An inside look at the 101st Burning of Zozobra

SANTA FE, N.M. (KRQE) – Santa Fe holds the nickname "The City Different." There's perhaps no better way to see that in action than a Labor Day weekend tradition that culminates in the burning of a massive, 50-foot-tall effigy stuffed with grievances from the past year. We call it the Burning of Zozobra, and on Friday, Aug. 29, that tradition became 101 years old.

People began trickling into Fort Mercy Park right around 4 p.m. that afternoon. Attendees scattered picnic blankets and set up lawn chairs along the grass below Old Man Gloom. This year, he dawns a tan hat with goggles and a long coat. His right hand looks nearly mechanical - a darker tan adorned with gold, swirling highlights.

This year's theme? Steampunk - a relatively young subculture, when you compare it to the century-old t