Visitors are invited to explore the history of Billy the Kid and Historic Lincoln during the annual Old Lincoln Days event. The festivities, co-presented by Lincoln Historic Site, Friends of Historic Lincoln, the Billy the Kid Pageant committee, and local community members, will take place from Friday, August 1 through Sunday, August 3. The event features reenactments, lectures, children's activities, carriage rides, a parade, live music, food vendors, and the "Last Escape of Billy the Kid" pageant.
Oliver Horn, regional site manager at Lincoln Historic Site, expressed enthusiasm for this year's celebration: "I’m really looking forward to this year’s celebration of Old Lincoln Days which will include expanded children’s activities as well as live musical performances."
The San Juan Bautista Church will host lectures as part of the monthly Lincoln Lecture Series. On Friday, August 1, archaeologist Charles M. Haecker will discuss an archaeological survey at Fort Stanton from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., followed by Lisa L. Sparks' talk on prehistoric lifeways in Lincoln County from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. On Saturday, August 2, Brandon Dickson will speak about the "Most Dangerous Street in America" from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., with Prince G. McKenzie discussing "The Evolution of the Colt Frontier Six Shooter and the Winchester 73" from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Children's activities are planned outside San Juan Bautista Church and Convento by various community partners including Wonders on Wheels Mobile Museum and Lincoln County Volunteer Fire Department. Activities such as crafts and educational exploration will be available from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
On Saturday, August 2, children can participate in a "Where is Billy?" seek-and-find activity throughout town with prizes for completing it. A complete schedule is available online.
Admission to Lincoln Historic Site buildings and activities costs $7 per adult and is free for children under 16 years old as well as NM disabled veterans and foster families among others. Tickets for site admission can be purchased at various locations or online via QR code. Admission for the Billy the Kid pageant is separate at $10 for adults and $6 for children aged six to twelve; tickets are only available at the gate starting at 10 a.m., with cash recommended.
Lincoln Historic Site is noted as one of New Mexico's most visited state historic sites featuring intact nineteenth-century structures representative of Territorial Style adobe architecture.
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