Spring in Santa Fe - Time to Refresh, Revitalize and Renew
| Ah, spring in Santa Fe! Mountain lilacs perfume the city while green leaves begin to fill the trees taking the edge off winter's starker lines. Wintry clouds and light puffs of snow are still occasional visitors but most spring days are warm and sunny--perfect for a stroll through the historic city streets or a game of golf. Spring is a time of transition--the popular summer season is still weeks away, but the pace of the city is relaxed with special rates and packages at many hotels available. |
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Although the sun is warming the city, there's still plenty of snow just 30 minutes from downtown Santa Fe. At about 9,000 feet high in the Rocky Mountains, Spring Break is prime winter sports time at Ski Santa Fe. The weather is typically gorgeous, the views are spectacular, and there's no better time for skiing and boarding. Ski Santa Fe closes in early April, but the season is sometimes extended if the weather is cooperative. Prestigious organizations and publications continue to vote Santa Fe tops in almost everything. Recently, the Mother Nature Network has named the Dale Ball Trails, in the mountain foothills, among the Seven Best Running Trails in America. The 31+ mile trail system has both dirt and hard-pack surfaces with some challenging climbs and stunning scenery that might make runners feel like they are sprinting through a Georgia O'Keeffe landscape. |  |
| Liveability.com says Santa Fe is one of the 10 Most Romantic Cities because, "in addition to its unique flavor, the city offers all the amenities couples look for--independent restaurants with diverse cuisines, a thriving arts and entertainment scene, beautiful scenery, and plenty of places to relax." |
| Travel + Leisure magazine has chosen Santa Fe as one of America's Best Girlfriend Getaways. Among the attractions mentioned in the article are the artisanal chocolate trail, with stops at Kakawa Chocolate House and ChocolateSmith, pampering at Ten Thousand Waves, a Japanese-style spa with outdoor hot tubs and a lavish treatment options, and, in a world of specialty cocktails, a standout can be found at Secreto where guests can choose a fruit, a vegetable and a favorite liquor and have a cocktail divinely custom mixed. It's easier than ever to get to Santa Fe this spring with United Airlines offering flights to Denver beginning May 1. Great Lakes already provides flights between Santa Fe and Denver, but the new United flights will provide more options for connecting to Denver International Airport and its many flights throughout the world. |  |
| When visiting SantaFe.org to plan a trip or check on events, be sure to sign up for the Recipe for Adventure Sweepstakes. There's a different prize every month that includes a stay in Santa Fe, plus many activities including spa treatments, dining, museums, wineries, cooking classes and more. In other words, visitors can win an entire luxury trip just by signing up! |  |
| There are many events in Santa Fe in the spring months. Here is just a sample. Look for updates, details, and new events at SantaFe.org. |
March
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29-30. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet. Back from its exciting debut in Moscow, Santa Fe's own company presents a new program in its signature, contemporary style. Lensic.org. 30. Gladfelter Memorial Bump Contest. No need to be an expert to participate. This event is for skiers and boarders of all ages and abilities. SkiSantafe.com. |  |
April
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4. Arlo Guthrie, Here Comes the Kid. The legendary folk singer embarks on a new tour honoring the music of his father, Woody Guthrie, in the year that would have been his 100th birthday. Lensic.org. 7. Ski Santa Fe closes (tentative). Special events and a party atmosphere on the last weekend of skiing. SkiSantafe.com. 9. Richard Goode, The Last Word. Pianist Goode is known as one of the world's best interpreters of Romantic music, especially Beethoven. His Santa Fe performance will include works by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Lensic.org. |  |
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15. Les Ballets Trocadero de Monte Carlo. Guys in toe shoes and tutus. This venerable company is as well known for its serious athleticism as for its hilarious send-ups of the ballet world. Lensic.org. 25. Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 55th Anniversary. Jazz greats bring the same sense of enthusiasm and fun to the road tour as they do to the world's oldest jazz festival. Presented by New Mexico Jazz Festival. Lensic.org. 27. Giulio Cesare. Broadcast live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera in New York, this production features two opera superstars, countertenor David Daniels and soprano Natalie Dessay. The live broadcast is in the morning and there is a taped encore in the evening. Lensic.org. |  |
| 21. April Joy. The exciting young piano duo, Anderson and Roe bring their masterful style to Santa Fe for this performance with the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus. Lensic.org. |
May
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4-5. Battlefield New Mexico, Rancho de las Golondrinas. This is the 150th anniversary of Civil War battles fought in New Mexico. Experience camp life and reenactments at a scenic living history museum. Golondrinas.org. 6-7. Humble Boy. FUSION Theater, New Mexico's professional company presents this contemporary re-interpretation by Charlotte Jones of the Hamlet story. Lensic.org. |  |
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19. Santa Fe Century. Bike through historic mining towns, scenic mountains and picturesque villages in this 100-mile event. More than 2,500 riders come from all over the region. Cyclists of all ages and abilities participate and there are 50 and 25-mile routes too. SantaFeCentury.com. 25-26. Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival. Santa Fe's only museum-quality show and sale of Native American art, benefiting the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. More than 200 Native American artists from many different tribes and specifically invited by the museum will show a wide variety of forms and styles. NativeTreasures.org. Throughout May and into October the Santa Fe Garden Club offers escorted tours of some of the city's finest home and gardens. TheSantaFeGardenClub.org. |  |
June
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1-2. Spring Festival & Children's Fair. A popular spring weekend at Rancho de Las Golondrinas custom made for kids to explore in a hands on way the Spanish Colonial times at this living museum. Golondrinas.org. 19-22. Rodeo de Santa Fe. All the fun and competition of an old-fashioned rodeo. RodeoSantaFe.org. 21-August 23. Santa Fe Bandstand. Nine weeks of live music, four nights a week on the Santa Fe Plaza. This is one of the best free events in Santa Fe that will have you dancing to rock & roll, Motown, flamenco, salsa, roots, country-western, blues and more. SantaFe.com. |  |
In the Museums
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SITE Santa Fe. Santa Fe's contemporary art space hosts three related exhibits this spring into summer: State of Mind; New California Art Circa 1970, Linda Mary Montano: Always Creative, and Mungo Thompson: Time, People, Money, Crickets. SiteSantaFe.org. The Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. Several new individual exhibitions open this spring including featuring a Maori video artist, Nathan Pohio and Images of Life, a portrait series created by Tyree Honga, a quadriplegic artist who uses BIC pens and colored pencils held in his mouth to create complex art works. www.iaia.edu. |  |
| Museum of Spanish Colonial Arts. Filigree and Finery, The Art of Spanish Elegance continues through the end of May. Spanish Colonial settlers in the Santa Fe area had exquisite taste, as do their descendants. The exhibition showcases both historic and contemporary jewelry, shawls, combs, and other finery. SpanishColonialBlog.org. |
| Georgia O'Keeffe Museum. Photographer Annie Liebovitz is famous for her portraits of celebrities, but an exhibit titled Pilgrimage this spring shows a very personal side of her work. It includes landscapes, homes, and other subjects that inspired her. Georgia O'Keeffe and the Faraway: Nature and Image, a popular exhibit that dramatically illustrates how the artist's love of the outdoors and camping translated into her paintings, continues until early May. Okeeffemuseum.org. |
| New Mexico History Museum. A new exhibit about cowboys opens April 14. Photographs, memorabilia, oral histories, and vintage film footage will all be part of the show and a number of classic Western movies shot in New Mexico will be screened in conjunction with the exhibit. The History Museum has many permanent exhibits that tell New Mexico's colorful story. NMHistoryMuseum.org. |
| New Mexico Museum of Art. Art on the Edge, 2013, an annual juried show, shows the contemporary side of art in Santa Fe. It's About Time: 14,000 Years of Art in New Mexico is a fascinating look at the progression of art through the ages in the state. NMArtMuseum.org. Museum of Indian Arts & Culture. An exhibit of recent acquisitions, focusing on contemporary paintings, sculpture, poetry, and monotypes is on this spring. Long- term exhibitions explore the variety and depth of Native American artistry. miaclab.org. Museum of International Folk Art. A new exhibit of beautiful Amish Quilts runs this spring. New World Cuisine, Chocolate, Mate y Mas, a major show that highlights the origins of some of the New World's most popular foods, continues. InternationalFolkArt.org. |  |
| Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. Mary Cabot Wheelwright escaped East Coast society to make many important contributions to the understanding of Native American culture. Pieces from her collection are currently on display. Wheelwright.org. |
Summer Preview
| Santa Fe's sunny summer season is just around the corner. Here are some of the "don't miss" events coming up: |
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June 28-August 24. Santa Fe Opera season. The Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, a comedy by Jacques Offenbach, stars the ebullient Susan Graham as the cougar duchess with an eye for a much younger man. La Donna del Lago is Rossini's most romantic opera, but is highly demanding and seldom performed. The world premier of Oscar, based on the life of Oscar Wilde stars countertenor David Daniels following his spectacular season at the Metropolitan Opera. Performances of two audience favorites, Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro and Verdi's La Traviata make this a spectacular season. SantaFeOpera.org. July 12-14. Santa Fe International Folk Art Market. This colorful, cultural event gets bigger and more popular every year. Artists and artisans from all over the globe are selected to show and sell their wares. Many come from tiny communities that benefit greatly from the artists' success. There is music, food, and tons of art. FolkArtMarket.org. |  |
| July 14-August 19. Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. Top performers from all over the world show up to perform in small groups and as soloists. SFCMF.org. |
| July 27-28. Spanish Market. Traditional Spanish Colonial arts thrive in New Mexico and are often passed through generations of the same families. There is no other event like this--outdoors on the Plaza, artists, who have to pass an competitive jury process, show the best of their carvings, painting, textiles, pottery, blacksmithing, jewelry, and more. SpanishMarket.org. |
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July 27-28. Right alongside Spanish Market is the Contemporary Hispanic Market featuring the work of hundreds of modern artists working in many different styles and forms. Their booth will be lining Lincoln Avenue starting at the Santa Fe Plaza. ContemporaryHispanicMarket.com. August 16-18. Santa Fe Indian Market. This juried market of Native American art is the biggest and most dazzling of its kind in the world. The very best Native American artists present a fabulous array of art for sale including sculpture, painting, carving, costume, beading, pottery, and, of course, jewelry. swaia.org. |  |
