Billy the Kid Pageant

Billy the Kid Pageant

First weekend in August

It was in Lincoln, New Mexico, that the legendary American outlaw Billy the Kid (William Bonney, 1859?-1881) was brought to be hanged in 1881 after a frontier feud known as the Lincoln County War. He made his escape from a building that was once referred to as the Big Store—a combination general store, post office, billiard room, and private hotel that was later used as a courthouse. Today, the building has been restored as a state museum and courthouse.
The reenactment that takes place on the first Saturday and Sunday in August every year features Lincoln residents—many of them descendants of the individuals who originally played a part in the court proceedings and Billy's subsequent escape. First presented in 1940, the pageant involves almost everyone in town and is designed to be as historically accurate as possible. Festival activities surround Billy the Kid's "last escape" throughout the weekend to give the town a late 19th-century feeling, such as weaving and horseshoeing demonstrations, encampments, and an appearance by the Fourth Texas Cavalry.

CONTACTS:
Ruidoso Valley Chamber of Commerce
720 Sudderth Dr.
P.O. Box 698
Ruidoso, NM 88345
877-784-3676 or 505-257-7395; fax: 505-257-4693
www.ruidosonow.com

SOURCES:
AmerFestGuide-1956, p. 131

Celebration days:
2011: Aug 6; Aug 7
2012: Aug 4; Aug 5
2013: Aug 3; Aug 4
2014: Aug 2; Aug 3
2015: Aug 1; Aug 2