New Mexico Festivals and Events
Balloons, art markets, feast days and chile, through the year.
New Mexico's event calendar peaks from July through October. Santa Fe hosts three major art markets in July and August, the Santa Fe Opera runs its summer season, and late summer brings Fiesta, chile roasting and the Hatch Valley Chile Festival. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta follows in early October, when hotels across the middle of the state fill up.
Pueblo feast days take place throughout the year, usually honoring each pueblo's patron saint, and many include public dances. They are religious events, not performances: photography is often banned, and visitors are guests. In December, farolitos, small paper-bag lanterns, line walls and rooftops, most famously along Canyon Road in Santa Fe on Christmas Eve.
Annual Festivals and Events
Hundreds of balloons launch at dawn in mass ascensions, with evening glows and special-shape balloons; book lodging months ahead.
Hundreds of Native artists show and sell jewelry, pottery, textiles and paintings in booths around the Plaza; run by SWAIA.
Hispanic artists sell carved santos, tinwork, weaving and furniture made in centuries-old traditions.
Folk artists from dozens of countries sell their work; the market now takes place in the Railyard rather than on Museum Hill.
Five productions a summer in an open-sided theater with views of the mountains at sunset.
A giant puppet called Old Man Gloom is burned at Fort Marcy Park to start the Fiesta, a celebration that dates to the early 1700s.
The chile capital celebrates its harvest with roasting, food, music and a chile queen.
Talks, costume contests, a parade and alien-themed fun marking the 1947 Roswell Incident.
Rodeo, livestock, food, rides and an Indian Village with dances and crafts.
Taos Pueblo's feast day, with a trade fair and a traditional pole climb; confirm visitor rules with the pueblo first.
A smaller indoor market from SWAIA, good for holiday shopping directly from Native artists.
Thousands of farolitos and small bonfires line the road as crowds walk and sing carols; streets close to cars.
Dates move from year to year — confirm on the organizer’s site before you plan around an event.
Official Event Calendars
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Get free trip quotes »New Mexico Events — FAQ
When is the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta?
It usually runs for nine days in early October, starting on the first Saturday of the month or close to it. Check the official site for the exact dates of the year you plan to visit.
Can I photograph pueblo feast day dances?
Usually not. Most pueblos ban photography, video and sketching during dances. Follow posted rules and any instructions from pueblo staff.
Which month has the most events in Santa Fe?
August, with Indian Market, the end of the opera season and the burning of Zozobra, followed closely by July with Spanish Market and the Folk Art Market.