SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – The Fort Marcy Complex will be closed as crews prepare for the burning of the Zozobra. The closure begins Saturday, August 27, at 12:00 a.m., through Saturday, September 3, at 12:00 p.m.
The tennis courts, parking lot, dog park, and recreation center will all be off-limits. The Genoveva Chavez Community Center will also be closed for annual maintenance.
The burning of Zozobra is Friday, Sept. 2. This year will mark the 98th burning of the Zozobra. Exclusive to this year’s event, organizers are promising a “rockin’ 90s dance party.” Ticket information can be found on their website.
Also, this year Old Man Gloom will have a new voice. Bernalillo County Judge Bill Parnall emerged from dozens of contenders and will be the voice of Zozobra. “The band I played with in the 1980s called Lawyers, Guns, and Money performed at the foot of Zozobra in the 1980s. In fact, we had to get our equipment out of the way because the fire was coming and we had to make sure the equipment didn’t get burned,” Parnall said in a previous story.
Parnall has been attending the event for decades. The previous voice of Zozobra, Michael Ellis, stepped down from the role after a 10-year sting for medical reasons.
