The Archives of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University in Alpine will participate in the Border Archives Bazaar at the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum in Las Cruces on Saturday, Oct. 18.

The Border Archives Bazaar is a fun, educational event that showcases unique and historic archival materials from the border region. Organized by the Border Regional Archives Group (BRAG), the bazaar features rare documents, photographs, maps, publications and more that highlight the unique history and cultural heritage of our region. The theme of the bazaar, “Voices through Time/Voces a través del Tiempo,” highlights the role archives play in preserving the stories and legacies of the diverse communities found throughout the border region.

The event brings together resources from more than a dozen libraries, archives, museums and historical societies of southern New Mexico and West Texas. Additional participating institutions include NMSU Library Archives and Special Collections, El Paso Public Library Border Heritage Center, the UTEP Library’s C.L. Sonnichsen Special Collections, Texas Tech University’s Southwest Collection, San Elizario Los Portales Museum, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, Doña Ana County Clerk and Recorder’s Office, El Paso County Historical Society, the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society, among others.

The Bazaar highlights the role that archives play in preserving and promoting cultural heritage. Archivists, librarians and museum curators will be on hand to discuss and answer questions about archives, regional history, and preservation of original documents.

A series of film screenings throughout the day in the museum’s theater will highlight historical footage and oral history interviews with long-time residents of the border region.

The bazaar is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and there is a $3 admission charge.

For more information, email victoria.contreras@sulross.edu.

Photo: Presidio grade school students touring radio station XEOG, Ojinaga, Mexico, with broadcaster Sócrates Bustamente Vela, circa 1959. Photo courtesy of the Elton Miles Collection 1922-1984, Archives of the Big Bend, Sul Ross State University.