SANTA FE—As Santa Fe prepares to commemorate the 301st Fiesta de Santa Fe, five men and three women will vie for the roles of Capitán General y Gobernador Don Diego Jose de Vargas and La Reina de la Fiesta de Santa Fe™ at the annual Contest Selection, at 7:00 pm, Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at the Lensic Performing Arts Center. Admission to this event is $5. Tickets are available by contacting Tickets Santa Fe at (505) 988-1234, online at www.ticketssantafe.org or at the door.
Gilbert A. Romero, President of Santa Fe Fiesta, Inc. announced that Jolene E. (Cactus Flower) Vigil was appointed by Pojoaque Pueblo to serve as the 2013 Native American Princess.
Each spring the Fiesta Council holds a contest in which local men and women compete to secure the popular roles of General Don Diego de Vargas and La Reina de Santa Fe, said Romero. The prospective contestants are judged on delivering an English and Spanish speech, and are questioned, in both English and Spanish, on their knowledge of historical events surrounding the Fiesta de Santa Fe, he said.
Competing for the role of Capitán General y Gobernador Don Diego Jose de Vargas:
(Starting from the Left Thomas E. Baca y Gutierrez, Bobby Facundo Trujillo y Aldaz, Eugene John Bachicha y Romero, Jason Jamie Lucero, and Frankie Nazario Lucero y Rodriguez)
A native of Santa Fe, Thomas E. Baca y Gutierrez, 29, was raised by his grandmother Lena Baca and father Edmund Baca. He enjoys spending time with his three children. A parishioner of San Isidro Catholic Church, he is a volunteer catechism teacher. Mr. Baca y Gutierrez is employed with Herrera Coaches. He is being sponsored by Ramona Corriz and San Isidro Catholic Church.
Bobby Facundo Trujillo y Aldaz, 32, is an honorably discharged Army Sergeant, having served in the Iraq War. He is employed with the State of New Mexico, Child Youth and Families Department. The son of Robert Richard Trujillo and Annabel Nadine Aldaz, he is a parishioner of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis de Assisi. Mr. Trujillo y Aldaz is sponsored by Union Protectiva.
Fireman Eugene John Bachicha y Romero, 47, is a City of Santa Fe Fire Department retiree, who served as a Battalion Chief and a Fire Captain during his 22 years of employment. The father of two, Mr. Bachicha y Romero is a parishioner of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe and is an active member of the Caballeros De Vargas. He is sponsored by the Caballeros De Vargas.
Jason Jamie Lucero, 33, son of Carolina Josephine Lucero, enjoys spending time with his five children: Mariana, Jonathan, Desiree, Jason Jr., and Estevan. A parishioner of Cristo Rey Church, Mr. Lucero is currently employed with the Santa Fe New Mexican. He is sponsored by Benjamin Baca, La Sociedad Colonial Espanola de Santa Fe, and El Club Real.
Santero Frankie Nazario Lucero y Rodriguez, 51, is a native of Santa Fe and a 1980 graduate of Santa Fe High School. Mr. Lucero y Rodriguez is a teacher and coach at Monte del Sol Charter School. He is married to Carmen Lucero and has two children. Mr. Lucero y Rodriguez is sponsored by Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie #2811.
The Santa Fe Fiesta, Inc., in conjunction with the Pueblo of Pojoaque has appointed Jolene E. “Cactus Flower” Vigil, 27, as the 2013 Native American Princess. The daughter of Elizabeth Debbie Viarrial and Donald James Vigil, she currently works as a Tribal Youth Accountability Program Coordinator for the Pueblo of Pojoaque. She enjoys spending time with her two children. She is being sponsored by the Pueblo of Pojoaque.
Competing for the role of La Reina de la Fiesta de Santa Fe ™:
(Starting from the Left Natasha Monique Veronica Marsh y Lovato, Kristy Ojinaga y Borrego, and Miquela Clarisa Martinez y Romero)
A 2006 graduate of Santa Fe High School, Natasha Monique Veronica Marsh y Lovato, 24, is currently attending the University of New Mexico pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology; she recently completed her Associates Degree in Psychology. The daughter of Renee J. Lovato and Dean E. Marsh, she is a parishioner of Santa Maria de La Paz. She is being sponsored by the Elk’s Lodge #460.
Kristy Ojinaga y Borrego, 25, will earn a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance, from the University of New Mexico in May 2013. She is sponsored by La Sociedad Folklórica de Santa Fe y La Sociedad Colonial Española de Santa Fe. The daughter of Renee Consuelo Borrego and Vincent Corky Ojinaga, she currently works for New Mexico Technical Institute.
A licensed personal trainer, Miquela Clarisa Martinez y Romero, 26, is employed by the Santa Fe Community College. A St. Michaels High School graduate, she earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Exercise Physiology from the University of New Mexico. She plans to obtain a Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology and Sports Administration. The daughter of Mary Angela Romero and Paul Orlando Martinez, she is sponsored by the Martinez Family.
The Fiesta de Santa Fe commemorates General de Vargas’ peaceful re-entry into the City of Santa Fe on Sept. 14, 1692 following the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. In 1712, eight years after de Vargas’ death, the Santa Fe City Council issued a proclamation to establish an annual commemoration, which is considered the country’s longest running community event of a European kind.
The 2013 Don Diego de Vargas and La Reina de la Fiesta de Santa Fe™ will be named and the 2013 Don Diego de Vargas, in a ceremony by the Caballeros de Vargas, will receive his sword and medallion on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at the annual Baile de Mayo at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. Doors open at 6:30 pm. Tickets are available by contacting Tickets Santa Fe at (505) 988-1234, online at www.ticketssantafe.com or at the door.
The Baile de Mayo features the band Sierra. Admission prices are $10 per person.
The 2013 Santa Fe Fiesta is scheduled for the week of Aug. 30 – Sept. 8, 2013 on the Historic Santa Fe Plaza. The 2013 Don Diego de Vargas y La Reina de La Fiesta de Santa Fe™ will be knighted and crowned, respectively, at 3 p.m., on Sunday, June 9 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi, followed by the annually procession to Rosario Chapel for the annual Novena de La Conquistadora.
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The Fiesta Council will accept applications for the popular roles through Friday, April 12, 2013. American Indian women between the ages of 18-25 who are interested in representing their respective Pueblos are encouraged to apply for one of two positions for that role.
