Shhh! Here’s a little secret: October is one of the best times of year to visit Santa Fe. Temperatures drop and the crowds dissipate, giving you the opportunity for a “secret season” visit to experience some of the city’s most exciting happenings. So here are the must-see events and activities in The City Different during the month of October!
52nd Annual Santa Fe Harvest Festival
October 5 & 6, 2024
El Rancho de las Golondrinas
Taste syrup from a burro-driven sorghum mill, help make cider by cranking a traditional apple press, and pick a pumpkin from the scarecrow-guarded patch. Children can stomp grapes by foot, make cornhusk dolls, or roll their own delicious tortilla by hand. There is fun for the entire family at this long-running season-celebrating event.
Take the Shuttle to the 52nd Annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta
October 5–13, 2024
Albuquerque
This is an event like no other! Hundreds of hot air balloons (500+, in fact) fill the sky at dawn and dusk for nine days, with races, night flights, and more. If you want to find a tranquil respite from the lively balloon action, consider lodging in Santa Fe and taking advantage of our $55 per person (plus a processing fee) roundtrip shuttle service from three different hotels directly to and from Balloon Fiesta Park. To start planning, check out our guide on experiencing the Balloon Fiesta from The City Different.
Santa Fe Indigenous Peoples' Day Weekend Celebration
October 12–14, 2024
Santa Fe Plaza
Join us for a weekend celebration of the citizens and cultures of the 23 Tribes, Nations, and Pueblos in New Mexico. Members of these groups will perform traditional dances and music on the gazebo at the Santa Fe Plaza. Other celebrations include the Institute of American Indian Arts' 2024 IAIA Fall Powwow on October 5 and the 2nd annual Santa Fe Indigenous Center's Intertribal Powwow on October 14.
16th Annual Santa Fe International Film Festival
October 16–20, 2024
Various locations
MovieMagazine Magazine named the Santa Fe International Film Festival among 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee. Jacques Paisner, SFiFF artistic director, says, “As Santa Fe becomes a major hub for production, SFiFF remains consistent in its dedication to filmmakers and the art of making movies in this community." The 16th annual Santa Fe International Film Festival, presented by the Santa Fe Film Institute, hosts five days of independent and cutting-edge cinema, community events, filmmaker and industry Q & As and panels, select free screenings, educational workshops, a student day, and much more. The festival features more than 100 features and shorts in various inviting venues across Santa Fe. Not to be missed!
Canyon Road Paint & Sculpt Out
October 19, 2024
Santa Fe's Canyon Road
Watch as finished paintings appear from blank canvases. Enjoy sculptors creating their work using clay, wax, or stone. Artists working in every imaginable genre and media will fill the historic Canyon Road Arts District during the annual Paint & Sculpt Out.
Field of Stars: A Tribute to Farmers
October 24, 2024
Santa Fe Farmers' Market Pavilion
The Santa Fe Farmers' Market Institute invites the community to come together for a locally sourced celebration of this season’s Farmer and Community All Stars with an evening highlighting Santa Fe food catered by Mas Chile, local wine and beer, a silent auction, live music, and more.
Spirits of New Mexico
October 26, 2024 [SOLD OUT]
El Rancho de las Golondrinas
Unfortunately, this event is SOLD OUT, but we're letting you know about it so you can plan ahead for 2025! Meet the ghosts of history who lived and died in the Land of Enchantment. Step back in time and encounter a diverse assortment of characters from New Mexico’s illustrious and often little-known past. Listen to their amazing stories and experience intriguing bygone events. Lit by lantern light and campfires, Santa Fe’s wondrous historic site takes on a family-friendly but spooky Halloween atmosphere for one night each year.
Día de los Muertos
October 27 & November 1 & 2, 2024
Santa Fe Plaza & Museum of International Folk Art
It's the 3rd annual Día de los Muertos on the Plaza! Join your fellow Santa Feans as we honor all of our fellow ancestors on Friday, November 1 from 4–10 pm with festive mariachi music and boleros on the Plaza stage, festooned for the occasion with papeles picados (traditional colorful paper decorations). Grab a bite to eat and some refreshments from the variety of food trucks serving signature Mexican foods. Enjoy brightly colored masks, decorative skulls, and hundreds of marigolds!
Saturday, November 2, the celebration continues from 10 am to 10 pm with more music, decorative ofrendas—commemorative altars—and a candlelight parade.
Sunday, October 27, enjoy free activities with Los Niños de Santa Fe, including face painting, sugar skull decorating, Pan de Muerto, and more at the Museum of International Folk Art from 1 to 4 pm.
Art Studio Tours
through October 2024
Northern New Mexico
Painting by Ron Milhoan, artist with the Abiquiú Studio TourNo more than an hour away from Santa Fe on nearly every weekend in October, there's a community art studio tour, featuring several local artists, working in jewelry, sculpture, painting, textiles, and more. The intimate Pecos Studio Tour (Oct 5 & 6) features a handful of artists whose work you'll want to see. October 12 & 13, the 30th annual Abiquiú Studio Tour, a self-guided driving tour, takes you through the village of Abiquiú and the surrounding Chama River Valley on visits to the studios of up to 25 talented artists; grab some food and drink at local vendors, too. During the 37th Annual Galisteo Studio Tour (Oct 12 & 13). artists open their studios, allowing you to experience their photography, paintings, pottery, ceramic art, jewelry, bronze sculpture, custom knives, and handcrafted traditional arts. Their community center sports food trucks! And, in downtown Santa Fe, be sure to check out the final weekends of the Santa Fe Society of Artists (Oct 5 & 6; 12 & 13), who show their fine work in the lot across from the New Mexico Museum of Art. Put one or all of these tours on your itinerary!
Get a taste of The City Different! Order your Official Santa Fe Visitors Guide now or browse our deals and specials to help you plan your next trip to Santa Fe.
