9461 or stop by the Gila Visitor Center.
10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Fiber Arts Demonstrations
See weavers, dyers, quilters, beaders, spinners, and basket makers in action. Learn the history of quilting at 1:00 p.m.
Making Tracks on Memorial Day Weekend
Join Cynthia Hunter in discovering the stories left behind by our four (and two) legged friends. Meet at the Gila River Trailhead for tracking around the Grapevine Campground on Saturday May 26 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.
Visit the cliff dwellings trailhead Contact Station on Sunday May 27 from 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. to learn more about tracks before a short tracking hike along the Gila River from 11:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. (Noon).
Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument offers a glimpse into the homes and lives of the Mogollon people who lived in this area over 700 years ago. The monument is open 365 days a year. Call the Gila Visitor Center at 505-536-9461 or check the website www.nps.gov/gicl for more information about upcoming centennial events, times for daily guided tours of the dwellings, and hours for the trail and visitor center. There is a $3.00 per adult entrance fee at the dwellings. Unless otherwise stated, all programs are free.
