Many argue summer is the best time to visit The City Different. The city is in full bloom, the weather is near perfect, and there is oh so much to do. If you are planning a trip to Santa Fe this summer, don’t miss these must-see markets, festivals, and exhibitions.
RANCHOS DE LAS GOLONDRINAS FESTIVALS
throughout the Summer
Ranchos de las Golondrinas opens the doors for the busy season on its 200 rural acres with the 19th Annual Spring Festival, featuring Fiber & Lavender. Expect sheep-shearing, live entertainment, horno breadbaking, Pueblo pottery and dance, and more. As we move into summer, there are ever more opportunities to enjoy this former paraje (or stopping place) for those traveling the Camino Real in the early 1700s. The Santa Fe Wine Festival intrigues your tastebuds July 6 and 7, showcasing the best of New Mexico wines. Fiesta de los Niños is July 20 and 21, offering families the chance to try their hands at some time-honored crafts and traditions, such as tin stamping, rope creating, tortilla making, and constructing mini adobe houses. August 10 and 11, check out the Santa Fe Beer and Food Festival, where you are bound to sample some new suds and flavors.
SUMMER SCENE (Live Music)
June 6–August 29, 2024
Photo credit: Adrift A Dream Photography
Nearly every day of the summer you can experience a live performance from a local and/or national musical act via the programming brought to you by the Summer Scene. On the historic Plaza, enjoy the grass and the trees while listening and grooving. Or check out the lineup at the Railyard amid food trucks, brewpubs, and plenty of parking. Such an uplifting time!
CURRENTS NEW MEDIA FESTIVAL
June 14–23, 2024
Water Organoids by Baudouin Saintyves, Severine Atis, Ben Kinsinger & Roiel Benitez
CURRENTS New Media Festival heads back to its original home at El Museo de Cultural Santa Fe, June 14–23, 2024. At this art and technology extravaganza, expect immersive and expansive art experiences in new media for all ages—animation, virtual and augmented realities, interactive installations and video, multimedia performances, experimental documentaries, workshops, and moreǃ
67th SANTA FE OPERA Season
June 28–August 24, 2024
Michael Sumuel (Escamillo) in Carmen at the Santa Fe Opera, photo by Curtis Brown for the Santa Fe OperaNo other opera house in the world can offer the mixture of world-class performers and breathtaking scenery as the Santa Fe Opera. In its 67th year, the 2024 season features five operas: La Traviata, Don Giovanni, The Righteous, Der Rosenkavalier, and The Elixir of Love. Plan ahead and participate in the pre-opera tailgating parties, where traditional picnic accoutrement are traded in for the elevated revelry of silver platters, candlesticks, and charcuterie.
20th ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL FOLK ART MARKET
July 11–14, 2024
The International Folk Art Market draws master artists from 50 countries around globe to the world’s largest international folk art gathering. In 2024, come celebrate their 20 years of this rich and bustling event, once again gracing the multi-acre Railyard Park. Purchase one-of-a-kind, handmade pieces ranging from pottery and rugs to clothing, jewelry, and so much more. Linger for the music, the food, and all of the wonderful people you'll meet. Purchase your tickets today!
SANTA FE ART WEEK
July 11–21, 2024
The City Different is one of the most artistic spots in the world, and during Santa Fe Art Week, enjoy more than 100 art experiences, including artist demonstrations, book signings, children’s events, live music, studio tours, and workshops. And don’t miss our neighborhood gallery strolls—all 5–7 pm—a great way to enjoy the art of our more than 250 galleries and simultaneously socialize!
GALLERY STROLLS
- TBD, Downtown Art District
- TBD, Baca St. Art District
- TBD, Canyon Road District
- TBD, Railyard Art District
OUR STORIES
through September 29, 2025
At the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture, voted 9th in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice 2024 awards, presents Our Stories, a continually refreshed exhibition showcasing actual owned objects of meaning and importance. It explores the idea that the objects we personally wear, collect, or make for ourselves communicate to the world around us a sense of the places we have been, the things we love, and the people who make up our stories. Admission is free on Fridays.
42nd ANNUAL DESERT CHORALE SUMMER FESTIVAL
July 14–August 3, 2024
Three rich and distinct choral programs make this festival one of the largest events of its kind in the country and what the Dallas Morning News calls "a top-notch, 24-voice group… comprising the crème de la crème of professional choral singers from coast to coast…” Choose from Songs from the Americas for a dose of 17th and 18th century music from North and South America; Out of this World for transcendent contemporary choral music from a good number of living composers; and, finally, The Great Romantics, featuring the work of rich German masters. You can't go wrong with one or all!
51st SANTA FE CHAMBER FESTIVAL
July 14–August 19, 2024
Celebrating 51 years, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, called "the most prestigious chamber music festivals in the world..." by the New York Times, presents dozens of artists (many of whom make their Festival debut!) in nearly 40 concerts, held at St. Francis Auditorium at the New Mexico Museum of Art and the Lensic Performing Arts Center. In addition to works by Handel, Mahler, Beethoven, and Schubert, you'll have the opportunity to hear Festival-commissioned works by new composers, too. Get your tickets today!
72nd TRADITIONAL SPANISH MARKET
July 27 & 28, 2024
One of the summer’s most anticipated events for locals and visitors alike, Traditional Spanish Market celebrates its 72nd year. Taking place on the Plaza, the market presents the work of more than 200 Hispanic artists, defined by 19 different categories that represent the Hispanic “artistic traditions of New Mexico and southern Colorado through historic, modern, and contemporary periods,” including colcha embroidery, hide painting, painted bultos, straw applique, and more. Live music, demonstrations, and authentic foods round out this celebratory weekend.
38th CONTEMPORARY HISPANIC MARKET
July 27 & 28, 2024
Prepared to celebrate its 38th year, the Contemporary Hispanic Market has once again hand selected artists to participate in the juried art show that is held each July in the cultural heart of Santa Fe on the historic Plaza. To be considered for the market, artists are required to be part Hispanic and a full-time resident of New Mexico. Find traditional carvings of wood or stones peppered along the rows of booths, and individual expression in the mediums of painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, furniture, jewelry, ceramics, weaving, and more. Free!
OBJECTS OF ART SHOWS
throughout August
Three August shows! Come see the collection of American Indian and international tribal art not found anywhere else in the world at Objects of Art & American Indian/Tribal (August 8–11) and Whitehawk Antique Indian & Ethnographic Art Show (August 9–12). New for 2024, discover contemporary art by Indigenous artists from around the United States and Canada at Indigenous Art Fair Contemporary (August 15–18).
102nd SANTA FE INDIAN MARKET
August 19–20, 2024
Celebrating its 102nd year, the Santa Fe Indian Market continues to deliver on its reputation as the largest and most prestigious juried Native arts show in the world. More than 1,000 artists representing more than 200 tribes come together on the historic Santa Fe Plaza to display their traditionally handcrafted art. It's the 11th anniversary of the ever-popular and important Indigenous Fashion Show with a great lineup of 10 couture artists who are creating new collections to debut on SWAIA's runway, as well as lots of additional ways to celebrate Indigenous art throughout the weekend. And save some of your budget for Free Indian Market, showcasing more than 600 artists on the green and shady Federal Courthouse Park, where they say, "Helping the Elders and their families is our purpose."
100th ANNUAL BURNING OF ZOZOBRA
August 30, 2024
Happy 100th, Zozobra! This one-of-a-kind cultural experience is believed to cleanse the city of sad thoughts and gloom of the past year. Residents and visitors alike are encouraged to write down their worries and woes, which are then stuffed into a 50-foot tall marionette. In a theatrical and choreographed show, Zozobra is set on fire amid fireworks and the cheers of the crowd. Take our quick and informative quiz to learn even more about this cultural malcontent whose back again to celebrate his 100th—you could win a pair of tickets! This event also traditionally marks the kickoff to the Fiestas de Santa Fe.
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