User:Lizb07/sandbox/february 7 draft edit or article

The contents of this page is related to this course.

Arts and culture
The following about Annual Events is for this course. I copied it from Las_Cruces,_New_Mexico.

Annual events
Most of Las Cruces's cultural events occur late in the year.

The Border Book Festival occurs the last weekend in April. It features a trade show, readings, film festival, workshops lead by local artists and writers, and discussion panels. The festival was founded in 1994 by authors Denise Chávez and Susan Tweit. Chávez serves as Executive Director of the festival.

The city hosts two wine festivals annually. The Harvest Wine Festival is held over Labor Day weekend, and features wines from New Mexico wineries; a grape stomping contest; several concerts throughout the weekend; food from several local vendors; and related shopping. The Southern New Mexico Wine Festival is held over Memorial Day weekend and also exclusively features New Mexico wines, local foods, and live music. Additionally, the Southern New Mexico Wine Festival features the University of Wine, short educational sessions which teach patrons about proper food and wine pairings. Both festivals are held at the fairgrounds just west of the city.

The Whole Enchilada Fiesta is held the last weekend in September. It attracts roughly 50,000 attendees each year. The centerpiece is the making of a large flat enchilada. The fiesta started in 1980 with a 6 ft diameter enchilada, and it has grown over the years. In 2000 the fiesta's 10+1/2 ft enchilada was certified by Guinness World Records as the world's largest. After the enchilada is assembled it is cut into many pieces and is distributed free of charge to the fiesta attendees. The enchilada is the brainchild of local restaurant owner Roberto V. Estrada, who directs its preparation each year. The celebration also features a parade, the Whole Enchilada Fiesta Queen competition, a huachas tournament, activities for kids, live music, an enchilada eating contest, a 5 kilometer road race, a one mile race,  and a car and motorcycle show.

The Southern New Mexico State Fair, usually held the first week in October at the fairgrounds west of Las Cruces, promotes traditional agriculture. Boasting one of the largest Junior Livestock Shows in the state, the fair invites youth from six counties in New Mexico and Texas to participate.

The local Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) originated in Mexico, and is a celebration of the lives of those now dead. It is held November 1–2 by The Calavera Coalition, a nonprofit organization. The event is held at the plaza in Mesilla, and the Branigan Cultural Center in downtown Las Cruces. Every year around October Las Cruces holds a pumpkin festival for the entire month of October it is located in the Mesilla area. Also in October Mesilla valley Mall holds a walking dead event every Halloween.

The Renaissance Art Fair, was founded in 1971. The fair includes a juried art show, and is sponsored by the Doña Ana Arts Council. It is held at Young Park each year in November. Lizb07 (talk) 18:11, 7 February 2014 (UTC)