UNM-Gallup hosts annual Holiday in New Mexico event
By George Kanesta
Sun Correspondent
Children’s excited voices filled the air as Santa Claus arrived on top of a Gallup Fire Department firetruck at Gurley Hall during the Dec. 4 Holiday in New Mexico event.
The University of New Mexico’s Gallup branch hosted its annual Holiday in New Mexico in true Land of Enchantment style for community and area residents complete with craft activities, chicken posole, hot cocoa, luminaries, and New Mexico’s official state cookie, biscochitos. Volunteers prepared 600 bowls of posole and biscochito cookies, but all ran out before the event due to their popularity.
“I feel like every year is big and it’s evolved over the years,” UNM-Gallup Senior Public Relations Specialist Richard Reyes said.
Holiday in New Mexico is hosted to mirror the UNM main campus celebration of Hanging of the Greens and started over 20 years ago.
It was originally coordinated by then Senior Public Relations Specialist Marilee Petranovich, who solidified the event under its current name. Petranovic passed away in 2019 from cancer, but is remembered each year during the event.
“It was Marilee’s way to give back to the community and have a big open house where people could come to the university, see the campus, and then, of course, take part in the festivities,” Reyes said. “This event in a lot of ways is an homage to Marilee.”
A stocking is hung by the fireplace each year during the event in remembrance of Petranovich.
This year’s feature attraction was the Lobo Lights, an outdoor lighted display of decorations along the walkway areas surrounding Gurley Hall. Student groups and departments worked tirelessly and competitively to create unique designs that represented their groups. This miniature river of lights was also made possible by local sponsors who donated supplies to power displays and decorate the event.
The event coincided with the opening reception of the Fall 2025 Fine Arts Student Show inside the Ingham Chapman Gallery where a display of ceramic monsters and other art pieces were showcased. The evening continued with special performances by the Hozho Academy, Rehoboth Christian School, and Delbert Anderson & Friends.
“We want to create a celebration for the community and do it in a way that reminds people that UNM-Gallup is part of the community and we want to get back to our community,” Reyes said.
STUDENT CLUBS AND DEPARTMENTS CREATE ORNAMENTS
Student clubs and administrative departments hosted activities for families to create arts and crafts for the holiday season.
“We try to get students involved as much as possible and make sure that it’s really a celebration for them as we near the end of the semester,” Reyes said. “This is sort of like a big hurrah and a way for them to relax and have fun, before the stress of finals comes.”
Over 20 booths featured coloring, holiday decoration making, tree ornaments and treats. Students from the Asian Culture Club showed how to make a Filipino Parol, a traditional star ornament made during the Christmas season.
“We love celebrating and sharing our Asian culture and heritage,” Chris, a second-year student studying engineering, said.
DELBERT ANDERSON PERFORMS AT THE EVENT
Delbert Anderson and local Gallup musicians concluded the evening with a special performance of jazz and holiday music.
“We literally just met backstage,” Anderson said while joking about his bandmates who were playing for the first time together that evening.
Anderson, a Diné jazz trumpet artist, composer and educator, performed alongside local musicians Jon Iralu on piano, Greg Cavanaugh on bass, and Pat Neff on drums. He was a formal jazz program educator at San Juan College but left to become a full-time musician and has been performing since 2013 with his band, the Delbert Anderson Quartet.
