Hey, Four Corners locals! Are you ready to ditch the gloom, pain, and hassles of this year and start fresh?
Want to get ready to burn away this year’s headaches and step into a better and brighter tomorrow?
Fuel up for a roughly four-hour scenic drive and whisk yourself south to Santa Fe, New Mexico –– the “City Different.”
You’ll find an energizing annual celebration unlike anything else in the Southwest. It will rejuvenate your spirit and prepare you for the year to come.
The 101st Burning of Zozobra is a highly anticipated, historic spectacle that will take place on Friday, August 29, 2025, at Fort Marcy Park, just a few short blocks away from Santa Fe’s historic plaza.
Imagine watching a towering 50-foot marionette effigy dubbed Old Man Gloom go up in flames, taking all your troubles away with him. People come together in a powerful, symbolic release of negativity and embrace hope for the future in this offbeat, deeply rooted New Mexican tradition.
If a road trip to Santa Fe to take part in Zozobra sounds intriguing, here’s how to forge your getaway into an unforgettable adventure. Before you hit the road, sneak a peek at the history behind this fiery phenomenon by watching Zozobra: 100 Years of Fire and Redemption, and you’ll see why so many find this a moving and transformative celebration.
Get Tickets
Tickets go on sale Monday, March 17, 2025, at midnight. Tickets to the premier spots for the best views and quick access sell out quickly. Tickets are tiered pricing –– in other words, they go up in price the closer to the event, so check out the details and choose your ticket tier and timing.
The net proceeds from Zozobra tickets and merchandise are donated to area nonprofits and charitable organizatins to help make a better life for New Mexico youth. Learn more about how the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe’s Burning of Zozobra provides fundraising and community support.
Founded in 1921, The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe was the first service club in Santa Fe and since that time, its members have been active in serving the youth and community of Santa Fe.
P.O. Box 622
Santa Fe, NM 87504
855-969-6272
Story sponsored by the the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe
2025 Zozobra Theme
A 2025 Steampunk Zozobra-themed artwork contest has already been held. Winning work will be displayed during ZozoFest, Friday, August 22, to Sunday, August 24, 2025, at Santa Fe Place Mall. This free event gives you the first chance to sneak a peek at Old Man Gloom’s latest get-up. He’ll be dressed in Steampunk style, fusing Victorian aesthetics and futuristic technology, and will probably have a few tricks up his sleeve.
To see the last 100 years of Zozobra themes and history, check out The Decades Project.
The Hottest Celebration: A Zozobra Backstory
Zozobra was created in 1924 by artist Will Shuster, who married his formula for releasing gloom by writing it down with inspiration from Easter traditions in Yaqui Indian communities of Arizona and Mexico, where effigies of Judas are ceremonially burned in observance of Easter and to welcome spring.
Shuster’s first version of Zozobra stood at just six feet tall and was set ablaze in his backyard among a circle of friends who had been feeling down and gloomy. Therefore, Shuster named the effigy “Zozobra” from the Spanish word for anxiety, gloom, or “being shipwrecked.”
Over the years, this once-humble figure has evolved into a towering 50-foot marionette, one of the world’s largest, also known as Old Man Gloom, and constructed of wood for structural support, wire for support and articulation –– yes, Zozobra moves!
Cotton cloth is then stretched over the frame to create his figure. He’s a dark and eerie character, also sometimes humorous looking, part ghost, part monster, stuffed with paper “glooms” on which people have written down their worries, regrets, or past traumas to be place inside the effigy to burn in this powerful community ritual of surrender.
You can even choose where to place your gloom to burn inside Zozobra. The Burning of Zozobra symbolizes the destruction of worries and negativity from the past year, allowing for a fresh start.
As the flames arise, Zozobra growls, groans, and roars, waving his arms and shaking his head, lighting up the night in one last spooky spectacle as people cheer and cast out the worries of the past year to begin anew.
A key player in this showdown is the Fire Spirit, Zozobra’s archrival, famously portrayed by Jacques Cartier for 37 years and now performed by Santa Fe native Helene Luna. Draped in red with an impressive headdress, the Fire Spirit chases away the Gloomies (youthful dancers channeling Zozobra’s negativity) and dances in a battle with Zozobra before ultimately setting him ablaze with a series of internal fireworks igniting his fiery demise.
The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe acquired all rights to the event in 1964. Their stewardship of this unique cultural event preserves the spirit and authenticity of Zozobra for generations to come, while also serving as their largest fundraiser for service and community support projects. For more information on what to expect at Zozobra, check out the Kiwanis Club’s Zozobra First-Timer’s Guide.
Dates and Details: When and Where
Mark your calendar: The 101st Burning of Zozobra will take place on Friday, August 29, 2025, at Fort Marcy Park in Santa Fe. A detailed map of the event, as well as a list of road closures during the event, is available online to help you navigate the area. Check out the full roster of live entertainment that will take place from 4pm until the burning begins.
Zozobra drew nearly 65,000 revelers last year, so consider arriving in Santa Fe a few days early to enjoy local attractions before the crowds surge. Make it a full week of fun and catch ZozoFest from August 22–24, 2025, at Santa Fe Place Mall. This free preview event features live music, art, exclusive Zozobra merchandise like posters, T-shirts, and collectibles, and an up-close look at Old Man Gloom himself. General admission and Express Entry tickets will be sold at ZozoFest if you haven’t already purchased them online.
The Burning of Zozobra also kicks off the historic Fiestas de Santa Fe, a centuries-old Santa Fe tradition dating back to 1712. This year will be its 313th annual celebration, and it will run from Saturday, August 30, through Sunday, September 7, 2025.
The Burning of Zozobra occurs during a month marking the end of summer and the beginning of harvest, with many festivals, international art markets, and New Mexico Native American feast days and dances. Maybe you should make your road trip a month-long vacation and enjoy the beautiful weather at the best time of year in Santa Fe. If you’ll only have a short time to attend the Zozobra event, here are some other suggestions for what to do in Santa Fe.
Get Zozobra Tickets Now (on sale starting March 14, 2025 at midnight).
Driving to Zozobra from the Four Corners Region
Wondering how to chart your course from the Four Corners to Santa Fe for the Burning of Zobobra? Here are the quickest routes from some key Four Corners locations:
From Farmington, NM: Take US-550 South for about 175 miles, roughly 3 hours on the road.
From Aztec, NM: Similarly, hop on US-550 South for a 160-mile trek taking approximately 2.5 – 3 hours.
From Durango, CO: Head south on US-550 for about 200 miles and expect about 3.5 – 4 hours.
From Cortez, CO: Take US-160 East to US-550 South and head straight on to Santa Fe. Expect a drive time of around 4 – 4.5 hours, covering a total of approximately 230 miles.
For traffic info and Zozobra road closures in Santa Fe the night of the event, check out A Guide to Attending Zozobra 2025, complete with a map of the venue and seating at Fort Marcy Park.
Get Excited with These Zozobra Tips
Below are some quick pointers to ensure your visit to Zozobra is as thrilling as it is hassle-free.
Tickets
Buy in advance online, or at designated locations in Santa Fe, such as Guadalupe Credit Union and FS2 SUPPLY, until 4 p.m. on event day. Prices vary depending on the type of ticket, with options for general admission, Express Entry (for quicker access), with Premium Viewing selling out quickly. New Mexico residents score $5 off, and kids 10 and under get in free when accompanied by an adult.
Tickets Go on Sale Friday, March 14, at Midnight
Check out all the details in this Guide to Zozobra Tickets.
The Ultimate Zozobra Experience (the “UZE”)
Want VIP treatment? The Ultimate Zozobra Experience is your ticket to an incredible experience. It includes a private dinner at La Fonda on the Plaza with parking, police-escorted valet service to and from the event, a standing-room only spot up close and personal to Old Man Gloom, plus other perks, and rumor has it –– a chance to roast marshmallows on Zozobra’s smoldering remains. With limited availability, it always sells out in advance, so purchase your UZE ticket now.
Accessibility
Zozobra is committed to accessibility for all attendees, including Zozobra fans with ADA and mobility challenges. Free ADA shuttles are available from the South Capitol parking lot to a dedicated ADA viewing site at the fire station. For more information or for any accessibility concerns, please contact the Zozobra chair.
What to Bring and What Not To Bring
To expedite security, only clear non-branded bags up to 12″ x 6″ x 12″ are allowed — no backpacks, strollers, or wagons are permitted. A locker truck will be on-site (100 feet from the entry gates) where you can pay $10 per locker to store any prohibited items. Read the full guide to attending Zozobra 2025.
Food and Drinks
Outside food is permitted in clear bags, but no liquids or water bottles are allowed. Free water stations with decorative Zozobra cups are available. Food trucks and a beer garden are also available on-site. No alcohol is allowed outside the beer garden and after exiting, there is no re-entry allowed.
Event Schedule
Nightfall is the official burn time, but weather conditions may require an earlier or later burn time. Plan to arrive early to allow time for security checks and to find prime viewing. All guests MUST be inside the venue before 8:45 p.m. when the entry gates will close.
Gloom Boxes
By writing down worries, regrets, or past traumas and then burning them, individuals engage in a powerful ritual of surrender.
Submit glooms online up until 8 p.m. on burn day, or, write down your worries and deposit them in “Gloom boxes” for drop-off, located at the following Santa Fe locations:
- The Santa Fe Convention Center Visitors Office
- ZozoFest
- Zozobra Day at Fort Marcy Park. A gloom box is placed near the TV stage at the Lost and Found Hutton Broadcasting Tent until 8 p.m.
Any of your glooms, or “ghost papers,” dropped here will be placed inside Zozobra and burned with him once darkness descends and showtime begins. People have placed all sorts of items in Zozobra to be burned, including legal papers, a horrible text, divorce documents, mortgage pay-offs, parking tickets, a Martin guitar (!), and at least once, even a wedding dress.
Embrace the Spirit
Add your goodwill and positive energy to the collective call for the Fire Spirit. This gallant and graceful figure battles the feelings of sorrow, despair, and frustration that Zozobra has absorbed to give him strength. The Fire Spirit then wages a duel, that is also a dance, with Old Man Gloom in front of the roaring crowd before lighting him on fire from within, where all the Glooms lie.
Fireworks Finale
Santa Fe goes all-out for Zozobra. Sing along to the state’s official song, O’ Fair New Mexico, and in a chilling moment, the National Anthem will be performed directly before the pageantry and drama of burning Zozobra begins.
The crowds scream, “Burn, Burn!” as Old Man Gloom is engulfed in flames. A massive and breathtaking fireworks display follows his fiery demise, and is said to be creator and artist Shuster’s way of painting the sky.
Torch Your Troubles and Begin Anew
The contrast between the gloom represented by Zozobra and the festive atmosphere of the event creates a truly unique and powerful experience. If you’re craving a Southwestern road trip brimming with so many possibilities for adventure, culture, tradition, and sheer fun, Santa Fe’s Zozobra celebration provides it.
The spectacular burning brings a shared moment of release, where your personal worries ignite with so many others’ worries within the sacrificial effigy, Old Man Gloom. So, pack up your worries, or submit them online, drive on down to Santa Fe, and clear your heart at the Burning of Zozobra. Allow yourself to alight anew with hope, energy, and optimism. Make the most of your road trip to Zozobra, and spend some time in Santa Fe.
The Burning of Zozobra is proudly sponsored by Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe.
