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ALL YEAR

The Galleries Along Canyon Road:Originally a Pueblo Indian route over the mountains and later an artists’ community, Santa Fe’s Canyon Road is now gallery central — the arts capital of the Southwest. The narrow one-way street is lined with more than 100 galleries, in addition to restaurants and private residences. Artwork ranges from the beautiful to the bizarre. You can step into artists’ simple studio galleries as well as refined galleries showing world-renowned artists’ works, such as paintings by Georgia O’Keeffe and sculptures by Frederic Remington. Be sure to stop for lunch at one of the street-side cafes.

Pueblo Dances:These native dances, related to the changing cycles of the earth, offer a unique chance to see how an indigenous culture worships and rejoices. Throughout the year, the pueblos’ people participate in ceremonies ranging from harvest and deer dances to those commemorating the feast days of their particular saints — all in the mystical light of the northern New Mexico sun.

Rio Grande Gorge:A hike into this dramatic gorge is unforgettable. You’ll first see it as you come over a rise heading toward Taos, a colossal slice in the earth formed 130 million years ago. Drive about 35 miles north of Taos, near the village of Cerro, to the Rio Grande Wild River Area. From the lip of the canyon, you descend through millions of years of geologic history on land inhabited by Indians since 16,000 B.C. When you reach the river, you can dip your toes in the fabled rio. If you’re not a hiker, you can get a sense of the canyon by walking across the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge.

SUMMER

Corn

 Heirloom varieties of corn.

Canyon Road Gallery Hopping is always a draw. In warmer weather, the galleries have their doors thrown open to welcome in the southwestern sunshine and visitors. Friday night openings often generously welcome visitors and locals alike with an opening reception. The downtown gallery district holds First Friday openings on the first Friday of each month.

A variety of special events take place at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, Santa Fe’s outdoor living history museum. May brings a series of Civil War re-enactment events, June is the Children’s Fair, July is the Wine Festival and Mexican Rodeo and Market, August is Frontier Days, September brings La Fiesta de Los Ninos Children’s Festival, October celebrates the Harvest Festival and the end of November brings the annual Museum Shop End-of-Year Sale.

Summerscene brings live music to the Plaza at noon and at 6pm Mondays through Fridays throughout the summer months, a great time to pack a picnic, sit on the grass and enjoy a free concert. Lunch-time concerts also occur at noon, a fine hour to grab lunch at Roque’s Carnitas or El Molero and park on a Plaza bench.

The Santa Fe Farmers’Market offers great produce and a variety of hand-made products on Tuesday and Saturday mornings throughout the summer.

Rodeo de Santa Fe takes place at the Rodeo grounds in July.

Santa Fe Opera (July-August). Five different operas are produced and performed each year in the gorgeous open-air Crosby Theater at the Opera, located approximately seven miles north of Santa Fe proper.

Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival (July-August). A full roster of artists from major orchestras and chamber music ensembles perform in either the Lensic Center or the St. Francis Auditorium, with both lunchtime and evening concerts.

Santa Fe International Folk Art Market (July). Held each July on the Milner Plaza at Museum Hill, the Market annually welcomes 50-70 folk artisans from around the globe.
Santa Fe Indian Market (August). Various venues and events throughout the city culminate in the annual Indian Market on the Plaza, with hundreds of Native artists from around the country.

Santa Fe Summer Spanish Market (July). Also held on the Plaza, this annual Hispanic Arts festival showcases both traditional and contemporary Spanish arts.

Shidoni Foundary and Sculpture Garden offers bronze pourings open to the public.

Aspen-Santa Fe Ballet Summer Performances take place at the Lensic Center

The annual Fiesta de Santa Fe takes place the second week of September, with a variety of festivities unique to Santa Fe.

Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta, held the end of September each year, brings wine dinners, auctions and a grand tasting event held at the Santa Fe Opera.

High Road to Taos Studio Tour, held the last two weekends of September annually.

Artists’ studio tours held in the northern New Mexico villages, taking place many weekends in October and early November.

Whitewater Rafting on the Rio Grande and Rio Chama can be enjoyed with a variety of guiding groups.

Hiking and Rock Climbing at Bandelier National Monument. The unexcavated ruins of Tsankawi offer an opportunity to see what Adolph Bandelier himself saw before exploring the ruins of Bandelier.

Horseback Riding is available with a variety of trail riding guides.

WINTER

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 Pojoaque Tribal Feast Day – December 12

  • Skiing and snow-boarding at the Santa Fe Ski Basin, or at Taos Ski Valley for skiers who want more of a challenge.
  • Snowshoeing at Santa Fe Ski Basin.
  • Santa Fe Winter Spanish Market.
  • Aspen-Santa Fe Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker at the Lensic Center.
  • Santa Fe Pro Musica Winter Concerts.
  • Santa Fe Concert Assocation Winter Concerts.
  • Santa Fe Desert Chorale Winter Concerts.
  • Metropolitan Opera Simulcasts at the Lensic Center once a month on selected Saturday mornings at 11am, with 6pm evening encores.
  • Christmas Eve on Canyon Road. A Santa Fe tradition, the Christmas Eve walk begins at the start of Canyon Road, magically lit up for the occasion with holiday farolitos and bonfires, and winds all the way to the end, with refreshments of hot cocoa, cider and cookies along the way. A festive occasion with Christmas Carols being sung by the walkers, Christmas Eve on Canyon Road is not to be missed if you are spending your holiday in the City Different!
  • Christmas and New Year’s Dances occur at various Native American Pueblos. Santa Fe Edible ArtFeast in February, an event at which the fine restaurants of Santa Fe pair with galleries to showcase art and food in a benefit for the Santa Fe Public Schools.
  • Snow-shoeing at Hyde Park.
  • Hiking at Tent Rocks, south of Santa Fe.
  • Gallery Hopping on Canyon Road is still an option. Canyon Road is quite comfortably walkable with warm coats buttoned up, and galleries sometimes have cider openings on Friday nights.
  • Exploring the restaurants, shops and museums of the historic Santa Fe Plaza area.
  • Spending time visiting the Museum Hill complex, comprised of the International Museum of Folk Art, the Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts, the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, and the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian.
  • Georgia O’Keeffe Museum’s Woman of Distinction Lecture Series takes place in early March.
  • SITE Santa Fe, Santa Fe’s contemporary arts venue, is free all day on Fridays and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum is free on the first Friday of each month from 5-8pm.
  • Santa Fe Pro Musica Winter Concerts.
  • Santa Fe Concert Assocation Winter Concerts.
  • Santa Fe Desert Chorale Winter Concerts.
  • Lannan Foundation Readings and Conversations Series brings noted authors to Santa Fe throughout the year.
  • Metropolitan Opera Simulcasts at the Lensic Center once a month on specific Saturday mornings with an early evening encore.