NMDCA News:
JEMEZ SPRINGS — A special Earth Day celebration will be held from 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Jemez Historic Site in honor of Indigenous roots to the land. The celebration includes a hike, traditional children’s games, an “artifact” dig, pottery demonstrations, bread baking in the horno, or outdoor adobe oven, and Native arts and crafts vendors.
Each year the site hosts an Earth Day hike, and this year visitors can go on a longer excursion with site staff, who will lead a 3.2-mile hike to Oak Canyon (a.k.a. Church Canyon) from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Hikers will stop at different points along the trail to learn more about the native plants, birds, and animals found in the Jemez mountains.
“This hike is a good opportunity to explore an area not typically accessible to the public, and we’ll learn about the various types of plants and animals Jemez people used in the past and present, as well as other interesting facts about Oak Canyon,” said Marlon Magdalena (Jemez), Instructional Coordinator Supervisor at Jemez Historic Site.
Site manager Jaimie Adams said that in addition to the hike led by Marlon, visitors can also participate in hands-on activities. “People can explore how the Jemez traditionally used their natural environment for food, medicine, and everyday tasks, allowing for a deeper understanding of the connection between culture and landscape.”
This year visitors will enjoy clay pottery demonstrations, using their hands to sculpt clay and make their own vessels. They will have the chance to paint a flowerpot and plant a flower to take home. Children can practice their archaeology skills and dig in the dirt for “artifacts.” Site staff will also have touch tables with different plants and objects that visitors can feel and look at while learning about their uses. The site’s horno will be fired up to cook traditional Pueblo bread for visitors to taste.
The Friends of Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites are hosting their Customer Appreciation Day throughout the day. Visitors can enjoy free beverages, hot dogs, and delicious homemade Frito pies courtesy of the Friends group.
The Earth Day celebration is included with regular admission of $7 for adults and free to children 16 and younger, Tribal members, NM disabled veterans, NM foster families, Museum of New Mexico Foundation members, and Friends of Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites.
About Jemez Historic Site
Jemez Historic Site includes the stone remnants of the 700-year-old Gisewa village, which was built by the ancestors of the present-day people of Jemez Pueblo (Walatowa). The site also includes the ruins of the San José de los Jémez Church, a Catholic mission dating back to 1621-22. The museum contains exhibitions that tell the story of the site through the words of the Jemez people, and a 1,400-foot interpretive trail winds through the outdoor ruins. Learn more at nmhistoricsites.org/jemez.