Jemez Historic Site honors the resilience of Pueblo people this weekend with its annual Pueblo Independence Day, set for Sunday, Aug. 16.
The day starts at 7 a.m. with a 13-mile run from the plaza in Jemez Pueblo up Highway 4 to the Historic Site, tracing the path Indigenous runners carried word of the coming uprising more than three centuries ago. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors can watch traditional Pueblo-style dances, browse Native arts and crafts, grab food from vendors and tour Gisewa Pueblo, the ancestral site of present-day Jemez Pueblo.
“The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 was a very important event in Jemez and New Mexico history,” said Marlon Magdalena (Jemez), instructional coordinator supervisor at Jemez Historic Site. “Join us as we honor Jemez resilience and perseverance through song, dance, and art.”
The revolt began Aug. 10, 1680, when Pueblo people united against Spanish colonizers under the leadership of Po’Pay, a leader from Ohkay Owingeh. Runners delivered knotted cords to each pueblo, with a knot untied each day until the last one signaled the uprising’s start. Admission is $7 for adults; entry is free for children 16 and younger, tribal members, New Mexico disabled veterans, NM foster families and members of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation and Friends of Coronado and Jemez Historic Sites.
Pueblo Independence Day
When: Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, 7 a.m. run; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. site activities
Where: Jemez Historic Site, Jemez Springs, NM
Cost: $7 adults; free for children 16 and under, tribal members, NM disabled veterans, NM foster families, museum members
Tickets: my.nmculture.org/56501/57093
More info: nmhistoricsites.org/jemez