Alex Stover, of San Jose, Calif., who came out just to see the event, is silhouetted against the 100th Burning of Zozobra at Fort Marcy Park on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
The wall of flames worked quickly to obscure Zozobra’s face as the 50-foot marionette representing the collective gloom of the city was handed its fiery fate Friday, sending a sweeping wave of joyous screams through a crowd of almost 65,000 people.
In white formal attire, a black bow tie and a boutonnière for his 100th conflagration, the doomed boogeyman endured the feverish taunting of the fire dancer, his skirts bathed in a theatrical red. Then he suffered a barrage of fireworks, his groans increasing in intensity.
The new 135-foot-tall Zozobra hot air balloon was inflated for the public for the first time Friday morning.
But Zozobra received no sympathy, even as he shuddered and writhed in apparent agony. When the lights went out around 9:15 p.m., plunging Fort Marcy Park into darkness, people packed onto the field chanted “Burn him, burn him.â€
The smell of fire permeated the air. It was time.
Zozobra goes up in flames for the 100th year to a crowd of 65,000 at Fort Marcy Park on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
First, his right arm was caught fully in flames. Then the inferno began to creep up his backside. Soon, all that remained were the flames themselves. Fireworks and lighted drones wrought images and messages, including “BURN HIM,†across the sky.
When the effigy was reduced to rubble, burnt beyond recognition, the crowd’s satisfaction was palpable following hours of anticipation.
Tens of thousands of locals and visitors came to watch their gloom burn away with the centennial burning of the monster Will Shuster created in 1924. Live entertainment began late in the afternoon. By the time darkness fell over the park, people were clamoring for the monster’s fiery demise.
Eyes rimmed with green shadow, Zozobra looked slightly unwell Friday afternoon, as if he suspected those lying on blankets and positioning chairs at the ballpark were there to spur on his end.
And indeed, they were.
The New Mexican
People like Carlos Frost of Albuquerque set up as close to the boogeyman as they could get, hankering to be as near to the action as possible.
“He looks wonderful. I want to see him burn. I want all those glooms to go away,†Frost said.
Asked about gloom, Frost said he is someone who wants to see “less government and more freedom,†citing what he sees as political gloom.
Aria Hernandez, 10, who sang the national anthem, is a fourth-generation musician and has been to see Zozobra burn several times. Hernandez likes to sing Selena songs and Spanish music most.
“I have little kicks to mine [when singing the national anthem], but I just try to sing it the way it is because it’s a really important song,†she said.
Volunteers help to lift Zozobra’s hand as he begins to rise during the 100th anniversary setup at Fort Marcy Park on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Gabriela Campos/The New Mexican
Although longtime residents of New Mexico, Mitzy Sotelo and her parents have never attended Zozobra. But they figured the 100th anniversary would be a good time to see what it is all about, particularly with all the intrigue and cultural significance the ceremony carries.
“We’ve heard stories. Heck, back in high school or middle school, they told us the story of Old Man Gloom and how they would burn it down as per tradition,†Sotelo said. “But we’ve lived here for over 20 years, and we’ve never actually gone to the event. Either we were too busy with our own lives, or we were out of town.â€
“Better late than never,†Sotelo said.
Alex Stover, of San Jose, Calif., who came out just to see the event, is silhouetted against the 100th Burning of Zozobra at Fort Marcy Park on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
Luis Sánchez Saturno/For The New Mexican
Wearing Harris-Walz apparel, Issac Flores and Logan Lucas had a good view Friday afternoon, perfectly positioned to watch the inferno that would be happening in a few hours.
“I think the fact that we’re going to let go of the past and move forward with two completely different candidates with a different future not just for the country but for New Mexico [is a positive],†Flores said.
