January:
Winterfiesta
The Plaza and various other locations
984-6760, (800) 777-2489
Billed as a tribute to the city's arts, cultures and cuisine, Winterfiesta is designed to put sparkle into one of Santa Fe's quiet months and to help locals and their guests enjoy the winter. The weeklong celebration, begins on the last Friday of the month and includes a Plaza balloon glow, gallery openings and receptions, music and drama performances, a chile cookoff and activities for both visitors and residents. Events are staged at the Santa Fe Ski Area, in galleries downtown and on Canyon Road, in the city's performing arts centers and in major hotels. Many events ( except the plays, concerts and Gold and Silver Ball), are free.
Celebrity Ski Classic
Various locations
982-4429, 982-2002
This is a way to have fun and help a good cause. The four day event is usually held in late January or early February. The Classic opens with a benefit concert on Thursday at the Lensic Theater. On Friday, the public is invited to a free autograph session at the Eldorado Hotel, followed by an evening Auction Party with the Stars. In addition to the art, collectibles, furniture, jewelry, ski apparel and travel packages up for bid, auction guests enjoy impromptu quips of comics and comic actors who work as emcees.
On Saturday, television celebrities, music personalities and movie stars team up with local and area skiers for a day of racing. The public is welcome to watch the ski race Saturday, but you need skis and a lift ticket to reach the course at the Santa Fe Ski Area. Money raised helps United Way of Santa Fe County fund the many agencies it supports: groups which work with children, the elderly and others in need.
February:
March:
Gladfelter Bump Contest/Southwest Snowboard Championships
Santa Fe Ski Area, 16 miles northeast of Santa Fe
on N.M. Hwy. 475 o 982-4429
The area's best mogul skiers and snowboarders compete in the annual Gladfelter competition. The Snowboard Championships include jumps, half-pipes and a slalom course and draw snowboarders from throughout the region. Both events are held in late March or early April, depending on snow conditions. Spectators are welcome, but you have to be able to ski or snowboard to get to the course, and you'll need a lift ticket.
Oscar Night Gala
Location varies
473-6400
Sip champagne, enjoy a generous buffet and watch the Academy Awards presentation in style. This black-tie party benefits the scholarship fund for the College of Santa Fe's Moving Image Arts Department.
April:
Closing Day at the Santa Fe Ski Area
Santa Fe Ski Area, 16 miles northeast of Santa Fe on N.M. Hwy. 475
982-4429
The end of the ski season brings a celebration. The Santa Fe Ski Area hosts free ski races, events for kids, a bike-in-the-snow event, a contest for dummies (and we don't mean the human kind) on skis and live music on the deck at Totemoff's Grill, usually on a Sunday in mid-month. Each closing day's program is a little different. Skiers get in the spirit by coming in Hawaiian costumes. Some years you can ski in shorts if you're brave enough; other times the end of the season has brought a spring blizzard.
Chimayó Pilgrimage
Santuario de Chimayó, Chimayó
Every Holy Week beginning on Thursday, thousands of pilgrims walk to the Santuario de Chimayó, about 40 miles from Santa Fe. Christians, a few of them carrying wooden crosses, walk to this beautiful adobe church to repay a solemn vow or to ask for Christ's blessings. Pilgrims travel along U.S. Highway 84-285 through Santa Fe to the Nambé junction at N.M. Highway 503 and then on to Chimayó on N.M. Highway 76. The majority of the devout walk late on Holy Thursday and on Good Friday. Area law enforcement pays close attention to traffic to keep the pilgrims safe.
May:
Taste of Santa Fe
Sweeney Center, 201 W. Marcy St. o 983-4823
On the first Tuesday in May each year, more than two dozen Santa Fe compete. The real winners are the 900 + hungry people who attend and the Museum of New Mexico's Palace of the Governors, which receives the proceeds. Ticket holders taste and vote on everything from appetizers to desserts. The food ranges from relatively simple New Mexican dishes to the fancy and exotic. A "nonessential auction," which usually includes trips and meals in private homes, is part of the evening's fun.
The Santa Fe Century Ride
Ride begins at Capshaw Junior High, 351 E. Zia Rd.
982-1282
More than 2,000 bicyclists come from throughout New Mexico and elsewhere to ride 100 miles of history on this trip. Cyclists who are in for the "century" ride down the Turquoise Trail, through the old mining towns of Madrid and Golden, across the Estancia Valley to the villages of Cedar Grove, Stanley and Galisteo and back into Santa Fe. The ride traditionally happens on a Sunday mid-month.
A Day at the Opera Ranch
Santa Fe Opera, U.S. Hwy. 84/285, 7 miles north of Santa Fe
986-5955
Continuous entertainment showcasing talented children and teens from Santa Fe and elsewhere in New Mexico is one of the attractions for this event. The entertainment, which lasts from 10 AM until 3 PM, includes performances by Celebrate Youth!, a statewide mentorship program of children performing music, dancing and excerpts from plays. Visitors can tour a gallery of Santa Fe Opera costumes and watch various opera performances including student-produced operas and a concert performance by Opera Mosaic, a group of professional players who present opera in the schools.
One of the best parts of the day is the opportunity to visit the beautiful opera grounds, a grassy oasis in the arid foothills of Santa Fe. The opera's administrative offices and training studios are known as the "ranch," and visitors can picnic on the grounds as part of the fun. Backstage tours at the theater itself, just up the hill, draw opera buffs. The Guilds of The Santa Fe Opera Inc. have hosted this event for years, usually on a Saturday in mid- to late May. You can buy drinks and picnic food such as hot dogs and Frito pies. Be sure to bring a hat and sunscreen. The event is free.
Civil War Weekend
El Rancho de las Golondrinas, 334 Los Pinos Rd., La Cienega
471-2261
Families can step back in time to the days of the Civil War and New Mexico's Battle of Glorieta at the annual Civil War Weekend festival at this living history museum just south of Santa Fe.
El Corazon de Santa Fe
The Plaza o 984-6568
The City of Santa Fe joins with nonprofit and commercial sponsors to present a series of free evening performances. "In the Heart of Santa Fe" productions are a summer party honoring the community's heritage and its tradition of live entertainment. On most Saturday evenings from mid-May through September, the Plaza comes alive with dancers, actors, music and fun. Among the specific themes in summers past are Teen Night, organized by the Santa Fe Boys and Girls Club; a tribute to rock'n'roll; community talent night; and Festival Santa Fe, presented by the city's finest performing arts groups.
June:
Santa Fe Botanical Garden's Garden Tours
Various locations
438-1684
Beginning in early June, Santa Fe's nonprofit Botanical Garden offers you a glimpse at some of Santa Fe's most interesting and beautiful gardens. Tours might include artists' gardens and xeric gardens, which use drought resistant plants to great advantage
Spring Festival
El Rancho de las Golondrinas, 334 Los Pinos Rd., La Cienega
471-2261
During this two-day celebration on a weekend in early June, the ranch comes to life with dancing, music and demonstrations of the skills necessary for successful living in early New Mexico. Among the things demonstrated are hand-shearing of the curly-horned churro sheep; a procession honoring San Isidro, the patron of New Mexico farmers; a working blacksmith shop; and bread baking in traditional outdoor ovens. Music, dance, art and entertainment add to the fun.
Santa Fe Air Show
Santa Fe Airport, Airport Rd. S.
471-5111
On Father's Day weekend, children can take their dads (moms and grandparents are welcome too) to the airport for a day of demonstrations and ground exhibits.
Flybys, stunt pilots doing aerobatics and a sizeable display of military aircraft are all part of the show. Visitors can even walk through some of the planes and helicopters.
Buckaroo Ball
El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Los Pinos Rd., La Cienega
982-6363
Founded in 1993, the Buckaroo Ball takes the honors as Santa Fe's single most profitable fund-raising event. Loosely modeled after the Cattle Baron's Ball in Dallas, the Buckaroo Ball is an upscale gala evening with first-rate food, exotic auction items and stunning entertainment.
Arts and Crafts Show
The Plaza
988-7621
Challenge New Mexico, a group that works with people with disabilities and sponsors a popular and a successful horseback therapy program, benefits from this show. There are displays of arts and crafts from all disciplines. Everything is handmade by professional artists. Chats with the artisans, food and live music add to the weekend's festivities. The mid-month event attracts artists from throughout the region.
Opening Night, Santa Fe Opera
Santa Fe Opera Theater, U.S. Hwy. 84-285,
7 miles north of Santa Fe
986-5900, (800) 280-4654
Opening night at the Santa Fe Opera means tails and tailgate parties, black ties and caviar. Denim with diamond studs, velvet capes, lace and satin, cowboy boots shined to a high polish, the latest New York fashions and thousands of pounds of turquoise come out for the occasion.. A variety of public and private parties precede the night's operatic The event is held either on the last Friday in June or the first Friday in July. The opera season continues through late August with five productions in repertory and some special concerts by apprentice artists.
July:
Western Days
Various locations
471-4300
The Rodeo de Santa Fe is the centerpiece of this nine-day celebration, which calls attention to a part of Santa Fe's past and its role as part of the American West. There is also a wine festival, walking tours of a movie ranch, dances and dance lessons, scenic train rides and special events for children as part of the fun. In addition to the Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds, venues include El Rancho de Las Golondrinas, La Cienega, and the Santa Fe Southern Railroad.
Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts and Crafts Show
At a Northern Pueblo
(800) 793-4955
Held the third weekend in July, this show attracts 1,500 top Native American artists from throughout New Mexico, the Southwest and the nation. It's the largest Indian-run art show in the country. Every piece displayed or sold here is made by the artist or someone in his or her family. Various northern Indian pueblos take turns hosting the show, but none is far from Santa Fe, and the outdoor setting on pueblo land makes this show special. Photography is allowed with a permit.
Traditional Spanish Market/Contemporary Hispanic Market
The Plaza
983-4038
Unique work in the Spanish Colonial tradition fills the Plaza for a weekend in late July, while on adjoining Lincoln Avenue, Hispanic artists display contemporary adaptations. Much of the traditional work is religious: carved and painted images of the saints that reflect New Mexico's contrasts to the religious art of Mexico and Spain. Some 300 artists also display handsome tin work, silver filigree jewelry, wood carvings, weaving, straw inlay and embroidery. Many of the artists featured here don't show in galleriesPrizes go to the best entries in each medium. Music, dance, food and pageantry add to the fun. Artists' demonstrations continue throughout both days.
Santa Fe Opera Community Concerts
St. Francis Cathedral, 131 Cathedral Pl.
986-5924
Each summer, the Santa Fe Opera and cooperating sponsors present free public concerts in town featuring apprentice artists from the Santa Fe Opera. The concerts consist of about an hour of arias, duets and ensemble music. The project started as a way to reach the elderly, disadvantaged and children. Everyone is welcome, and the cathedral is usually filled. Admission is free.
August:
Santa Fe County Fair
Santa Fe County Fair Grounds, Rodeo Rd. at Richards Ave.
471-4711
Santa Fe County 4-H plays a major role in this event, which draws produce, livestock and other entries from throughout rural Santa Fe County. Among the highlights are the frog-jumping contest, a llama show, a herding-dog exhibition and, of course, the livestock auction. Kiddie rides, entertainment and concessions sold by 4-Hers add to the fun.
Ice Cream Social
Santa Fe Children's Museum, 1050 Old Pecos Tr.
989-8359
This annual family-style fund-raiser, traditionally held the first Sunday in August, begins at noon and continues through early evening, or until the ice cream runs out. Santa Fe celebrities, including the mayor, the superintendent of schools and the chief of police, have helped with the scooping. Visitors can make their own sundaes or banana splits. All the money goes for new exhibits at the museum, the only one in Santa Fe dedicated to children. Besides the ice cream, the museum provides free demonstrations and entertainment.
Mountain Man Trade Fair
Palace of the Governors, 105 E. Palace Ave.
827-6483
The Palace of the Governors, once the center of New Mexico's political life and now a popular history museum, hosts this colorful fair as a tribute to Santa Fe's history as a trade center. Demonstrations of mountain man skills, a Santa Fe Trail film festival, book signings, "Critters in the Courtyard are all traditional parts of this colorful event. The Mountain Men, contemporary versions of the original mountain men who lived off their wits and the bounty of the Western mountains as trappers, guides, hunters and traders, display a variety of handmade items.
Wheelwright Museum Auction
Wheelwright Museum, 704 Camino Lejo
982-4636
Jewelry, paintings and pottery by contemporary Native American artists will be on the auction block, along with dinners donated by some of Santa Fe's finest restaurants. Other services, such as art appraisals, spa treatments or tax advice, are also offered. But the real reason this event attracts a crowd is the high-quality Indian art sold to benefit the museum. The Wheelwright is a small, private museum devoted to contemporary Indian art, and the auction is its main money-making event.
Indian Market
On and around the Plaza
983-5220
Serious collectors and the curious flock to Santa Fe for this show and sale, always held the weekend following the third Thursday of the month. One of Santa Fe's most famous and popular events, the market features a wide selection of the finest American Indian art from 1,200 exhibitors. Dancing, food sales (including favorites such as mutton stew) and demonstrations of various craft techniques add to the market's attraction. A youth market occupies nearby Cathedral Park. Admission to the market is free.
The Southwestern Association for Indian Arts Inc. has presented Indian Market since 1922. It is the largest contemporary American Indian art event in the world, generating some $130 million in revenue for artists, galleries and the tourism industry. The market has become a driving force in setting prices and standards for first-class American Indian art. Since the market draws about 80,000 visitors, expect crowds.
Fiesta Melodrama
Santa Fe Playhouse, 142 E. DeVargas St.
988-4262
This funny, spunky show has a different plot each year but always features the same theme -- poking fun at Santa Fe's foibles. An anonymous committee puts together an original script about contemporary Santa Fe, structuring the show to resemble an old-time melodrama. The villain is always terrible, the heroine always in big trouble, and the good guys always win. The story itself draws on the city's freshest controversies and might include contentiousness among city, county and state officials, Santa Fe's ongoing saga of street repair and crazy traffic, the water situation, the latest uproar in the arts, school politics or New Age hype as subjects of its comic ridicule. The Fiesta Melodrama is a beloved Santa Fe tradition. The show usually opens in late August and runs through the Santa Fe Fiesta weekend in mid-September.
Santa Fe Bluegrass and Old Timey Music Festival
Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds, Rodeo Rd. at Richards Ave.
438-6230, 298-3080
For more than 20 years, banjo and fiddle music have rung out at the Rodeo Grounds for a long weekend in late August or early September. Concerts, workshops, events and contests run throughout the day. Among the highlights are original song writing performances and concerts by the prior year's winners in the Bluegrass Band and Old Timey Band contests. Don't miss the children's fiddle contest, which is usually held on Saturday morning. As part of the event, the grounds are open to campers
September:
Labor Day Arts and Crafts Show
The Plaza
988-7575
Jewelry of all styles and materials, from delicate silver earrings to bolo ties like the ones cowboys wear, is one of the highlights at this end-of-summer show. You'll also find oil and watercolor paintings, sculptures, ceramics both useful and decorative, one-of-a-kind clothing and more.
New Mexico State Fair
State Fair Grounds, 300 San Pedro Blvd. N.E. between Central and Lomas Aves., Albuquerque
265-1791, (800) 867-FAIR.
The New Mexico State Fair is one of the state's most popular events, and the fair's attendance records usually top all but two other shows in the West. (It's exceeded only by the Texas State Fair and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.)
The State Fair runs from early to mid-September. You'll find free schedules of each day's events and a map of the grounds at the information booth. There are 16 nights of rodeo and its accompanying concerts in Tingley Coliseum; as well as several art galleries. Everyone likes the food, served by more than 100 vendors in virtually every corner of the fair grounds. Indian Village, Villa Hispana and Pioneer Village, all serve tasty ethnic dishes along with pleasing entertainment. The fair also offers a day of bull-riding competition and daily horse shows.
Animal exhibits include a large petting farm for the little ones. At the Creative and Home Arts exhibits, you'll find everything from dolls to homemade doughnuts. The Kid's Park midway for ages 12 and younger features its own rides and two stages for performances, including a magic show and puppet theater.
Fiesta De Santa Fe
The Plaza and other locations
988-7575
Held the weekend following Labor Day, Fiesta commemorates the Spanish resettlement in Santa Fe after the Pueblo Revolt chased the conquistadors back to Mexico. It's the oldest continuous community celebration in the United States. Schools and state and city employees usually get a much-appreciated half-day holiday on Fiesta Friday.
Each year at the Santa Fe Fiesta, the city remembers the contribution of Don Diego de Vargas and the Catholic Church to the community's survival. The Fiesta began as a religious commemoration, but parties, parades, a fashion show and Zozobra, a giant puppet that is burned with great fanfare, were added as the community changed and grew.
Even before Fiesta officially begins, Santa Fe starts celebrating.
Among Sunday's highlights is the Historical/Hysterical parade. The parade, which features floats, marching bands, horses and politicians, begins at 2 PM. It starts in the parking lots at DeVargas Mall, North Guadalupe at Paseo de Peralta, continues to the Plaza and returns using a different downtown route.
