Lincoln Historic Site

Old Lincoln Days

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2015

MEDIA CONTACT


Head to where Billy the Kid’s legend began–and nearly ended... Join the festivities at the annual Old Lincoln Days


August 7—August 9, 2015

The town of Lincoln, NM, perhaps better-known as Lincoln Historic Site, comes alive during the annual Old Lincoln Days, a three day-long celebration and historic re-creation of the frontier West. Bring your family and take a trip into the historic past.

Old Lincoln Days begins Friday, August 7 and runs through Saturday, August 8, 2015 from 9am to 5pm both days; and on Sunday, August 9 from 9am to 3pm. Admission is $5 per adult to access the Historic Site. Children, veterans, and active military and their families are free. New Mexico residents are free on Sundays.

The expected 7,000 plus visitors will enjoy tasty eats prepared by chuck-wagon cooks, blacksmithing demonstrations, dancing girls, gunfighters-a-slinging, notable speakers, a colorful parade, and “The Last Escape of Billy the Kid,” the annual pageant, now in its 75th year, with re-enactors portraying Billy the Kid’s last escape and the notorious Lincoln County War. “The Last Escape of Billy the Kid” performances will be held at the Pageant Grounds at 8:30pm on Friday and Saturday, and at 3pm on Sunday; tickets, sold separately from Old Lincoln Days admission, are $6 for adults (13 and older), $2 for children (6 - 12); and free for 5 and under. To order advance tickets online visit http://www.shop.billythekidpageant.org.

Throughout town there will be living history demonstrations, arts and crafts vendors, shops, and food concessionaires. Seven museums of the Lincoln Historic Site will be open, including the Anderson-Freeman Visitor Center and the Murphy-Dolan Store, now known as the Old Lincoln County Courthouse, from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Friday through Sunday.

The public may call 575-653-4025 for more information.

A full schedule of Old Lincoln Days events is at the end of this release.

ABOUT LINCOLN HISTORIC SITE

Lincoln Historic Site is unique in that it manages most of the historical buildings in the community of Lincoln, NM. This most widely visited state monument in New Mexico is part of a community frozen in time—the 1870’s and 1880’s. The historic site now includes 23 structures and support buildings, 17 are on the National Historical Register, five of which are open year round and two more seasonally as museums. Most of the buildings in the community are representative of the Territorial Style of adobe architecture in the American Southwest.

Lincoln is a town made famous by one of the most violent periods in New Mexico history. Today’s visitors can see the Old Lincoln County Courthouse with museum exhibits that recount the details of the Lincoln County War and the historic use of the "House" as store, residence, Masonic Lodge, courthouse, and jail. Walk in the footsteps of Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and other famous and infamous characters of the Wild West. Trace the events of 1878 through the Courthouse and the Tunstall Store, with their preserved 19th-century atmosphere.

Remarkably, the Tunstall Store contains displays of the original merchandise in the original shelving and cases. Continue your walk through history by visiting the Dr. Woods House, defensive torreón (tower) for the village, the San Juan Mission Church (you can also enjoy holiday Catholic Mass here), and the Montaño store. The Anderson-Freeman Museum features historical exhibits in a timeline starting with American Indian prehistory and ending with the Lincoln County War. A 20-minute video about the Lincoln County War and the community is shown throughout the day.

The importance of this community and the significance of the Bonito Valley in the prehistory and history of the Territory of New Mexico are interpreted within some of the 17 structures that comprise Lincoln Historic Site. These historic adobe and stone buildings are preserved as they were in the late 1800s and represent the factions involved in the Lincoln County War, 1878-1881.

Lincoln Historic Site is a division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

The New Mexico Historic Site system was established on March 14, 1931 and is one of seven sites open to the public. These include Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner, Coronado, El Camino Real Historic Trail Site, Fort Selden, Jemez, Fort Stanton and Lincoln.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

Friday, August 7

8.30-4pm Food Concessions, Arts and Crafts

8:30am-4:30pm Museums open

9am-5pm Shops, Historical Center, and Courthouse open

6:30pm Concert at the Pageant Grounds

8:30pm Performance "The Last Escape of Billy the Kid" at the Pageant Grounds

Saturday, August 8

Taking place throughout the day will be:



  • Food Concessions, Art and Crafts at Dr. Woods House, Pageant Grounds, and Community Church

  • Friends of Historic Lincoln Brick Sale at the Community Park

  • Lincoln County Fiber Guild by Arrowsmith’s Store

  • Marrow Springs Bone Gunfighters at The Dolan House

  • Sierra Blanca Amateur Radio Club Special Event station K5B in front of the Convento

8:30am-4:30pm Museums open

9am-5pm Shops open and Living History Demonstrations throughout town

10:30am Dr. Bob’s Old Time Medicine Show at the Amphitheater behind the Visitor Center

11am "Me and Billy the Kid" Chautauqua performed by Ralph Estes at the San Juan Church

12:30pm Pistols and Pearls Gunfights at the Amphitheater behind the Visitor Center

1pm Talk by Bob Boze Bell at the San Juan Mission

2pm Catholic Mass at the San Juan Mission

2pm 19th Century Fashion Show at the Amphitheater behind the Visitor Center

2pm Book and poster signings by Bob Boze Bell, Buckeye Blake, and Britt McInnes

3:30pm Make your own cornhusk doll at the Visitor Center courtyard

4pm Concert in the Community Park by cowboy poet Mike Moutoux

6:30pm Concert at the Pageant Grounds

8:30pm Performance "The Last Escape of Billy the Kid" at the Pageant Grounds

Sunday, August 9



  • Taking place throughout the day will be:

 



  • Blacksmith and Chuck Wagon demonstrations at the Visitor Center

  • Friends of Historic Lincoln Brick Sales at the Community Park

  • Marrow Springs Bone Gunfighters at The Dolan House

  • Sierra Blanca Amateur Radio Club special event station K5B in front of the Convento

8:30am-4:30pm Museums open

9am-5pm Shops open and Living History Demonstrations throughout town

10am Rick Geary book signing at the San Juan Mission

11am Old Lincoln Days Parade

12pm Dr. Bob’s Old Time Medicine Show at the Amphitheater behind the Visitor Center

1:30pm Concert at the Pageant Grounds

2pm Pistols and Pearls Gunfights at the Visitor Center Amphitheater

3pm Make your own cornhusk doll at Visitor Center Courtyard

3pm Performance "The Last Escape of Billy the Kid" at Pageant Ground

 

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Related Photos

Old Lincoln Days Poster (2015)

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