Photos and article by Mary Alice Murphy
The 16th annual Mimbres Harvest Festival, hosted by the Mimbres Valley Health Action League, took place on a slightly breezy, but sunny Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023 at the San Lorenzo School. Tents of informational booths and vendors covered the ground behind the school. Entertainers plays instruments and sang under a big tent. Another tent covered an outdoor eating space for the samples of contest pies and from food vendors outside and inside the gym, a health fair, hosted by the Mimbres Health Fair organization, as well as the WNMU School of Nursing Student Nurse Association and community health care providers, featured a number of tables offered information on medical services, as well as eye screenings, and the potential to receive flu shots.
On one side of the grounds, several farms from the Mimbres Valley sold produce, with apples the predominant fruit. Some stands had vegetables, others jams and jellies. Beyond the tents, visitors to the festival could find Gila National Forest mules, which loved to be petted by kids. Smokey the Beat hugged plenty of kids, and the Upper Mimbres Volunteer Fire Department talked to residents.
A health fair with several health agencies, including Gila Regional Medical Center and Hidalgo Medical Services took place in the school gym. According to organizer Chris DeBolt, the fair is made possible through funding from health care agencies and providers.
The pie contest took place mid-morning, and by 11 a.m., the winners were announced and ticket holders could get a slice of the pie of their choice until they ran out. The first place went to Carey Chikick for her raspberry crumble pie [which this author can confirm was delicious]. Second place went to Dana Hale for her blackberry pie; and third to Paulina Demplo for her pineapple pie. Consolation awards went to Bruce McKinney for his green apple pie and to Becky Owens for her mixed berry pie.
