Century-Old South Broadway Tradition Focus of New Documentary

For 100 years, residents of William Street in the South Broadway neighborhood have celebrated the Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe, commemorating an event that happened nearly 500 years ago in Mexico. “The Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe: 100 Years of Veneration,” a new documentary for One Albuquerque Media, will premiere at a free screening on May 10 at Special Collections Library’s Botts Hall.

In the documentary, local filmmakers Anthony DellaFlora and Charles “Bazz” McClain tell how the long-running celebration began and what it means to participants. A short Q&A with DellaFlora and McClain takes place after the screening.

"One Albuquerque Media shares the stories of who we are and where we came from,” said Mayor Tim Keller. “This film highlights faith, family, and community, a powerful reminder of our shared roots and lasting spirit."

According to historian Gloria Chavez Robinson, the event began with families that moved to the South Broadway area from La Barca, Mexico, in the early 1900s to find work in the rail yards and to escape the turmoil that would eventually lead to the Mexican revolution.

The celebration, honoring the Virgin Mary’s appearance to Aztec peasant Juan Diego near Mexico City in 1531, had long been a staple in Mexico, and its presence here — starting in 1924 — served to unite and preserve a community that had been traumatically uprooted from family and tradition.

The current celebration includes liturgical services and public events like blessings of neighborhood altars, and is capped by a procession on South Broadway and into the William Street neighborhood. But organizers, known as Los Guadalupanos, worry about the future of the fiesta and whether the procession will continue to be a part of it.

“The Fiesta of Our Lady of Guadalupe: 100 Years of Veneration” premieres on May 10 at 2 p.m. at Special Collections Library’s Botts Hall. It will also be available after the screening on One Albuquerque Media’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCk5g_NQP3M.