Hombrecito de Fuego: A Beloved Tradition Adapted for the Times
Contact: Sandy Dolak, Event Director
Email: sandy@huajatollaheritage.org
Phone: (719) 251-1271
Media Contact: Josie Boynton, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation
Email: josie@spanishpeaks.foundation
Phone: (636) 697-4333
Walsenburg, Colorado— Hombre de Fuego is back on Sunday, September 27th, 2026 at the Huerfano County Community Center, 928 Russell Ave. in Walsenburg. Due to the severe wildfire season and serious drought, we will not be burning the large effigy this year.
If the community is to heal, we as individuals must first heal ourselves. With a miniature Hombre de Fuego presiding, this year’s event will celebrate art as health, and health as art. Doors open at 1:00 PM and we will once again offer a FREE, healthy and nutritious lunch, catered by Aubrey from Crafty Canary, until food runs out. Around 5:00 PM, we will head outside for an herbal cleansing ceremony.
Throughout the afternoon there will be entertainment, hands-on art with local artists, poetry, dance, a vintage car show and ample opportunities to experience the connection between creativity and well-being coordinated by Hugh Keating and Liam Orr. Los Vecinos Bailadores, El Fandango, Aztlán drummers, and Mariachi Diamante will pepper the evening with rich and interactive performances, with Dynamix closing out the event with high-energy music and dancing, wrapping up at 8 PM.
While we love the giant effigy burning, Hombre de Fuego has always been about community and healing. This year, we set aside the effigy tradition in the name of safety and hope you will join us in discovering how individual creativity, reflection, and well-being can help build a healthier, more connected community.
About Spanish Peaks Community Foundation
Founded on August 24, 2010, the Spanish Peaks Community Foundation (SPCF) has spent over a decade fostering growth, creativity, and collaboration in the Spanish Peaks region. Rooted in the vision of creating lasting impact through thoughtful giving and community-led initiatives, SPCF has become a vital resource for Huerfano County. Among its notable contributions, SPCF has been a steadfast steward of the historic Fox Theatre Walsenburg, enriching the region’s arts and entertainment landscape, and supports the Huajatolla Heritage Foundation, which celebrates and preserves the diverse cultural and historical narratives of the Spanish Peaks region. https://www.foxtheatrewalsenburg.org.