Leaders of the eight major events held on the Plaza each year defended their organizations' rights to stay on the square during hearings before the Santa Fe Plaza Roundtable this week.

The roundtable was created last year to look into moving some events to the Santa Fe Railyard or other venues to help preserve the Plaza's grass and trees, and resolve complaints that the activities cut into retail business.

The panel is to make its recommendations to the Santa Fe City Council later this year.

On Tuesday, leaders of the July 4 Pancake Breakfast, Girls Inc., Spanish Market and Contemporary Spanish Market met with the panel. On Wednesday, it was Challenge New Mexico, Indian Market, the Fiesta and the Fiesta Arts and Crafts Show.

Fiesta Council President Herman Lovato began Wednesday by noting that the 1712 proclamation calling for the Fiesta de Santa Fe calls for a "procession through the main plaza."

"Since 1712, this annual observance has been pivotal to the history of Santa Fe and the Plaza," he said, adding that no other venue would be appropriate for the oldest continual celebration in the United States.

Challenge New Mexico executive director Chris Werhane said his organization, which sponsors sports and outdoor activities for the handicapped, was founded in 1957 and has been holding its annual fundraiser on the Plaza on Father's Day weekend for the last 33 years.

Werhane estimated that Challenge New Mexico raises about $55,000 a year, or about one-fourth of its annual budget, through the arts and crafts show with more than 200 vendors. He said no other venue or weekend would serve as well.

Southwestern Association of American Indian Arts executive director Bruce Bernstein, also a member of the roundtable, likewise argued for keeping the Santa Fe Indian Market on the Plaza, where it has been held since 1922.

Indian Market, now held the third weekend of August, is the biggest tourist draw of the year — bringing in $100 million from about 100,000 visitors plus more than 1,000 American Indian artists.

Bernstein said when Museum of New Mexico founder Edgar Lee Hewett tried to move the Indian Market as well as Fiesta off the Plaza in 1926, he was rebuffed.

He also said no other venue in town would be appropriate and that SWAIA cannot afford to pay more for using the Plaza because it already loses money on the event. But Bernstein said he might be willing to ban vendors from setting up booths on the grassy areas to avoid compacting the sod, calling that "an interesting notion."

Contact Tom Sharpe at 986-3080 or tsharpe@sfnewmexican.com.