Michele RobertsonLike our landscape, Carlsbad is home to a diverse culture and what better way to recognize and honor that than with a celebration?! “The theme for this year's HeritageFest celebration is ‘Preserving Carlsbad's Rich Heritage’. Carlsbad as a community is ever changing, from a sleepy retirement town to a booming oilfield epicenter, and everything in between,” shared Kathleen Davis, Executive Director for the Pearl of the Pecos Arts & Cultural District. The event started in 2017in Downtown Carlsbad, HeritageFest has since moved a few blocks down to the Halagueno Arts Park. Each year has hosted a different theme and included a variety of activities, vendors, and live music. “This past year of Covid has taught us many things but a stand out lesson for me was appreciating where you are in the world and through this year's HeritageFest I wanted to acknowledge that. Carlsbad and the surrounding area have such rich and unique history that we would like to see preserved and celebrated for many years to come,” said Davis. This years’ event is a fun filled day in our Arts & Cultural District, going from 10 am -2 pm on Saturday September 18, 2021. There will be live music, demonstrations, games, vendors, crafts, food trucks, and boththe Carlsbad Museum and the Carlsbad Public Library will be open. Live music performances include The River Bed from 10-12 and Charlie Stout from 12-2. Live demos include but are not limited to; David Prell with jewelry making, Elijah Nieto will be finishing up his piece in the Electric Box Mural Project on the corner of Halagueno and Mermod, and Adam White with vintage cameras. A cornhole tournament is scheduled during the event as well. The HeritageFest Cornhole Tournament is $20 per player (pay onthe 18th) and you can register by 9 am the day of the event or ahead of time on Scoreholio. The top three places will win cash prizes. Bags fly at 10 am and this tournament is brought to you by All Sports Best.Vendors include face painting, tie dye, baked goods, and word is the Pecos Valley Tractor Society will be bringing some fun! “This will be my first year at HeritageFest and I am so grateful to have been invited! I think it’s very important to celebrate heritage, in all aspects. Carlsbad has a lot of history and heritage that many people don’t really know about! I also love that the event is being held in the Halagueno Arts Park! It’s one of my favorite spots in town and love seeing it be utilized,” shared Sonia
Montejano-Franco, owner of Esque Boutique, an eclectic blend of hand dyed tie dye, jewelry, and art. With the topic of heritage, the library will be available for genealogy help, and some of the craft activities center around family and heritage. Be sure to go inside the library for allof their activities. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a community family tree and a community family cookbook. Both unique projects. The family tree will be a booth at the event where you can share the story of how your family cameto Carlsbad, a photo, or how long your family has lived here. These momentos will hang from the trees during the event and then be saved for posterity. The cookbook will be an ongoing project. “On the day of the event, community members can bring theirfavorite recipe to be included in this cookbook. Soon after we will begin collecting digital submissions,” Davis shared. Event day participants for both the family tree and the cookbook will be entered into a raffle.Area artist Mike Campos will have a booth set up with a kids craft. Campos is known in the area for his chalk art. Every Fourth of July you can find him down at the beach bandshell early in the morning creating a masterpiece for all to experience. “I have always enjoyed sharing my art andmy time and have found that the greater value is in the time we donate . My art has allowed me a great Avenue to reach so many and the rewards are countless,” Campos said. Take some time on the 18th to check out this free, family-oriented event. There will be food trucks for snackage, entertainment, and fun for all