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THE LAS CRUCES STORY: In 1598, Don Juan de Oņate led hundreds of colonists along the Camino Real from El Paso Del Norte through Las Cruces and the Mesilla Valley to Santa Fe. Along this trail of commerce and exploration an incident in 1830 led to the naming of Las Cruces. A caravan of travelers was ambushed by Apaches. The graves of the dead were marked with crosses and the subsequent travelers referred to the site as "La Placita de Las Cruces" (the place of the crosses).
During its colorful history, Las Cruces Sheriff Pat Garrett caught and tried the region's notorious outlaw, Billy the Kid. Apache tribes of Geronimo and Mangas Coloradas also occupied the nearby Gila Wilderness. Las Cruces and the surrounding area are the home of a wide variety of special events for the whole family. Annual festivities include balloon rallies, wine and chile "wars," fairs and rodeos, mariachi concerts, a Renaissance Craft Faire and the making of the "world's largest" enchilada. Celebrations reflecting our cultural diversity also occur throughout the year.
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