PRESS KIT
Welcome To
The City Different Santa Fe is one of America’s most historic, artistic and fascinating cities. Known as, “The City Different,” the nation’s oldest state capital city is a place unlike any other in the world. Santa Fe is 400+ years of cultural fusion with echoes of the past alive in the present. While history is an ever-powerful presence, there is also a thriving contemporary and progressive sophistication. Santa Fe is stimulating yet relaxing, playful but educational, centuries old with modern touches; these qualities combine to make it a destination with endless stories to tell. Read on to spark an idea for the next story you will pen on this extraordinary destination.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. HISTORY OF SANTA FE ................................................................ 5 2. PR SERVICES & MEDIA RESOURCES Media Resources ....................................................................................... 6 Communications Staff ............................................................................ 7 Applying for Press Trip Assistance ....................................................... 8 Photo and B-Roll Requests ..................................................................... 9 Be Social with Santa Fe ........................................................................... 9 3. STORY IDEAS Essential Santa Fe Stories .................................................................... 10
PAGE 3 4. DESTINATION SANTA FE Getting To Santa Fe ............................................................................... 25 Climate ..................................................................................................... 26 Santa Fe Facts & Figures ..................................................................... 27 6. SANTA FE ATTRACTIONS ......................................................... 28 7. MAJOR ANNUAL EVENTS ......................................................... 34 8. SANTA FE TRIVIA ........................................................................ 39
A BRIEF
History
of
SANTA FE
HISTORY OF SANTA FE
PAGE 5
The area has been inhabited for millennia with indigenous peoples establishing permanent sites along the Rio Grande River, which became the distinct Pueblos we know today. The location that would become the Santa Fe town site was home to Native Americans from 1200 to the early 1400s. In the mid-16th century, Spanish scouts began exploring the area and in 1610 Spain founded “La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis.” The city’s history continued to play out on the El Camino Real, a migratory and trade route that passed through on its way north from Mexico City to the Pueblos in what is now New Mexico. By the 1750s, Anglo settlers were joining the population and the Santa Fe Trail was established in 1821 to bring goods from eastern U.S. cities. In 1821, the Spanish Territory of New Mexico fell under the governance of the newly independent Mexico. Santa Fe remained a part of Mexico until 1848 when it ceded to the U.S. as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo at the end of the Mexican-American War. As the American West boomed, the railroad drew the next influx of residents to Northern New Mexico. In 1912, New Mexico joined the Union as the 47th state. By the 1920s, American artists began to move to Santa Fe and establish themselves on the eastside of the city, creating the vibrant arts community that still flourishes. Santa Fe has since become an iconic destination known worldwide for historic preservation and maintaining a distinct sense of place. Santa Fe was designated a UNESCO Creative City for craft and folk arts in 2005 and won the National Geographic World Legacy Award for Sense of Place in 2017. Read more about Santa Fe’s History at santafe.org
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Services &
MEDIA
Resources
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MEDIA RESOURCES
Thank you for your interest in Santa Fe. The primary function of the TOURISM Santa Fe Communications Team is to assist members of the media with preparing stories on the area. We are your go-to source for press trip assistance with insider knowledge to enhance your story. Our goal is to assist you as quickly and thoroughly as possible with your media coverage needs. We check facts, offer story ideas, provide destination photos and b-roll video, plan itineraries and arrange complimentary media experiences. TOURISM Santa Fe organizes three group press trips annually, designed to give journalists the first-hand experience necessary to make a story stand out. These four-night trips take place in fall, winter/ski season and spring. The trips are ideal for a first time media visit or for the writer who has not been to Santa Fe in several years. Individual press trip assistance is offered year-round and allows for a more customized itinerary with flexible scheduling options. An abundance of stories are waiting to be written in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Please reach out to our team for assistance.
Jordan Guenther, Director of Marketing
Joanne Hudson, Public Relations Manager
Office: 505-955-6212
Office: 505-955-6221
jguenther@santafenm.gov
jghudson@santafenm.gov
APPLYING FOR PRESS TRIP ASSISTANCE
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If you are a journalist with a confirmed assignment, the TOURISM Santa Fe Communications Team is available to facilitate your visit. Our team can offer a wide range of support services, from supplying local contacts and recommendations on what to experience to coordinating hour-by-hour itineraries. We look forward to assisting you in telling the Santa Fe story. TOURISM Santa Fe is always willing to support staff and freelance writers, TV, film and radio crews or other journalists working on travel-related stories about Santa Fe. We are also happy to assist social media influencers or bloggers with press trips to the city; taking a similar approach to hosting as we would with traditional media. However, it is important to note, our policy is that we do not pay any partnership fees and have a limited budget to assist with transportation/ flight to the city. The first step in our process is for you to complete our media assessment form so that we can assess your needs and determine the level of support that TOURISM Santa Fe can offer. Please complete the online form found here: santafe.org/media-assessment Please note that we give priority to writers on assignment and would like to see a written assignment letter from your outlets detailing the scope of your Santa Fe coverage. Keep in mind that hotel availability is dependent upon the time of year, and it is at the discretion of our hotel partners. Requests for lodging assistance during the city’s busiest season, typically June through October, may result in a media rate offer. The more advance notice of your media visit the better.
PHOTO & B-ROLL REQUESTS
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TOURISM Santa Fe maintains a library of images and video for editorial use in support of travel articles about Santa Fe. Every photo distributed from this library, published in either a print or electronic medium, must be accompanied by a photo credit to “TOURISM Santa Fe” or other originating source. For access to this photo library, please email publicrelations@santafe.org
BE SOCIAL WITH SANTA FE
/SANTAFETOURISM
@CITYOFSANTAFE
@CITYOFSANTAFE
/CITYOFSANTAFE
#TheCityDifferent
SANTA FE
Story
IDEAS
ESSENTIAL SANTA FE STORIES: FAMILY-FRIENDLY SANTA FE
Family-Friendly
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SANTA FE
When planning an “American History” vacation, most families think of heading to Williamsburg, VA or perhaps Boston, MA. What they may not know, is that Spanish explorers and then Spanish colonial settlers were traveling to and establishing “La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis” in 1610, which was a good 10 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Visit Santa Fe to see sites that reveal the history of the Spanish colonial times in the Southwest, United States. In Santa Fe, visit the Palace of the Governors building, the oldest continuously used government building in the U.S. The Palace of the Governors is now part of the New Mexico History Museum. Another location for history seekers is the “Oldest Church” in the U.S., the San Miguel Chapel, which is a true adobe structure where you can see the mud brick construction now synonymous with Santa Fe. Just across the street from the church is the “Oldest House” in the U.S., showing what life was like in 1600s New Mexico. Another fun way to experience the Spanish Colonial history of Santa Fe is at the living history museum, El Rancho de las Golondrinas. El Rancho de las Golondrinas is located on 200 acres in a rural farming valley south of Santa Fe. Original colonial buildings on the site date from the early 1700s.
Sip & Stroll THE SANTA FE
Margarita Trail Nothing pairs better with Santa Fe’s famous chile-focused cuisine than an ice cold, salt-rimmed Margarita made with 100% agave tequila. Visitors to the city are in luck as a self-guided tasting adventure awaits on the Santa Fe Margarita Trail App and Passport. The trail launched in 2016 and was expanded in early 2019 to link 45 participating locations who have all created custom versions of the beloved cocktail designed to show off the master mixology found at the city’s bars and restaurants. The Santa Fe Margarita Trail App is available on Google Play (Android) and the App Store (iPhone) for $2.99. The app provides an interactive map of all 45 locations, the recipe for each margarita, the ability to track progress of stamps earned and a $1 discount on the purchase of each margarita. For more information, visit: santafemargaritatrail.com
Ski, Bike, & Hike DIFFERENT
Santa Fe boasts a perfect climate and diversity of landscapes ideal for outdoor recreation. Snowsports rule from Thanksgiving to Easter and biking and rafting seasons begin when the snow melts. All of these activities are within a 30 minute to one hour drive or less from the city center so you are never far from a trail in Santa Fe. For a quick hike, the Dale Ball Trail System on the city’s edge offers 30+ miles of maintained trails. The Aspen Vista Trail (a favorite in the fall) and Winsor Trail are higher up in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains providing more challenge and rewarding hikers with outstanding views. Take a mountain bike out for single track or spend time in the bike skills park on the La Tierra Trails.
Pueblo Feast Days & CELEBRATIONS
Long before the Spanish came to the area in the 16th century, the ancestors to the Pueblo Indians called it home. Today there are 19 Pueblo tribes in the state, in addition to part of the Navajo Nation in Western New Mexico and two Apache settlements. North of Santa Fe are eight Pueblo tribes that offer a view into both the past and the present.
ESSENTIAL SANTA FE STORIES: PUEBLO CULTURE
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There are several ways for visitors and media to experience the Pueblo culture. •
Plan your visit around the annual Feast Day Calendar and plan to attend and observe the dances and celebrations.
•
Visit the Poeh Cultural Center located at one of the closest pueblos to Santa Fe, the Pojoaque Pueblo. The Poeh Cultural Center is dedicated to sharing the history and art of the Tewa Pueblos. In October 2019, the center unveiled an exhibit of 100 pieces of ancestral pottery returned from the Smithsonian Institution.
•
San Ildefonso Pueblo has been in its current location for over 800 years and welcomes visitors throughout the year. This Pueblo community is a 45 minute drive from Santa Fe on the way to Bandelier National Monument, a huge cliff dwelling occupied for several centuries by the ancestors of the Pueblo. A visit to both Bandelier and San Ildefonso offers a briefing in Native American history and is a good day trip from Santa Fe.
•
In historic downtown, the Native American Artisans Program sets up each day under the portal at the Palace of the Governors. This is an excellent place for authentic Native American craft at reasonable prices and provides a chance to meet with dozens of local Native artists.
•
Mid-August is prime time for accessing the best contemporary, traditional and antique Native American Art with five major art shows/markets and many pop-up gallery exhibits held in the city during Native Art Week. The event culminates with the largest juried Native American art show in the world, the SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market. 2021 will mark the 99th annual Market.
•
The long history of farming and plant usage qualify Native Americans to be considered America’s first great cooks. At the Santa Fe School of Cooking, Chef Lois Ellen Frank, a James Beard award winning author with a PhD in culinary anthropology, presents a fascinating look into Native American food and culture during a demonstration class.
Eat Your Way Through SANTA FE
Green and red chile reign supreme in the traditional regional cuisine famous in Santa Fe. You’ll find the beloved fiery fruit on menus in most of the 200+ independent restaurants around the city and you’re likely to find it infused in locally made cheeses, breads, pastries, spirits, artisan chocolates and much more. From a “Christmas” chile smothered breakfast burrito to a juicy green chile cheeseburger to a red chile pork filled tamale, you might be tempted to consume the local delicacy at every meal.
ESSENTIAL SANTA FE STORIES: NEW MEXICAN CUISINE
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Santa Fe has developed a reputation for outstanding food in general and is known for contemporary Southwestern fare and the creative dishes of many award-winning chefs who call the city home. You will want to document the city’s culinary wonders and the following offerings in your next story. Santa Fe School of Cooking: Sharing the flavors of The City Different since 1989, the internationally acclaimed Santa Fe School of Cooking & Market is New Mexico’s authority on Southwestern cuisine. With a variety of classes featuring regional techniques and ingredients of the Southwest, offered multiple times weekly, Santa Fe’s original recreational cooking school is a foodie’s paradise and a quintessential culinary experience. Walking Food Tours: Combine seeing sights and learning city trivia with scrumptious flavors in a foodie adventure with one of Santa Fe’s walking food tours. These rambles through regional specialties and newer hip bites, guided by knowledgeable locals, should not be missed. Chocolate Trail: For chocolate lovers, there is no better way to see Santa Fe than through the tantalizing tastes of artisanal chocolates, made by passionate local business owners incorporating flavors and ingredients native to New Mexico, including chile, pinon nuts and lavender. We also like to drink our chocolate here and several of these locations serve historic drinking elixirs. With six independent chocolate makers in the city, Santa Fe has a disproportionate amount of craft chocolate available for a city of its size. Santa Fe Farmers Market: A year-round source of fresh produce, artisanal locally made products and red and green chile in all forms from fresh roasted to dried and powdered. If you are in Santa Fe on a Saturday, the market is a required stop and in the summer months, it can keep you busy for several hours. It is one of the oldest, largest, and most successful growers’ markets in the country, served by more than 150 farmers and producers.
DESTINATION
Santa Fe
GETTING TO SANTA FE
PAGE 19
The Santa Fe Regional Airport (SAF) is located on the Southside of the city. American Airlines provides multiple daily flights between Dallas or Phoenix and the Santa Fe airport. United Airlines provides daily service between Denver and Santa Fe. The Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) is a one-hour drive south of Santa Fe and is the closest international airport. Non-stop flights between Albuquerque and Austin, Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York, Phoenix, Seattle, Los Angeles and other major cities are offered. A free shuttle bus connects the airport to the New Mexico Rail Runner Express station in downtown Albuquerque, which connects train service to Santa Fe. The New Mexico Rail Runner Express provides rail service between the Santa Fe Railyard and downtown Albuquerque seven days a week, with fewer departures on weekends.
CLIMATE
PAGE 20
There are four distinct seasons in Santa Fe including snow during the winter. The warmest months are June and July, when temperatures reach into the mid-nineties. The daily temperature typically changes 30 degrees due to the city’s elevation and cool evenings. Santa Fe experiences 300+ days of sunshine per year. Normal rainfall is 14 inches annually. This level of precipitation means Santa Fe is not a desert climate, but can best be described as mountain foothills covered with pinon and juniper woodland.
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES IN SANTA FE Avg. High Avg. Low Mean Avg. Precip.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 42 48 55 64 72 83 86 83 78 67 52 44 19 24 28 33 42 51 56 54 48 37 26 19 30 34 38 47 55 65 68 66 60 51 40 32 0.7 in. 0.7 in. 0.9 in. 0.8 in. 1.0 in. 1.3 in. 2.9 in. 3.4 in. 2.1 in. 1.1 in. 0.9 in. 0.7 in.
SANTA FE FACTS & FIGURES GENERAL City incorporation: 1610, 2nd oldest city in U.S. Santa Fe is the capital city of New Mexico City slogan: “The City Different” Population: 83,000 Elevation: 7,199, highest capital city in U.S. Land Area: 37 square miles
HOSPITALITY Annual Visitation: Approx. 2 million, most popular months for visitors are April through October peaking in July and August Hotel Room Inventory: Approx. 5,575 total rooms The Santa Fe Community Convention Center opened in 2008 offering 72,000 square feet of flexible meeting space.
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SANTA FE
Attractions
SANTA FE ATTRACTIONS
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Canyon Road Canyon Road is a magical half-mile arts district dedicated to the country’s finest art with more than 100 galleries housed in charming pueblo-style adobe buildings. The historic neighborhood has evolved into a major art market containing the densest concentration of galleries in the country. Georgia O’Keeffe Museum Featuring the single largest repository of artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s work in the world, the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum presents exhibitions that are either devoted entirely to O’Keeffe’s work or exhibits combining examples of her art with works by American modernist contemporaries. A visit to the O’Keeffe Museum offers insight into the artist’s paintings, her creative process and the New Mexico landscape that inspired her. IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts The IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts is home to the largest collection of contemporary Native art in the world, dedicated solely to advancing the discourse, knowledge and understanding of contemporary Native arts. The Museum’s exhibitions and programs challenge pre-conceived notions of contemporary art.
SANTA FE ATTRACTIONS
PAGE 24
Meow Wolf House of Eternal Return Meow Wolf is a Santa Fe-based arts and entertainment collective that creates immersive, interactive experiences to transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. The company’s first permanent location, The House of Eternal Return, is a reality-wrinkling playhouse where guests discover a multidimensional mystery house with secret passages, portals to magical worlds and surreal, maximalist and mesmerizing art exhibits. Museum of Indian Arts and Culture The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is a premier repository of Native art and material culture interpreting the stories of the people of the Southwest from pre-history through contemporary art. The outstanding collection showcases classic and contemporary Southwestern Indian paintings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, basketry and weaving. Museum of International Folk Art The world’s largest museum of international folk art includes Alexander Girard’s long term exhibition “Multiple Visions, A Common Bond” and an annual schedule of changing exhibitions designed to foster understanding of traditional arts from around the globe and to illuminate human creativity.
SANTA FE ATTRACTIONS
PAGE 25
Museum of Spanish Colonial Art The Museum of Spanish Colonial Art is the only museum in the country dedicated to exhibiting and interpreting the art of the Spanish colonial period with a focus on Hispanic New Mexico. The Museum houses an incredible collection of over 3,700 pieces, dating from the Middle Ages to the New Millennium, the collection includes santos (painted and sculpted images of saints,) textiles, tinwork, silverwork, goldwork, ironwork, straw appliquĂŠ, ceramics and furniture. New Mexico History Museum Opened in May 2009, the New Mexico History Museum shows the history of Santa Fe and New Mexico for the last 400 years through permanent and temporary exhibitions that span from the early history of indigenous people, Spanish colonization, the Mexican period, commerce on the legendary Santa Fe Trail to Fred Harvey era and Route 66 travel. New Mexico Museum of Art The New Mexico Museum of Art displays an extensive permanent collection of Southwestern artists and artworks highlighting the cultural richness found in the state.
SANTA FE ATTRACTIONS
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Palace of the Governors Built by the Spanish as a government building in 1610, the Palace remains the country’s oldest continuously occupied public building. Its exhibits chronicle the history of Santa Fe as well as New Mexico and the region. American Indian artists sell their wares daily under its historic portal. Santa Fe Botanical Garden Opened in 2013, the Santa Fe Botanical Garden celebrates the relationships among Santa Fe’s unique cultures and landscapes. The Botanical Garden is a learning landscape of traditionally cultivated and native plants of the area. Santa Fe Plaza The heart of downtown Santa Fe for more than 400 years, the Plaza remains the central gathering place of the city, hosting Indian and Spanish markets and other annual events as well as community festivals, concerts and more.
SANTA FE ATTRACTIONS
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SITE Santa Fe SITE Santa Fe is a contemporary art museum dedicated to presenting the art of our time. Here you won’t find a permanent collection of artworks but an ever-changing program of new art and new exhibitions by some of the most engaging, boundary-pushing, and influential artists working today. Ski Santa Fe The closest ski area to historic downtown Santa Fe, Ski Santa Fe offers skiing and snowboarding recreation from November to April annually just 16 miles from the Santa Fe Plaza. The resort offers a base elevation of 10,350 feet and covers 660-acres with 83 trails. Wheelwright Museum of The American Indian The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian offers unique exhibitions of contemporary and historic Native American art with an emphasis on Navajo and Pueblo jewelry. The museum is famous for a focus on little-known genres within Native art and for solo shows by living Native American artists.
MAJOR
Annual Events
MAJOR ANNUAL EVENTS
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For a more comprehensive listing of all
Kids Free Spring Break
Santa Fe Century
Santa Fe events, go to SantaFe.org.
Celebration of family travel to Santa Fe
Long distance bicycle event with
with special deals for kids 12 and under
20-, 50- and 100-mile rides
santafe.org/spring_break
santafecentury.com
January – May
Santa Fe Film Festival An extensive program of films, panels, workshops and parties at various venues santafefilmfestival.com
Santa Fe Restaurant Week Value-priced dinners and lunches at participating restaurants santafe.nmrestaurantweek.com
Contemporary Clay Fair Exhibition and sale of contemporary ceramics by Santa Fe area clay artists contemporaryclayfair.com
Canyon Road Spring Art Festival Art exhibits, receptions and a live auction at Canyon Road galleries visitcanyonroad.com
Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival Museum-quality work of 200 Native artists for sale nativetreasures.org
MAJOR ANNUAL EVENTS
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June – August
Santa Fe Studio Tour
HIPICO Santa Fe Summer Series
New Mexico Cocktails & Culture Festival
Santa Fe’s artists open their studios to
International world-class equestrian show
Tastings, seminars and entertainment
the public for viewing and shopping
jumping competition
centered on cocktails and food pairing
santafestudiotour.com
hipicosantafe.com
International Folk Art Market
Art Santa Fe
Currents New Media Festival
A global gathering featuring the work of
International contemporary art fair featuring
Interactive installations, VR environments, & more
master folk artists
galleries from around the world
currentsnewmedia.org
folkartmarket.org
artsantafe.com
Gran Fondo NY–Santa Fe
Santa Fe Art Week
68th Traditional Spanish Market
A weekend of cycling events, including the 97-mile
Nine-day festival celebrating the city’s
Oldest and largest juried Spanish Market
Gran Fondo and 64-mile Medio Fondo road races
visual arts with more than 100 events
in the United States
gfnysantafe.com
santafe.org/santa_fe_art_week
spanishcolonial.org
nmcocktailculture.com
MAJOR ANNUAL EVENTS
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June – August (Cont.)
Santa Fe Indian Market
September – December
Contemporary Hispanic Market
Largest Native American arts market in
Santa Fe Fiesta
Showcase of Hispanic artists working
the world, held on and around the Santa
The oldest continuously celebrated
outside the colonial traditions
Fe Plaza swaia.org
community event in the nation features
contemporaryhispanicmarketinc.com
Objects of Art Santa Fe
Santa Fe Music Week A variety of concerts and musical events
food, music, parades and religious celebrations santafefiesta.org
Over 70 exhibitors show contemporary
around the city santafe.org
Green Chile Cheeseburger Smackdown
and historic art
Burning of Zozobra
Local chefs compete to make the best
objectsofartsantafe.com
Whitehawk Annual Antique Art Shows Exhibitors of antique Indian and ethnographic art whitehawkshows.com
Zozobra, a giant puppet stuffed with paper containing ills of the past year, is torched as thousands in the crowd cheer and watch their woes burn away burnzozobra.com
burger ediblesmackdown.com
MAJOR ANNUAL EVENTS
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September – December (Cont.)
Santa Fe Indigenous Peoples’ Day
GLOW
Santa Fe Thunder Half Marathon
A celebration of the citizens and cultures
The Santa Fe Botanical Garden’s holiday light
10K and half-marathon races, mile walk
of the 23 Tribes, Nations and Pueblos in
show with refreshments, entertainment and
santafethunder.com
New Mexico santafe.org
shopping
Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta
Santa Fe Independent Film Festival
Food and wine events, cooking classes and guest chef demos culminating in a grand tasting with 100 wineries and 75 restaurants santafewineandchile.org
Harvest Festival A celebration of the harvest season at El Rancho de las Golondrinas golondrinas.org
Films, panels and parties in the heart of downtown Santa Fe santafeindependent.com
Canyon Road Paint & Sculpt Out Over 150 artists create art en plein air on Historic Canyon Road visitcanyonroad.com
santafebotanicalgarden.org
SWAIA Winter Indian Market Native American–made arts and crafts show swaia.org
Canyon Road Farolito Walk Glowing farolitos light up Canyon Road on Christmas Eve at dusk visitcanyonroad.com
DID YOU KNOW?
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•
In New Mexico, we spell chile with an “e” at the end.
•
Santa Fe was designated a UNESCO Creative City for craft and folk art in 2005, the first U.S. City to be honored.
•
Santa Fe is considered the third largest art market in the U.S. based on sales with more than 250 art galleries in the city.
•
The boundary of the Santa Fe National Forest is seven miles from the Santa Fe Plaza in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and serves as the gateway to 1.6 million acres of pristine wilderness recreation area.
•
Ski Santa Fe is 16 miles from the city at a base elevation of 10,350 ft. and covers 660-acres with 83 trails.
santafe.org