Old Lincoln Days

Visitors of all ages can celebrate the legendary history of outlaw, Billy the Kid during Old Lincoln Days. The annual event takes place Friday, Aug. 2 through Sunday, Aug. 4 and includes the debut of a new exhibit, lectures, gunfight reenactments, music, food, vendors, kids’ activities and the “Last Escape of Billy the Kid” pageant. Co-presented by Lincoln Historic Site, the Friends of Historic Lincoln, the Billy the Kid Pageant committee, and members of the Lincoln community, this annual weekend-long event celebrates the historic town.

Visitors can travel back in time to the 1870s and 1880s and explore museums and historic buildings, walking the grounds where Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, and other characters of the Old West roamed. Vendors will line the streets; musicians will perform in the evenings and costumed reenactors will bring history to life.

Lincoln Historic Site will host two lectures a day in the San Juan Bautista Church as part of the monthly Lincoln Lecture Series. On Friday, Aug. 2, Herb Marsh will discuss the capture and death of Billy the Kid from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and Matt Barbour, Deputy Director of New Mexico Historic Sites, will give an archaeological perspective on hunting in New Mexico from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 3, Mary Lavin will discuss cooperative forest fire prevention and the true story of Smokey the Bear from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. and Brandon Dixon will talk about the dark history of the Lincoln Courthouse from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.

The Historic Site will also open a new exhibit, “Billy the Kid in Pop Culture,” which explores some of the earliest mainstream depictions of him, including well-known portrayals in film and television. The exhibit will introduce visitors to the broad pop cultural depictions that range from villain outlaw to superhero, and scoundrel to troubled youth.

"The Last Escape of Billy the Kid” is a Folk Pageant centering around the life of the legendary outlaw, Billy the Kid. The Pageant Performances take place Fri., Aug. 2, 8:30 p.m., Sat., Aug. 3, 8:30 p.m., Sun., Aug. 4, 1 p.m. Hosted by Billy the Kid Pageant, it was first presented in the year 1940. The episodes of the pageant are based on historical facts of the notorious Lincoln County War, and in particular its focus is centered upon the best remembered of its fighters, Billy the Kid. Admission is $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12, and free to children five and younger. Tickets are only available at the gate beginning at 10 a.m. and cash is recommended, though credit cards will be accepted if internet service is reliable. A musical performance is included in the ticket price: Fri., Aug. 2, 7 p.m. Tanner Houston from Cloudcroft, NM; Sat., Aug. 3, 7 p.m. the La Ultima; Sun., Aug. 4, 10 a.m. the parade begins; Sun., Aug. 4, 11:30 a.m. the Doso Dirtbags perform. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/events/1484044908866827.

The New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs Wonders on Wheels mobile museum will be onsite Saturday, August 3 with an exciting new exhibit called "Growing New Mexico" traveling from the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum.

Admission to Old Lincoln Days is $7 per adult and free to children 16 years and younger and can be purchased at the Courthouse and Visitor Center, or online using a QR code each day of the event. Visitors will receive a wrist band to show when entering Lincoln Historic Site buildings.

Admission for the Billy the Kid pageant is separate and is $10 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-12, and free to children five and younger. Tickets are only available at the gate beginning at 10 a.m. and cash is recommended.