Heart of Corrales Fiesta celebrates the heritage of the village
Sep. 22—Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, Corrales Historical Society is putting on the Heart of Corrales Fiesta.
According to Debbie Clemente, Corrales Historical Society publicity associate, the event is meant for the family with events for everyone. The fiesta, held at the Historic Old San Ysidro Church, 966 Old Church Road in Corrales, runs 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25.
The Old Church, along with Casa San Ysidro, make up the true Historic Heart of Corrales, she said.
"Every year there is an attempt to have another focus and this year we're having New Mexico heritage musicians doing traditional musical styles," said Carol Brown, CHS vice president.
Performances this year include Baila! Baila!, Ballet Folklórico, children dancers, Lara Manzanares, Spanish Broom Flamenco dancers and Rob Martinez.
For Corrales, this year marks the Fifth Annual Pie Walk, one of the town's favorite events.
"The Pie Walk is so much fun they start the music and you dance around or walk around and when the music stops a number is called, like a cake walk," Clemente said. "Last year, we went through about 80 pies in two days ... and all the money goes to preservation and maintenance of the Old Church."
During the fiesta, a number of pies will be available to win or purchase.
"There's some of everything as they try for a variety with peaches, and apples are big because apples are a big crop in Corrales," Brown said. "We try to keep it limited to more fruit pies because they don't need as much refrigeration as a cream pie."
Other pies listed for the event include blueberry, pumpkin, rhubarb and apricot, along with zucchini, pear and jujube treats.
It costs $1 to walk, or dance, around the Pie Walk squares and the Historical Society encourages visitors to give it a shot .
"Last year, Harvest Festival was canceled and we already had 60 pies that people had made, when we found out," said Nan Kimble, former CHS president. "Then the art show was also canceled, so we had nothing except 60 pies. So the geniuses in our marketing committee, came up with the idea that we would just do a drive-thru pie sale."
One way or another, people were going to get those pies.
"We opened up for four hours or six hours, and set up the pies and people came, most of them looking for the Harvest Festival," Kimble said. "They came here specifically because they wanted to go and do the Pie Walk. ... Instead of doing it they just say 'I'll pay $20, so I don't have to walk for the pie.' "
Though the pandemic halted the Fiesta's momentum a bit, they are back in action.
"But the fact that they drove to the village, when none of the other Harvest Festival things were going on meant everything," Kimble said. "Nothing was going on and people pulled up to an empty parking lot, and they wanted to come here because of what we do, which is how we knew that they know they're gonna have a good time."
To Kimble, the event is about building community.
"It is something that you just know if you attend you will see people you haven't seen for a long time," Kimble said. "There are always different, interesting things that we're doing, and it feels like old timey, small-town fun."
Heart of Corrales Fiesta
Presented by the Corrales Historical Society
WHEN: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, and Sunday, Sept. 25
WHERE: The Historic Old San Ysidro Church, 966 Old Church Road, Corrales
HOW MUCH: Free to attend
Corrales Harvest Festival to feature pet parade, hootenanny and more
The 37th Annual Corrales Harvest Festival takes place 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24 and...
September 21, 2022 12:02PM
