CORUCOPIA OF FUN; FROM LIVE MUSIC TO PUMPKIN CARVING, COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER FOR FALL FESTIVAL.

Byline: JASON AUSLANDER 

Four-year-old Brianna Bustos not only got to show off her witch costume Saturday at a fall festival near La Cienega, she also welcomed two new additions to her family.

Austin and Rodeo -- brown-haired Chihuahua-mix brothers -- came to the festival at The Downs at Santa Fe with Angela Stell, shelter manager for Colfax Pet Rescue in Springer, and several other dogs who needed homes. The pair caught the eye of Brianna and her mother, Arianna Estrada, who live in Fairway Village.

"We were looking for some dogs," said Estrada, who was dressed as a gypsy. "This is a surprise to us because we didn't know they would be here."

As Estrada talked about the family's new pets and kept an eye on 1-year-old Andres Bustos, dressed as a lion, Brianna kept a close watch on her new friends.

"She's guarding them and telling everybody, 'These are my puppies,' " Estrada said.

The dog adoption was just one of many options at the festival -- organized by the La Cienega Valley Association and the Santa Fe County Arts, Culture and Entertainment Task Force. Others included pumpkin carving, face-painting, live music, food and craft vendors.

The blue skies and warmer weather attracted between 600 and 700 people to the free event, said Carl Dickens, president of the valley association, though he admitted "there's just no way to tell." He said he was happy with the turnout and the event as a whole.

"It's exactly what we hoped it would be," Dickens said. "It demonstrates what we can do as a community."

And if the Pojoaque Pueblo -- which owns the former horse racing track -- agrees, Dickens and other members of the association would like to make the gathering a weekly event featuring a flea market and farmers market, he said.

"It's all dependent on the pueblo," Dickens said.

Pueblo officials have said they want to find ways to use the property after state officials denied a request last year to re-establish horse racing and gambling there.

Matilda Peralta, a La Cienega resident, sat on the grass with her daughter and 3-year-old grandson, Jaziah, on Saturday afternoon and said she'd like to see more community gatherings.

"The whole thing -- it was pretty neat," said a green-faced Peralta, who was dressed as the character Fiona from the movie Shrek, while Jaziah ran around dressed as Shrek himself.

Elmo Montoya, a Rancho Viejo resident, carved a pumpkin with his daughter, 7-year-old Serena Montoya, and said he thought the turnout could have been better but he appreciated both the sunny weather and the community vibe.

"It's not so cold today, it's nice," Montoya said. "It's a good thing they're doing this for the community."