Taos Trade Fair

On Saturday, September 24th, it was time to get

ready to leave to Taos. But, in the morning,

we went to the Taos Trade Fair at the Martinez Hacienda.

The Martinez Hacienda is an older adobe home that

was owned by a higher level family long ago. It is now

a museum for visitors.

The Martinez Hacienda and Taos Trade Fair were also an early

part of history as mountain men and Native American people came

together in peace to trade goods with each other.

The annual modern version of the Taos Trade Fair

has had a history of sales booths and other activities

filling the property. There seems to have been some transitions

and it was much a much smaller even than I had been to

more than 10 years ago.

A group of tribal people danced in the main front

courtyard while the drummers sang and drummed.

There were visitors in the seats and against the walls.

The hacienda has been decorated for the event.

The front courtyard was lined with family flags.

There are educational notes throughout the plaza

as a museum. On the wall by the gate, the adobe

is not covered by more adobe. It shows the bricks

and how they are sealed together.

The smaller front door opens to a museum gift shop.

It is normally where visitors enter and pay their entrance fee.

Ella was fascinated by the bright red chile!

Ella and I walked to the back section of the hacienda.

There are multiple rooms for visitors. For the event,

many people worked in the rooms and displayed different

types of arts in New Mexico, such as weaving, quilting,

and working with wood. Some of them offered their works for sale.
Some provided activities like pounding art into tin squares.

The weaving room is one room where Ella had been before.

Looms and other traditionally made clothing in frames

are full time displays in this museum room.

When we arrived shortly after they opened,

this back courtyard was open. It later had a food sales booth set up.

We walked around a few rooms. One room used for Josefina

as a dress up room for children was suspicious. The two Josefinas

that we have seen here had been put away elsewhere.
I assume it was to prevent theft at the event, but perhaps

there is another reason. We were told by the cashiers that they

had a drawing to give away a Josefina, but I assume that it is a newer

Josefina, not one they have had for play.

We walked out to the front lawn near the river.

There were mountain men and women as people to talk

to and a few events. As we walked by, there were men

throwing the ax at a wood target.

Our favorite mountain men area was near a river.

Ella posed by the fence and river.

After a thorough visit both to the Taos Trade Fair

and our three days of adventures, it was time to go home.

We were delighted to see that early fall has arrived!