FRIENDS OF THE FORT AND FORT GARLAND

MUSEUM CALENDAR – 2008

Photo of Museum Director Rick Manzanares,
Courtesy of The Valley Courier , Alamosa, CO.,
used with permission.

April 11 – Exhibit on the Reservoirs of the San Luis Valley in the Mess Hall at the Fort. An opening reception will be held from 4 – 6 p.m. This successful exhibit has toured the San Luis Valley. For those who have not seen it, it will give you a new appreciation of water issues.

May 15 – San Luis Valley Fourth Grade Rendezvous at the Fort Garland Museum

May 20 – Friends of the Fort business meeting will be held in the Soldier’s Theater at 1:00 pm.

We will plan for our upcoming events. Refreshments will be served.

May 24-25 – Memorial Day Weekend Encampment. Re-enactors have scheduled events throughout the weekend. Activities include drills, living history demonstrations, games and stories. We invite you to join them for a fun and educational weekend. No activities are planned on Memorial Day itself.

June 5 – Highway Cleanup. Meet at the picnic tables 2 miles east of Fort Garland at 8:30 am. We will be treated to a delicious complimentary Mexican breakfast following the cleanup for all the participants. It will be prepared by Chef Rick Manzanares.

June 14 – At this writing. the “Friends” are attempting to organize a tour to the King Turquoise Mine. Information will be publicized at a later date.

June 16 – Adams State College School of Archeology commences its six-week summer program. Faculty, students are on the site conducting archeological excavations and artifact study and registration. Undergraduate and Graduate credit from Adams State College is awarded for students who enroll in the class. If you wish to volunteer or need additional information about the class, please call 719.379.3512 or Dr. Richard Goddard the History Department at Adams State College (main college number is 719.587.7011).

June 17 – Business meeting at 6:00 p.m. Long-time Fort Garland resident, Bill Hoagland, was the curator of the Fort Garland Museum almost from its beginning and has spent his life collecting artifacts that relate to the Fort and his love for history. You will have a rare opportunity to view some of his collection this evening. The program will begin at 6:30 p.m.. This is one you won’t want to miss. Refreshments will be served. Call 719 379-3512 or 719 379-3262 for further information.

June 20 – Opening Reception for the new permanent exhibit entitled, “Saving the Fort,” 4-6 p.m. at the Front Plaza of the Museum and, including tours of the exhibit at the West Officer’s Quarters.

June 21 – Parade celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the establishment of Fort Garland at 10:00 a.m. commemorating the move from Fort Massachusetts, six miles north, to Fort Garland, a new fort situated on the main trails and just north of the Culebra Villages. After the Parade, there will be guest speakers, and prominent guests from government, business and education. The afternoon will be filled with re-enactment activities, a band concert, featuring a group from Castle Rock and Denver (representing the First Colorado Volunteers) led by Kent Brandebury and in the evening, a Dance Ball for the garrison and guests. ALL GUESTS AND RE-ENACTORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO DRESS IN PERIOD COSTUME.

June 22 – The 150th Anniversary celebration will continue beginning with a non-denominational service at 9:15 a.m. followed by 19th century military drills, including the Fort Garland Memorial Regiment (Cavalry), the New Mexico Volunteers of Fort Union, the Fourth Artillery of New Mexico and others. The day and celebration will end with a Regimental Dinner attended by all re-enactors and their families.

July 12 – As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Fort Garland, we would like to recognize some of those men who served at this desolate post. Many of them chose to stay in the San Luis Valley after their term of enlistment was up. The Friends of the Fort Garland Museum will hold a reception at the Fort from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. to honor those soldiers. Descendants of the soldiers are invited to attend this reception. Admission is free if you bring with you something that connects you to your military ancestor. It could be an artifact, a photo or document, or a genealogy such as a pedigree chart. Otherwise, regular admission prices apply. Refreshments will be served. We think this is a great opportunity to connect with the past. Call 719 379-3262 or 719 379-3512 for further information.

July 15 – Soldier reception highlights – The business meeting will be from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. The program will follow. We hope to have lots of information and maybe even a few special guests from our reception who are willing to share their family histories with the “Friends.” Refreshments will be served. Call 719 379-3262 or 719 379-3512 for further information.

August 3 – 8 – Old Stories New Voices Camp. This award winning intercultural camp has just been funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities and is being held in three states this year, including here at Fort Garland. Texas and Nebraska will also hold the camp for children in those areas. Next year, Pennsylvania will also hold a camp. The main emphasis for the next three years is the American Civil War. The three year project will culminate in a trip from Glorieta Pass in New Mexico to Gettysburg. The camp is in its 12th year at Fort Garland.

August 19 – “Theodore Dodd” night – Our business meeting will be from 6:00 to 6:30 p.m. The program will follow. It will feature special guest “Theodore Dodd,” an officer in the 2nd Colorado Infantry who led his unit to victory at the Battle of Glorieta Pass. We will be given a preview of the battle in preparation for our upcoming tour to the battlefield site. You won’t want to miss this entertaining program. Refreshments will be served. Call 719 379-3262 or 719 379-3512 for further information.

August 23 – The “Friends” will sponsor a tour of the “Glorieta Battlefield” near Santa Fe, NM. We will be given our own private tour of the battlefield which includes all of the important sites including the battle lines and positions. The tour follows the Pigeon’s Ranch Trail. More details will be presented at the August 19 meeting. Reservations are required. Fees for “Friends of the Fort” members will be $15.00 per person and $25.00 per couple. Non-members will pay $20.00 per person and $35.00 per couple. For further information call 719 379-3262 or 719 379-3512. We will depart from the Fort at 8:00 am. If you live outside the Fort Garland area you may meet us at the Glorietta Battlefield site. More specific information will be provided at time of registration.

September 4 – Highway cleanup. We will meet at the picnic area 2 miles east of Fort Garland at 8:30 am. A complimentary breakfast will be served to all participants at the Fort following the cleanup.

September 9 – Business meeting will begin at 6:00pm. At 6:30, Mr. Ruben Archuleta will present a program on the Penitentes of Colorado. He has been studying this movement for some time and has recently put his research into book form. He has many wonderful artifacts related to the Penitentes that he will bring to share with us. Ruben is a very interesting speaker and we know you will enjoy this program. Refreshments will be served. Call 719 379-3262 or 719 379-3512 for further information.

September 12 – Art exhibit opening reception at the Soldiers Theater, 4-6 p.m. This will kick-off the Fort Garland Revitalization Committee and Fort Garland Museum Fandango Weekend.

September 13-14 – A Fandango weekend sponsored by the Fort Garland Museum and the Fort Garland Revitalization Committee commemorating an 1860 Fandango, in which 300 area residents were in attendance. The Fandango honors the relationship between the Fort and its surrounding community. Indo-Hispano traditions including santo carving, weaving, wool processing, adobe making, horno oven baking, 19th century traditional Hispano dances and music and traditional Hispano cuisine of the area.

October 14 – A Friends of the Fort business meeting will be held in the Soldier’s Theater at 1:00 p.m. We will review the events of the summer. Refreshments will be served. We hope to see you there.

December 13 – The annual Friends of the Fort Christmas party will be held in the Mess Hall at the Fort at 5:30 p.m. You will be asked to bring a vegetable or dessert for the dinner. All else will be provided. The public is invited. Reservations are required. More details will be announced at a future date.