Santa Fe Calendar
of Events

CULTURE, ARTS, CUISINE AND MORE

Santa Fe’s reputation for engendering the quixotic, interesting and beautiful lies largely in its mix of distinctive Pueblo, Hispanic and Anglo traditions, combined with cosmopolitan sophistication and the casual character of a small town.  The result?  An easy, livable “City Different” with world-class arts, culture, shopping and cuisine, an international draw and plenty of local flavor.

A brief history… precursor to contemporary Santa Fe culture

Santa Fe’s earliest cultural influences grew from settlements of the ancient Pueblo peoples living in this area. Today, their ancestors still reside here, maintaining an important commitment to centuries-old traditions—including religious ceremonies, dances and celebrations, arts and crafts.  Sacred tribal dances are held throughout the year at each of the eight northern New Mexico pueblos and are an important part of annual Feast Day and seasonal celebrations.  Some dances and ceremonies are open to the public, while others are performed only for pueblo members.  Several of the pueblos near Santa Fe, including San Ildefonso, Santa Clara and Santo Domingo pueblos, are renowned for their pottery and other arts.  Artisans at the various pueblos may or may not open their workshops to visitors to view and/or purchase authentic cultural arts items.

A Center for the Arts

As America’s oldest capital city, Santa Fe is the hub of New Mexico’s system of State-owned museums and monuments, including the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Museum of International Folk Art and the Palace of the Governors, whose portal shades Native Americans choosing to sell their art and jewelry there.  The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Georgia O’Keeffe Museum and Santa Fe Art Institute are just a sampling of the diverse private art institutions showcasing everything from traditional crafts to cutting-edge conceptual works.

In 2005, Santa Fe became the first American city to be designated a UNESCO Creative City by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and it has long been a leading arts destination.  More than 300 galleries line its streets, many along the legendary Canyon Road and around the Plaza.  Known as the third largest art market in the United States, its consistent and wide-ranging gallery activity is augmented in alternating years by the significant SITE Santa Fe Biennial and Art Santa Fe.

Institutions such as the Center for Contemporary Art, the Lensic and El Museo Cultural provide venues for films, dance productions, literary luminaries and art exhibits.  These and others host events like Aspen Santa Fe Ballet performances, the Lannan Foundation’s Readings and Conversations and Santa Fe Pro Musica, among many others.

Festivals and Events

Annual art markets also add to Santa Fe’s designation as a cultural center.  The International Folk Art Market and wildly popular Spanish Market and Indian Market are high-profile events that pack Santa Fe with artists and patrons every summer.  The growing Santa Fe Film Festival, the Chamber Music Festival and the world-renowned Santa Fe Opera also celebrate contemporary arts and existing, established creative traditions. These are complemented by the solid mix of small movie houses and multiplexes, distinguished music organizations and an active local theater scene.  Locals particularly love events such as spring’s ARTfeast, a mix of fine art and fine dining.  Fall’s unique La Fiesta de Santa Fe is truly an only-in-Santa-Fe event; it celebrates the city’s Hispanic cultural origins and includes an effigy burning to symbolize divesting oneself of anything negative from the past year.

Dining Out and In

The Santa Fe Wine & Chile Festival honors Santa Fe’s culinary influences, further securing the reputation of its many restaurants among gastronomes and those who simply enjoy a good eating experience out on the town.  From cart-purchased tamales on the Plaza to multiple-course meals at establishments ranked among the best in the nation, Santa Fe’s range of dining options will satisfy virtually any palate.  Many of the city’s finest chefs base their menus on fresh, local ingredients—foods that also inspire cooks at home.  The Santa Fe Farmers’ Market showcases New-Mexico-grown produce and meat, and every fall the smell of roasting chiles fills the air. The green chiles themselves fill the stomachs of a population that never tires of New Mexico’s largest agricultural crop.

Knowledge and Learning

Academic and research institutions add to the cultural and intellectual fabric of Santa Fe.  The city is home to the Santa Fe Institute, St. John’s College, the College of Santa Fe, the Institute of American Indian Arts and Southwest College, as well as a branch of the University of New Mexico and the diverse programming of Santa Fe Community College.  A love of continuing education and ongoing learning is a common thread among Santa Feans, who pursue a wide range of academic, creative and spiritual disciplines.  The 2000 U.S. Census reported that more than 20 percent of Santa Feans hold a bachelor’s degree, and nearly 20 percent have graduate or professional degrees.

The Santa Fe Public Library is a major resource for students and self-directed learners alike—and more than 85,000 library-card holders take advantage of the collection at the Main Library and several branch libraries.  In 2005, the library circulated 456,653 books, videos, music titles and other items.

The community’s many active minds often join in civic pursuits, as well, and Santa Fe residents are actively involved in the greater community in a wide variety of ways.  The city has literally hundreds of community organizations, resources and support groups that keep individuals engaged and connected to others and that provide countless opportunities to volunteer.  Spiritual centers further extend this network, and more than 150 organized faith communities— ranging from Catholic churches to synagogues to Zen centers—exist in the Santa Fe, Los Alamos and Taos areas. 

Love Medicine and Miracles

Santa Fe's modern medical community attracts esteemed, prominent and well-established private-practice and hospital-staff physicians with a wide range of medical expertise and specializations. The city’s St. Vincent Hospital is the largest hospital facility between Albuquerque and Pueblo, Colorado; it serves as the major regional medical center for seven counties over 19,000 square miles and offers award-winning comprehensive health care, including nationally recognized cardiovascular and cancer centers.  The hospital’s Heart and Vascular program is ranked in the top 20 in the country by the Duke Clinical Research Institute and draws on the expertise of its physicians and the New Mexico Heart Institute.  The St. Vincent Cancer Center, recently awarded the highest accreditation level by the American College of Surgeons’ Commission on Cancer, provides individualized, team-based care that offers a full spectrum of oncology patient life options.

Fifty minutes south, Albuquerque has the state’s largest acute-care hospital, additional physician resources and the highly rated School of Medicine at the University of New Mexico, whose Primary Care Curriculum has been ranked in the top ten in the country by US News & World Report.  The UNM University Hospital, home to New Mexico’s only level-one trauma center and the Children’s Hospital of New Mexico, as well as 12 other major medical components, is a primary referral hospital for the state and continues to provide high-quality training to the many doctors who serve the populations of northern New Mexico.

Santa Fe’s mix of excellent health care, spiritual and intellectual exploration, and a history of Native American and other traditional healing arts has resulted in one of the most progressive medial communities in America.  In fact, Santa Fe is said to have more massage therapists, acupuncturists and other alternative health-care practitioners per capita than anywhere else in the county (by some accounts, Santa Fe has more acupuncturists per capita then Beijing).  More than five educational centers for healing arts operate in Santa Fe, and dozens of alternative practitioners maintain thriving practices ranging from homeopathy to cranial-sacral massage to equine therapy.  With its open-armed embrace of ethnically and spiritually inclusive philosophies of health and healing, the City Different has become the prime destination for alternative medicine.

The existing and expanding number of institutions and organizations speak to Santa Feans’ interest in different ways of knowing their world.  And it makes sense that in a city known for its arts, culture, cuisine and history, residents embrace the many and diverse ways of engaging with their communities—locally and globally.

Pueblo Cultural Events

New Mexico’s 19 pueblos host dances, festivals and feast days throughout the year, and many are open to the public.  Gain a greater understanding of New Mexico’s rich Native American history by touring the pueblos and glimpsing their traditions, landscapes, architecture, indigenous foods and cultural practices. 

Visit the Nineteen Pueblos Indian Cultural Center for information about specific events: www.indianpueblo.org

(www.tesuquepueblofleamarket.com)

This outdoor flea market takes place Friday through Sunday just north of Santa Fe. During the peak summer season more than 500 vendors sell local, regional and international arts, crafts and foods.  The Pueblo of Tesuque has owned and operated the market since 1998.

(June – August, 800-280-4654, www.santafeopera.com)

The stunning open-air theater and world-class performances of the Santa Fe Opera rank it among the best opera festivals in the world.  Since its opening in 1957, the Santa Fe Opera has presented a repertory of opera standards, as well as premieres and rare productions. 

(June – August, 800-280-4654, www.santafeopera.com)

The stunning open-air theater and world-class performances of the Santa Fe Opera rank it among the best opera festivals in the world. Since its opening in 1957, the Santa Fe Opera has presented a repertory of opera standards, as well as premieres and rare productions.

(www.artsantafe.com)

(505-476-1203, www.folkartmarket.org)

One of the largest international folk art markets in the U.S, the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is an exciting global gathering of folk artists from around the world. At this signature Santa Fe event, myriad artists share their dynamic traditions in a festival of sights, tastes, colors and sounds. Held at Milner Plaza on Museum Hill, outside the Museum of International Folk Art.

(July – August, www.sfcmf.org)

The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival presents more than 80 concerts, recitals, master classes, youth concerts, outreach events and open rehearsals during its annual summer season. Begun in 1972, the festival’s six-week session thrills its thousands of patrons with distinguished musicians and emerging young talent. Festival venues include the St. Francis Auditorium and the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe and the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.

(www.spanishmarket.org)

Centered on the historic Santa Fe Plaza, Spanish Market is the oldest and largest exhibition and sales venue of Spanish colonial art in the United States and is one of the largest annual New Mexico festivals, attracting visitors and collectors from across the U.S. and around the world. Featuring the handcrafted work of 250 New Mexico artists, Spanish Market also includes musical entertainment, art demonstrations, studio tours, lectures and culinary events.

(800-280-4654, www.santafeopera.com)

The stunning open-air theater and world-class performances of the Santa Fe Opera rank it among the best opera festivals in the world. Since its opening in 1957, the Santa Fe Opera has presented a repertory of opera standards, as well as premieres and rare productions.

(July – August, www.sfcmf.org)

The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival presents more than 80 concerts, recitals, master classes, youth concerts, outreach events and open rehearsals during its annual summer season. Begun in 1972, the festival’s six-week session thrills its thousands of patrons with distinguished musicians and emerging young talent. Festival venues include the St. Francis Auditorium and the Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe and the Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.

(www.santafehometour.com)

Haciendas—A Parade of Homes Santa Fe’s largest Real Estate event.  More than 30 new and remodeled homes in every price range are opened for self-guided tours.

(www.swaia.org)

Each August, the Santa Fe Indian Market envelopes Santa Fe’s historic Plaza and surrounding streets; it is the largest Native American art market of its kind in the world. 1,200 Native American artists from about 100 tribes compete for juried awards and show and sell their work, which includes fine jewelry, textiles, sculpture and pottery. The event brings an estimated 100,000 visitors, buyers, collectors and gallery owners to Santa Fe from around the world to learn about contemporary Indian arts and cultures, meet the artists and buy from them directly.

(www.santafefiesta.org, www.zozobra.com)

Fiestas de Santa Fe, celebrated since 1712, commemorates the return of the Spanish to New Mexico in 1692 after the Pueblo Revolt and celebrates Santa Fe's rich Spanish and Catholic cultural heritages. Fiesta is the oldest city-sponsored festival in the country, and its events include solemn processions, wacky parades, music, food, dancing and Catholic mass. Most events take place on or around the Santa Fe Plaza.

Fiesta officially begins with the Burning of Zozobra, a 49-foot-tall marionette that erupts in fireworks and flames to represent the departing troubles of the past year. First created in 1924 by artist Will Schuster, the Zozobra celebration is now the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe's major fundraiser. The burning occurs in Santa Fe’s Fort Marcy Park.

(www.santafewineandchile.org)

The Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta celebrates Santa Fe as a world-class culinary destination. The week of food and wine events includes wine tastings, seminars and wine dinners at restaurants and other venues throughout the city. The culminating event is the Grand Food & Wine Tasting, a festive afternoon of food and wine tasting at the Santa Fe Opera Grounds that highlights samples from Santa Fe’s finest restaurants and wineries from around the U.S. and the world. Tickets sell out very early for this event.

(www.balloonfiesta.com/)

For nine days every October, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta launches hundreds of bright hot-air balloons into New Mexico’s bright blue skies. Billed as the world’s largest ballooning and most photographed event, the Balloon Fiesta began in 1972 with 13 balloons and now sends up nearly 1,000, drawing a huge national and international crowd. The signature event is the early-morning Mass Ascension from Albuquerque's 365-acre Balloon Fiesta Park.

(www.santafedesignweek.com)

A multicultural treat in New Mexico. Outdoor recreation is abundant in New Mexico, in part due to the prevalent blue skies and mild climate. What better setting for the launching of 1,000 balloons over the course of the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. From a small gathering of 13 balloons in 1972, the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta has grown to become “hands-down” the largest balloon event in the world. Held each year during the first week in October. Fall is also a great time to check out Santa Fe’s mountains with the color-changing Aspens, Cumbres and Toltec train-ride through the mountains, and plentiful hiking trails.

(www.santafefilmfestival.com)

The Santa Fe Film Festival takes place every year around the last week in November and first week of December, presenting world cinema selections that represent high aesthetic, critical and entertainment standards. The non-profit Film Festival premieres local New Mexican films, new American and foreign films, revivals, retrospectives, independent productions and mini-festivals, and also provides a forum for filmmakers, critics, educators and historians.

(Christmas Eve on Canyon Road)

On Christmas Eve enjoy a stroll down Canyon Road and join a stunning Santa Fe tradition shared by the city’s multi-cultural population. Thousands of farolitos or luminarias—sand-filled paper bags illuminated by candles—line the sidewalks, walls and rooftops along Canyon Road. The road is closed to vehicle traffic, so revelers walk up and down throughout the evening, often pausing by small bonfires on the street to sing Christmas carols and warm up.