Nat Gold Players
Educating, entertaining, and inspiring through performing arts
Who knew that the key to bringing life back to a post-COVID community would involve scaring the living daylights out of its people? Years ago, when Nat Gold Players (NGP) first started its partnership with the local Masonic Lodge to turn their historic building into a premier Halloween Haunted House, it was a fundraiser for both organizations. It would become far more for the community and for the participants.
Once the COVID restrictions were lifted which had forbidden public performances, the annual Haunted House was one of the first public events held in Las Vegas. That event attracted over 1,100 attendees, making it one of the most successful public performances in the community. In an unexpected way, it resuscitated a sense of community and enthusiasm for life after long isolation for its residents, human interaction frequently limited to those within each household or the confines of a computer screen and teleconferencing. Not only was it successful in overall numbers, but it continued and continues to be one of the most successful cross-cultural audience attractions in the minority-majority area.
The Haunted House offers just one example of NGP’s efforts to help its community through difficult times. For several months, during the prolonged evacuations tied to the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire in 2022 NGP, like most everything else in area, shut down for several months. The acting executive director’s house was one of hundreds of homes burned, and for some months she lived the life of a vagabond, including living for a time outside of the state. It was impossible to operate during that time, but as soon as performances became possible again, NGP created original materials, largely through living history events in collaboration with Fort Union National Monument and the Citizens Committee for Historic Preservation (CCHP). Characters created by NGP and brought to life by its actors reminded the community that the people of northern New Mexico have long been resilient and continue to be so during modern challenges.
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The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited local nonprofits to submit stories related to our July topic of Arts & Culture
McCurdy Ministries
Local nonprofit McCurdy Ministries shares their story, including the early childhood programs that support young children and families in the Española Valley, offering care, education, and essential resources during critical early years.
Pegasus Legal Services for Children
Hear from Pegasus — a recent Santa Fe Baby Fund grant recipient and New Mexico’s only nonprofit law firm dedicated exclusively to children’s civil legal needs — about the importance of kinship guardianship in keeping local children safe and families together.
Santa Fe Indigenous Center
The Santa Fe Indigenous Center is a Native-led nonprofit serving Indigenous families across Santa Fe County. Through biweekly food drives, cultural events, community programs, emergency financial assistance, and a robust network of referral resources, SFIC supports the diverse needs of the local Indigenous community. Each year, the organization hosts its signature event — the Honoring Native Nations Powwow on Indigenous Peoples’ Day — bringing dancers, drummers, Tribal Dignitaries, artists, and community members together to celebrate Indigenous culture, joy, and resilience. This year’s powwow was a vibrant success, and SFIC looks forward to continuing this tradition in 2026.
