Aztec's Old Soreheads: Pour Decisions Fundraiser

Join us on September 10th at the Leanor de San Juan for a fundraiser supporting the Aztec Museum & Pioneer Village! The museum is asking for a $15 per person donation at the door that can be designated to one (or more) or our 2026-27 Six Old Sorehead Nominees.

This year's nominees include: Jake Armenta, Mike Dutka, Valerie Griffin, Jan Howell, Connie Hutcheson, Brett Lanier, Katy Scott Moss, and Dana Reed. We hope they will all be available to meet and greet!

So why Soreheads? Around 1969, the first sign went up to welcome folks to Aztec, declaring it home to several thousand "Friendly People" and... "Six Old Soreheads." It was a light-hearted gesture meant to make the town memorable to travelers. The community rallied around the signs and elected "Soreheads" to act as city boosters and raise funds for local
charities through the Aztec Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, the signs came and went with changes in the community, sentiment, and city leadership.

Believing that our unique shared and varied history matters, the Aztec Museum & Pioneer Village relaunched the Old Soreheads in 2025. Funds help support our community's independent non-profit 501(c)3 community museum. The six nominees who raise the most money will be "unsacked" in the traditional way at the October 10, 2026 Fall Festival Parade and
become part of the city's enduring Sorehead legacy. The misison of the Aztec Museum & Pioneer Village is to collect, preserve and share the rich history of the communities we serve - and we believe the soreheads are worth preserving!

All friendly people and soreheads over age 21 are welcome! We invite "official" Six Old Soreheads to fill out our "My Sorehead Story" form for our Sorehead archives. There has never been full archive of past Soreheads.

We're thrilled to be able to have this event at the Leanor de San Juan Wine Bar! Guests can purchase from the Leanor's curated selection of wines, New Mexico beer, cider, and mocktails. There's even an event special, the "Sorehead Sour!"

Hoyle Osborne has graciously agreed to accompany the event on piano playing tunes from the 60s and more!

The Leanor is located at 200 S. Main in Historic Downtown Aztec. The two-story brick building was built in 1906 as a general merchandise store by J.M. Thomas. Its style is typical of the modest construction that accompanied the city's railroad boom. Upper rooms were living quarters with some rooms rented to overnight guests. Mr. Thomas added scales to the store in front of the store for the use of draymen, coal haulers, and grain dealers. The building features decorative zipper brick and dentil cornice on the front and a corbelled cornice stepping down the side. It is registered as a Historical Building in the National and State Registries. It went through various owners and businesses over the years before being purchased in 2022 and beautifully renovated by Robin Kelly into The Leanor Petite Hotel and Event Space. More recently, the Leanor has taken on a new life as our city's premier wine bar Thursday-Saturday thanks to Wines of the San Juan. It also operates as Leanor de San Juan Coffee Bar Thursday-Sunday mornings.

For questions about the event, please contact Brie Dieker, Soreheads Project Lead, at the museum at 505-334-9829 or email amuseum@aztecmuseum.org.

See you on September 10th at The Leanor for Aztec's Old Soreheads: Pour Decisions!