Burn Zozobra 2023, The 99th Annual Tradition of Santa Fe
For the city’s biggest event, Zozobra, we create the visuals and other helpful assets.
Zozobra
The Burning of Zozobra is a unique cultural event in Santa Fe staged annually by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe on the Friday of Labor Day weekend as an exciting and fiery finale to the last days of summer.
City’s Biggest Festival
“Artist William Howard “Will” Shuster, Jr. created the first Zozobra in 1924 as the signature highlight of a private party for Los Cinco Pintores, a group of artists and writers who made their way to New Mexico in the 1920s. He was inspired by Easter Holy Week traditions in the Yaqui Indian communities of Arizona and Mexico, in which an effigy of Judas is led around the village on a donkey and ultimately set alight. Shuster and his friend, E. Dana Johnson, editor of the local newspaper, came up with the name Zozobra, which in Spanish means “anguish, anxiety, or gloom.”
Art + Curture = Tradition
It’s incredible seeing how many people gather in attendance for this small city of Santa Fe’s biggest day of the year. Over 60,000 people attend the festival yearly. It all started with an artist and their vision. We help bring that vision to life by capturing the BTS, capturing the rehearsal, we do the live streams, we make the sponsor videos, the safety exit signs, packaging the festival’s theme music packets, and more.
Lasting Impact
Through this project, we hoped to create a deeper understanding and appreciation for cultural significance of tradition. We want to inspire others to see the beauty and potential in all people, regardless of their background or origin. We believe that art has the power to bring people together, to bridge divides, and to create a sense of community and belonging - and this project was our way of contributing to that vision.
