The historic event of Bean Day began in 1909 when Higinio Gonzalez and his crew cooked up a pot of beans in wash boilers behind the school house for what was then called the “Mora County Farmers Harvest Jubilee”. The following year, the name “Bean Day” was born to honor the crop that was once staple of the local farming economy. In those days, Wagon Mound was a major center for the production of pinto beans.
Presently, the event kicks off Friday evening at the Wagon Mound Firehouse with a bean-cleaning party to remove rocks and dirt from the dried beans hauled down from Colorado. The 300 lbs. of beans and 800 lbs. of meat are cooked under the ground in a pit that has been dug at the rodeo grounds. The pit is filled with wood and charcoal and burned all afternoon. At dusk, the beef and beans are placed in the pit, supports and metal are placed over the pit and covered with dirt. In the morning, the pit is uncovered, the temperature of the meat is checked, the feast unearthed and taken to the village park for a free giant outdoor meal of 1,500 or more meals.
EVENT
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TIME
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LOCATION
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Friday – August 31st
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Bean Cleaning Party
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6pm
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Firehouse
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Fundraisesr Dinner
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6:30pm
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Firehouse
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Street Dance
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7-11pm
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Firehouse
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Saturday – September 1st
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Street Vendors
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All Day
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Railroad Avenue
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Veterans Memorial Service
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9am
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Veterans Memorial Park
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Car & Truck Show
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11:30am
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Railroad Avenue
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Rodeo
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2pm
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Rodeo Grounds
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Dance
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8pm
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WMHS Old Gymnasium
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Sunday – September 2nd
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Street Vendors
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All Day
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Railroad Avenue
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Breakfast
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8am
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Firehouse
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Amateur Horseshoe Tournament
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10am
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Railroad Avenue
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Mud Bog Races
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11am
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S. Catron Avenue
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Rodeo
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2pm
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Rodeo Grounds
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Dance
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8pm
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WMHS Old Gymnasium
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Monday – September 3rd
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Street Vendors
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All Day
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Railroad Avenue
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Wonders on Wheels
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All Day
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Railroad Avenue
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Gun Fighter Show
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8:45am
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Railroad Avenue
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Parade
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9:30am
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Railroad Avenue
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Street Races
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Following Parade
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Railroad Avenue
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Free BBQ
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12 noon
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Railroad Avenue
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Gun Fighter Show
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12:30pm
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Railroad Avenue
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Music in the Park
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12 noon – 3pm
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Park
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Bingo
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1pm
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Santa Clara Parish Hall
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Rodeo
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2pm
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Rodeo Grounds
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Higinio Gonzales was my father’s Paternal Grandfather. I would LOVE to be a oart of Wagonmound’s Bean Day celebration. Grandpa Higinio had a son named Teodoso, who was My Dad’s father.
Thank you,
Casilda Romero Gonzales