Festivals, Feast Days & Markets

2014 Schedule

May 1 - 4

Santa Fe Film Festival
The 14th annual festival celebrating the best in cinematic arts screens independent and classic films at the Jean Cocteau Cinema.
988-7414, santafefilmfestival.com

May 16 - 18

Santa Fe Bike & Brew Festival
Two of the city’s great loves (two-wheeled transport and craft beer) collide at Farmers’ Market Hall.
660-2951, outsidesantafe.com

May 17 - 18

Eldorado Studio Tour
More than 50 artists of all mediums welcome visitors to their studios and galleries on the Santa Fe outskirts.
eldoradoarts@gmail.com, eldoradostudiotour.org

May 24 - 25

Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival
The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture invites more than 200 artists from various tribes and pueblos to participate in the city’s only museum-quality Native American art sale.
982-7799, nativetreasures.org

June 18-21

Rodeo de Santa Fe
The 65th annual rodeo will feature bronc riding, barrel racing, mutton bustin’ and trick shows. The carnival atmosphere in the cool evening air brings a diverse crowd to these events. Watch for the Rodeo Queen. She’s the one with the biggest belt buckle.
rodeodesantafe.org

June 25

SFR’s 40th Anniversary Block Party
Join us at 132 E Marcy Street for a celebration of four decades of news and culture for our beloved city. Music and beer in the parking lot. Old School.
SFReporter.com

June 23 - August 28

Santa Fe Bandstand
This free summer-long music festival features more than 100 concerts in the heart of the city.
986-6054, santafe.com/bandstand

July 10 - 13

Art Santa Fe
This international fair spotlights cutting-edge installations from emerging artists, dealers and galleries.
988-8883, artsantafe.com

July 11 - 13

International Folk Art Market
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this market brings the world to Santa Fe by hosting nearly 200 artists selling their respective country’s traditional art.

992-7600, folkartmarket.org

July 19 - 20

Ohkay Owingeh Arts & Crafts Show
Formerly the Eight Northern Tribes Arts and Crafts Show, this market is touted as the largest Native American owned and operated show. Now in its 40th year, the festival includes an art sale, traditional Pueblo dances and music performances at the Ohkay Conference Center.
852-4400, ohkay.com

July 26 - 27

Traditional Spanish Market
This event spotlights and preserves Spanish Colonial crafts and techniques at a sprawling market on the Plaza where attendees may browse for retablos, straw appliqué designs, tinwork and other items.
982-2226, spanishcolonialblog.org

July 26 - 27

Contemporary Hispanic Market
Running concurrently to Traditional Spanish Market, this market features some 135 artists representing the breadth of current Hispanic art.
331-5162, contemporaryhispanicmarketinc.com

August 18 - 24

Indian Market Week
The weeklong run up to Santa Fe Indian Market (Aug. 23-24) includes workshops, lectures, music concerts, film screenings and fashion shows. The granddaddy weekend event is a world-class sale of Native American art with more than 175,000 attendees, making it the city’s blockbuster event of the year.
983-5220, swaia.org

August 29

The Burning of Will Shuster’s Zozobra
A part of Fiesta de Santa Fe since 1926, the torching of this 40-foot-tall marionette originally created by artist Will Shuster kicks off the Labor Day Weekend festivities. For those who gather at Fort Marcy Park, burning Old Man Gloom in effigy symbolizes the release of worries.
855-969-6272, burnzozobra.com

September 5 - 7

Fiesta de Santa Fe
Observed as the longest-running community festival in the US, this fiesta commemorates the 1692 Spanish reoccupation of Santa Fe by Don Diego de Vargas. Celebrations include religious masses and processions, parades, a mariachi extravaganza and arts and crafts fair.
913-1517, santafefiesta.org

September 20 — 21

Santa Fe Renaissance Fair
Medieval antics come to El Rancho de las Golondrinas via sword fighting knights, marauding pirates, live music and dancing to benefit the Interfaith Community Shelter.
471-2261, sfrenfair.org

September 24 - 28

Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta
This festival is a smorgasbord of events, including cooking demos, wine seminars and winery dinners. Don’t miss the culminating event: the Grand Tasting held at the Santa Fe Opera featuring some 75 restaurants and 90 wineries.
438-8060, santafewineandchile.org

October 15 - 19

Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
This growing event screens below-the-radar films and celebrates filmmakers and actors such as past award-winners John Waters and Wes Studi.
349-1414, santafeindependentfilmfestival.com

December 5 - 7

Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival
Santa Feans of all ages participate in the annual Trash Fashion Show and the Santa Fe Convention Center ballroom is packed with artists using recycled materials.
603-0558, recyclesantafe.org

Feast Days

Pueblo Feast Days enmesh visitors in authentic Native culture, perhaps even more so than at ostentatious powwows or single-focus arts and crafts fairs. At these celebrations, which are generally open to the public, guests may observe traditional dances and befriend Native people who make their homes at the pueblos and beyond. Don’t be surprised if you’re invited into someone’s home to share a meal. As such, you may want to bring a host or hostess a present or food to share. However, because pueblos are private homes, don’t peek into windows or enter homes without an invitation. Don’t climb buildings or ceremonial ladders. Local residents may also be selling food and/or arts and crafts during the festivities. Be sure to have cash on hand for these purchases.

Photography is seldom permitted and even if allowed, it’s best to leave the camera at home and simply enjoy. Communities do not follow the clock when determining when to begin ceremonies. The sequence of rituals, some components of which are not for public viewing, determine when things begin and end. Just go with the flow.

Tribal dances are religious rituals, not entertainment. As such, remain quiet during the ritual. Don’t applaud, point or touch the dancers. Curiosity is fine, but if a member of the pueblo doesn’t wish to answer your questions, don’t press for answers. The following calendar notes significant Feast Days for each of the Eight Northern Pueblos and the traditional dance commonly performed at that event. Because a variety of factors determine the time to perform each dance, these may or may not be the ones conducted. It’s always appropriate to call ahead to confirm that visitors are welcome and which dance will be performed. Above all, enjoy the occasion to delve into Native culture and heritage. (Ashley M. Biggers)

May 1

San Felipe Pueblo
St. Philip Feast Day honors the pueblo’s patron saint with corn dances.
867-3381, sanfelipecasino.com

May 3

Taos Pueblo
St. Cruz Feast Day celebrations include traditional foot races.
(575) 758-1028, taospueblo.com

June 7

Tesuque Pueblo
Celebrations on this day include blessing of the fields and a corn dance.
983-2667, camelrockcasino.com

June 24

Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo
St. John the Baptist Feast Day celebrations are marked by corn or buffalo dances.
852-4400, ohkay.com

July 14

Cochiti Pueblo
St. Bonaventure Feast Day honors the pueblo’s patron saint with a corn dance.
465-2244, pueblodecochiti.org

August 4

Santo Domingo Pueblo
St. Dominic Feast Day celebrations include corn dances.
465-2214, indianpueblo.org

August 10

Picuris Pueblo
St. Lawrence Feast Day celebrations include dances, pole climbing and a foot race.
(575) 587-2519, indianpueblo.org

August 12

Santa Clara Pueblo
St. Clare Feast Day celebrations include a buffalo, harvest or corn dance.
753-7330, puyecliffs.com

September 10

San Ildefonso Pueblo
Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast Day is marked with a corn dance.
455-2273, indianpueblo.org

September 30

Taos Pueblo
St. Jerome Feast Day is celebrated with private processionals, public dances and a pole climb.
(575)758-1028, taospueblo.com

October 4

Nambe Pueblo
St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day is marked with buffalo and deer dances.
455-2036, nambefalls.com

November 12

Tesuque Pueblo
San Diego Feast Day celebrations include a corn dance.
983-2667, camelrockcasino.com

December 12

Pojoaque Pueblo
Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day honors the pueblo’s patron saint.
455-5041, poehcenter.org

December 24

Various Pueblos
Nambe Pueblo performs a buffalo dance following mass. Picuris and Ohkay Owingeh Pueblos offer matachines dances and those of Santa Ana and Tesuque perform various rites after midnight mass.

December 25

Various Pueblos
San Ildefonso, Santa Clara and Tesuque Pueblos celebrate Christmas day with traditional dances. Picuris Pueblo performs a matachines dance. Ohkay Owingeh and Taos Pueblo offer deer or matachines dances.

December 26

Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo
The pueblo marks the season with a turtle dance.
852-4400, ohkay.com