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Annual Events

Many visitors plan their travel to Santa Fe to coincide with certain exciting events held every year.

events wisteriaMaybe you're a collector shopping at the celebrated Santa Fe Indian Market or a fan of the feasts at the Wine & Chile Fiesta. Someone may have told you about the community fun during the traditional Santa Fe Fiesta and the Burning of Zozobra. Or, perhaps, you've already seen the magical glow of farolitos during Santa Fe's winter holiday season and want to return with your family so they can experience it, too.

Santa Fe is so alluring, you never really need a reason to visit. But our annual events are extraordinarily unique and they bring guests back year after year. Browse the list by month below to find out what's happening when you'll be in town.

January

In early January, many of the Pueblos perform traditional ceremonial dances. Visit our section on Native American culture for more information.

February

Souper Bowl

(505) 471-1633
Sample amazing soups prepared by several dozen of Santa Fe's finest chefs, then cast your vote for your favorites. This annual soup competition, held each Saturday of Super Bowl Weekend, also includes a silent auction. The event, sponsored by local businesses, benefits The Food Depot, Northern New Mexico's food bank. Check website for location as the venue varies from year to year.

ARTFeast

ARTFeast

Santa Fe galleries
(505) 982-1648
This visual and edible feast takes place in galleries around Santa Fe where fine art is paired with fine food prepared by local chefs. The event, held in late February, raises money to support art programs in Santa Fe's public schools.

March

Visit our Specials section to learn about any low-season specials.

April

Visit our Specials section to learn about any low-season specials.

May

Civil War Weekend

El Rancho de las Golondrinas
334 Los Pinos Rd.
(505) 471-2261
Learn about the role New Mexico played in the U.S. Civil War during reenactments of battles at Glorieta Pass and Apache Canyon near Santa Fe. This annual weekend includes military drills, cannon firings and more. The event takes place in May but the dates vary each year so check the website for details.

Eldorado Studio Tour

Eldorado, about 20 minutes southeast of Santa Fe off US 285
Mid-May
Visit more than 90 artist studios in this tour near Santa Fe. There's an impressive array of work to see and buy, including stained glass, digital art, fiber arts, photography and more.

Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival

Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival

Santa Fe Community Convention Center
201 W. Marcy Street
(505) 476-1250
Shop for beautiful jewelry and other art pieces made by more than 180 established and emerging artists from Native American pueblos and tribes. Held on a late May weekend, this festival benefits the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture and includes a preview and benefit cocktail party on Friday.

Santa Fe Century

There's nothing like cycling through northern New Mexico, where miles of history pass beneath your wheels. The annual Santa Fe Century draws more than 2,500 bicyclists for an unforgettably scenic 100-mile ride down the historic Turquoise Trail, across the Ortiz and San Pedro Mountains, into sleepy Galisteo and then back to Santa Fe. Riders can opt for "out and back" journeys of 25, 50 and 75 miles, too. The ride takes place on the third Sunday in May.

June

Rodeo de Santa Fe

Rodeo de Santa Fe

Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds, 3237 Rodeo Rd.
(505) 471-4300
From barrel racing to bareback and bull riding, this rodeo, held in late June, has it all and it's been roping the hearts of cowboys and rodeo fans since it began in 1949. Don't forget to wear your ten-gallon hats and custom cowboy boots. Aimed at families, there's also a Mutton Bustin' event for kids, a carnival midway, a parade and plenty of food and souvenirs.

Pride on the Railyard Plaza

Railyard Plaza
(505) 466-3253
Santa Fe's annual gay pride celebration takes place in late June. The festival brings together gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and their friends and families. Festivities include a parade, information and networking booths and an art show and sale featuring work that reflects the GLBT commmunity.

July

Pancakes on the Plaza

Santa Fe Plaza
(505) 982-2002
It wouldn't be the Fourth of July in Santa Fe without a plate of piping hot pancakes eaten on the Plaza. The United Way hosts this annual community feast, which also includes live music and dance, kid's entertainment, art booths and a cool car show. (End the day watching a fireworks display, which begins around 9:30 p.m. at Santa Fe High School, 2100 Yucca Road.)

Santa Fe Wine Festival

Santa Fe Wine Festival

El Rancho de las Golondrinas
334 Los Pinos Rd.
(505) 471-2261
New Mexico is the country's oldest wine-producing region, so what better place to savor a glass of Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier or other varietals than this annual festival in early July devoted to the glories of the grape? You can buy bottles to take home directly from more than a dozen New Mexico vintners. There's also live music, food and handmade arts and crafts for sale.

International Folk Art Market

Milner Plaza on Museum Hill, Camino Lejo
(505) 476-1189
Artists from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe trek to Santa Fe to sell their weavings, woodcarvings, pottery, paintings, beadwork, jewelry and so much more at the country's largest international folk art market. Whatever language you speak, this extraordinary event, held in mid-July, will move you to marvel at the range of ingenious creativity at work in the world. There's no better city to host the market than Santa Fe, the only place in the U.S. designated by U.N.E.S.C.O. as a Creative City of Design & Folk Art.

ART Santa Fe

ART Santa Fe

El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe, 1615 Paseo de Peralta
(505) 988-8883
ART Santa Fe, a prestigious contemporary art fair held in mid-July, brings art collectors together with artists and gallerists from around the world. The fair showcases work by acclaimed masters and cutting-edge artists. The weekend includes an opening gala, a rotating exhibit of solo installations, and a keynote lecture.

Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts & Crafts Show

Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Arts & Crafts Show

327 Eagle Drive
San Juan, NM 87566
(505) 747-1593
Fans of Native American art and culture flock to this annual event, held in mid-July at Ohkay Owingeh (formerly San Juan Pueblo). Hundreds of artists from pueblos and tribes around the country gather to celebrate their heritage, selling an amazing array of arts and crafts and performing ceremonial dances. Started in 1972, this popular festival has drawn crowds who appreciate the fact that it's organized by Native Americans and held on Pueblo land.

Traditional Spanish Market

Traditional Spanish Market

Santa Fe Plaza
505-982-2226
The annual Traditional Spanish Market, a popular Santa Fe event, features an impressive array of santos (depictions of saints), tinwork, textiles, furniture and more, all handcrafted by New Mexican artists using traditional tools and techniques. The summer market takes place in late July on the Plaza and the winter market is held in December in downtown Santa Fe.

Contemporary Hispanic Market

(505) 992-0591
The annual Contemporary Hispanic Market, the largest Hispanic art event in the country, features innovative work by more than 100 artists drawing from their Hispanic heritage and New Mexico traditions. The summer market is held on Lincoln Avenue near the Plaza at the same time the Traditional Spanish Market takes place in July. The winter market is held at El Museo Cultural in November.

Lavender and Herb Fair

Lavender and Herb Fair

El Rancho de las Golondrinas
334 Los Pinos Rd.
(505) 471-2261
When the fields at the historic museum El Rancho de las Golondrinas bloom with purple lavender flowers near the end of each July, it's time for the annual Lavender and Herb Fair. If you're a lavender lover, this is the place to be. You'll learn about the herb's many uses, from culinary to medicinal, make your own lavender wand and sample lavender-flavored foods.

August

Mountain Man Trade Fair and Rendezvous

Mountain Man Trade Fair and Rendezvous

Palace of the Governors Courtyard
105 W. Palace Ave.
(505) 476-5100
Experience life as a mountain man (and mountain woman) during this annual celebration of 19th-century life in New Mexico, held in early August. Buy authentic and reproduced items from people dressed in period clothing. Hear live music from the era. The whole family can participate in games and activities.

Wheelwright Museum Benefit Auction

Wheelwright Museum Benefit Auction

Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian
704 Camino Lejo on Museum Hill
(505) 982-4636
The annual auction, held in late August, benefits the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. The event features historic and contemporary Native American art. Enjoy the fun of bidding during silent and live auctions.

Whitehawk Antique Shows

Whitehawk Antique Shows

Santa Fe Community Convention Center
201 W. Marcy St.
(505) 992-8929
This annual pair of antique shows held every mid-August has become a popular summer event for serious collectors and browsers alike. Three days of the Annual Antique Ethnographic Art Show, featuring ethnographic and tribal art from around the world, are followed by three days of the Annual Invitational Antique Indian Art Show.

Santa Fe Indian Market

Santa Fe Indian Market

Santa Fe Plaza
(505) 983-5220
Don’t miss this world-famous market, held toward the end of August, if you’re a fan of Native American art and culture. More than 1,000 artists sell their pottery, weaving, jewelry, basketry and other traditional work and demonstrate their time-honored techniques on the Plaza. Fill up on fry bread, roasted corn and Navajo tacos as well as other foods of the Southwest as you shop and enjoy Pueblo dances, live music and other entertainment. Get there early because this market typically draws 100,000 visitors from around the globe.

Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Festival

Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds
3237 Rodeo Rd.
If you like bluegrass and old-time bands, you'll dance the days away during this weekend festival in late August featuring all kinds of musicians who've mastered the bluegrass banjo, mandolin, clawhammer, fiddle and other instruments. It's a hoot and a holler, sponsored by the Southwest Pickers.

September

Santa Fe Renaissance Fair

Santa Fe Renaissance Fair

El Rancho de las Golondrinas
334 Los Pinos Rd.

(505) 471-2261
Join the crowds as they cheer on jousting, sword fighting and Celtic games. Wear your Renaissance finery and compete in a clothing contest. Enjoy entertainment and buy shields, blades, cloaks and turkey legs from vendors. You'll feast and frolic during this mid-September community fair celebrating the days of yore.

Burning of Zozobra and Santa Fe Fiesta

Burning of Zozobra and Santa Fe Fiesta

Santa Fe Plaza and various venues
(505) 988-7575
The streets are filled with joyous shouts of "Viva la Fiesta" during early September, when the oldest community event in the U.S. takes place. The week-long festivities commemorate the reoccupation of Santa Fe led by Don Diego de Vargas in 1692, a dozen years after the Pueblo Indian Revolt. The city pulls out all the stops for this annual celebration, starting with the Burning of Zozobra, the dramatic torching of a 49-foot tall marionette that groans and grimaces as he goes up in flames and fireworks at Fort Marcy Park, burning everyone's troubles from the past year. His ending marks the beginning of Fiesta, filled with music, dance, food, the beloved Children's Pet Parade, religious ceremonies and more. Blending pageantry with revelry and treasured traditions, Fiesta is a favorite time for visitors and locals alike!

Pilar Studio Tour

Pilar, about 1 hour and 15 minutes north of Santa Fe via US 84/285 to NM 68
Early September
This lovely village along the Rio Grande hosts an annual studio tour, when about a dozen artists who make pottery, wearable art, paintings and more open their doors and invite you to visit their workspaces and view their creations.

Pojoaque River Art Tour

Pojoaque River Art Tour

Pojoaque River Valley, 16 miles north of Santa Fe via US 84/285, in Pojoaque Pueblo and along County Road 84
Mid-September
The annual Pojoaque River Art Tour takes place in the picturesque Pojoaque River Valley, an old farming community 16 miles north of Santa Fe. Nearly 20 artists, including residents of Pojoaque and San Ildefenso pueblos, open their studios, exhibiting paintings, pottery, weavings, glass and more.

High Road to Taos Art Tour

High Road to Taos, a 105-mile back-country scenic route between Santa Fe and Taos
Last Two Weekends in September
This scenic route from Chimayo to Vadito takes you to galleries and studios of artisans along the High Road between Santa Fe and Taos. With nearly 60 stops, this tour offers woodcarvings, paintings, jewelry, wind chimes and more. Northern New Mexico's vibrant fall colors are on display, and you can feast on traditional fall foods.

Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta

Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta

Various venues in Santa Fe
(505) 438-8060
Devoted to the fruitful pairing of wine and chile, this late September annual fiesta has become a favorite with food and wine connoisseurs across the country. It features more than 110 wineries and nearly 50 Santa Fe chefs participating in seminars, cooking demonstrations, guest chef luncheons, winemaker dinners, the famous Grand Food & Wine Tasting and the Gruet Golf Classic.

Pecos Studio Tour

Pecos Studio Tour

Pecos, about 20 minutes southeast of Santa Fe off I-25
Last Weekend in September
Drive just 20 minutes from Santa Fe to the peaceful, picturesque village of Pecos, where you can visit with about 20 artists in their open studios. You'll see paintings, ceramics, tinwork, jewelry, wearable art and more.

October

Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival

El Rancho de las Golondrinas
334 Los Pinos Rd.
(505) 471-2261
Celebrate the harvest during this annual festival in early October at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a living history museum dedicated to the heritage and culture of Spanish Colonial New Mexico. Learn to string chile ristras, crush wine grapes by foot and grind sorghum with the help of burros. Snack on bizcochitos baked in an horno and tortillas cooked on a comal. Buy arts and crafts from local artisans and dance to live music. Bring the whole family to this popular annual festival devoted to honoring one of New Mexico's vibrant cultures.

El Rito Studio Tour

El Rito, about 1 hour and 15 minutes northwest of Santa Fe on NM 544 off US 84
Early October
Meet more than 25 artists who live and work in this sleepy village that was an early Spanish settlement, located about an hour's drive northwest of Santa Fe. The annual open studio tour features everything from blacksmithing, fiber arts and pottery to santos and retablos.

Abiquiú Studio Tour

Abiquiú Studio Tour

Abiquiú, US Highway 84/285, 18 miles northwest of Española
Columbus Day Weekend
More than 70 artists welcome visitors to their studios in this annual tour. The Chama River Valley is a work of art itself this time of year, with golden cottonwoods and breathtaking mountain vistas. You'll see paintings, weavings, furniture, traditional Spanish Colonial art and much more as you explore the gorgeous place where Georgia O'Keeffe once lived and worked.

Galisteo Studio Tour

Galisteo Studio Tour

Galisteo, 25 miles south of Santa Fe off Highway 285
Third Weekend in October
Meet more than 30 artists living in this beautiful old adobe village in the glorious Galisteo basin. You'll see a wide range of work in these open studios from photography and painting to to pottery, sculpture, weaving and more. Wind your way on foot beneath towering cottonwoods and, once you've worked up an appetite, feast on traditional New Mexican fare.

November

Dixon Studio Tour

Dixon, about 45 minutes north of Santa Fe on Highway 75, just east of Highway 68
First Weekend in November
Nestled in the beautiful Embudo Valley, Dixon is home to a lively group of more than 50 artists who open their studios for the annual art studio tour. You'll find everything from painting, photography and jewelry to stoneware, wearable art, herbal bath and beauty products, handmade chocolates, local wines and roving musicians. Take care of the appetite you've worked up walking from studio to studio through this picturesque village by feasting on traditional Northern New Mexico foods.

La Cienega Studio Tour

La Cienega, about 10 miles southwest of Santa Fe off I-25
Thanksgiving Weekend
More than 30 artists open their studios for this annual art tour southwest of Santa Fe. You'll find painting and photography as well as fiber arts, sculpture, glass, jewelry and more.

Santa Fe Indian Market Winter Showcase

Santa Fe Community Convention Center
201 W. Marcy St.
(505) 983-5220
Start your holiday shopping on Thanksgiving Weekend with treasures created by Native American artists from around the country who participate in the annual Santa Fe Indian Market each summer. Presented by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, the producers of Indian Market, this Winter Showcase features one-of-a-kind pieces by acclaimed Native artists, including Indian Market award winners. Special Sneak Preview takes place Friday evening.

December

Santa Fe Film Festival

(505) 988-7414
Santa Fe steps into the main spotlight in early December during this five-day film festival full of innovative programming. The festival showcases more than 200 films, from those made in the Southwest to independent American-made narrative films, films made outside the U.S., documentaries and art films celebrating the creative spirit. With a full schedule of workshops, panels, parties, awards and more held all around the city, the Santa Fe Film Festival has become an exciting film event that appeals to professionals and fans alike.

Las Posadas

Palace of the Governors
105 E. Palace Ave.
(505) 476-5100
A Santa Fe holiday event each mid-December, this traditional Spanish play presents the plight of Mary and Joseph as they searched for lodgings in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. The characters set off from the Palace of the Governors, joined by crowds from the community, and walk in a procession around the Plaza before returning to the Palace, where refreshments are served.

Canyon Road Farolito Walk

Canyon Road Farolito Walk

One of Santa Fe's most beloved ways of celebrating the holiday season, the Canyon Road Farolito Walk lights up the hearts and souls of the crowds that walk this famous road every Christmas Eve. Small bags filled with sand contain votive candles that softly glow on this magical night as they line the neighborhood streets and adobe walls. Carolers spontaneously gather around luminarios, or small bonfires, and sing for joy as they warm themselves from the cold night. The farolito walk has become an essential part of this sacred season.