The Santa Fe Connoisseur Club presents, The Sunday Joint!

A co-op collective of vendors and their products available for sampling.

Free entry and Free Raffle at 4:20 pm every Sunday.

From 12pm-5pm, 21+, ID required, Security Enforced.

2900 Rufina Santa Fe, NM

The Sunday Joint is here and this is your opportunity to purchase directly from your favorite growers.
New location!

FREE entry, the most friendly, and a smoke lounge to come soon!

See you Sunday!

SATURDAY & SUNDAYS IN MAY!

This train departs at different times depending on the day. Please check specific date for train departure time.*

The Santa Fe Scenic Train departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. Each ticket includes a seat in our enclosed train cars, a complimentary champagne welcome as the adventure begins, and live entertainment! Additional snacks and drinks can be purchased.

You may also choose to upgrade to our first-class car, The Acoma. The one and only original lounge car from the 1937 Super Chief. Enjoy the same luxury as some of our previous passengers - Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Jack Benny! The air-conditioned Acoma with its curved couches and original art deco furnishings has limited spaces available and an upgraded bar menu.

Trains will begin boarding 15- 20 minutes prior to departure and leave promptly as scheduled.

*Schedule subject to change. Please visit https://bit.ly/3HM6aja for available dates and times.

New this year! Join us as we uncork the best wineries in New Mexico! Sit back and taste local wines while enjoying the gorgeous views of the New Mexico landscape.

The New Mexico Wine Train departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. Each ticket includes a seat in our enclosed train cars, samples from local wineries, a complimentary glass of wine of your choice, a handheld charcuterie box and live entertainment! Additional snacks and drinks can be purchased.

This train has no stop, you are onboard the duration of the ride. Outside food and drink are prohibited.

Santa Fe Playhouse (SFP) proudly presents the New Mexico premiere of the Pulitzer Prize finalist groundbreaking play "What the Constitution Means to Me," by Heidi Schreck, directed by Lynn Goodwin, with Kate Udall* (SFP’s Sweat; Netflix’s Daredevil) taking on the role of Heidi.

"What the Constitution Means to Me" performs May 9 through June 2, 2024 on the mainstage (142 East De Vargas Street, Santa Fe, NM 87501), Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2 pm.

“What the Constitution Means to Me is one of the things we always say we want theater to be: an act of civic engagement. It restarts an argument many of us forgot we even needed to have.” – Jesse Green, The New York Times

Playwright Heidi Schreck’s boundary-breaking play breathes new life into our Constitution and imagines how it will shape the next generation of Americans. Fifteen-year-old Heidi earned her college tuition by winning Constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In this hilarious, hopeful, and achingly human new play, she resurrects her teenage self to trace the profound relationship between four generations of women and the founding document that shaped their lives.

"What the Constitution Means to Me" premiered off-Broadway at the New York Theatre Workshop on September 12, 2018. The play opened on Broadway at the Helen Hayes Theatre on March 31, 2019. Initially announced for a 12-week engagement, the Broadway production extended twice and fully recouped its investment, shattering box office records, for a total run of 24 weeks. Following Broadway, "What the Constitution Means to Me" played a record-breaking limited engagement run at the Eisenhower Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., as well as two sit-down engagements in Los Angeles and Chicago before halting performances due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The national tour of What the Constitution Means to Me resumed in September 2021.

Joining Kate Udall will be Jonah Scott Mendelsohn (APAC’s Caroline, or Change) as the Legionnaire; with Ariana Roybal and Xavia “Shaunti” Sitonik alternating as the debater.

Featuring scenic design and lighting design by Jared Roberts (SFP’s A Delicate Balance), costume design by Zoe Burke (SFP’s Fun Home), sound design by Saibi Khalsa (SFP’s A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder), props design by Emily Rankin (SFP’s Or, and Born With Teeth). The stage manager is Allison Goetzman (SFP’s Or,).

Tickets range from $15 - $60 (Pay-What-You-Will sliding scale pricing May 9 and 10); $5 Rush tickets after opening night) and can be purchased by calling 505-988-4262, visiting santafeplayhouse.org, or in-person one-hour before showtime.

Running Time: 90 Minutes with No Intermission.
Suitable for Ages 13+

Warm up your vocal cords and get your booty down to the Boxcar and show off your singing skills, or just come and have some fun!

Every Sunday, warm up those vocal chords and come with your go-to karaoke song. Crash Romeo will be hosting Karaoke Night every Sunday starting at 7 p.m.

NEW MEXICO ACTORS LAB ANNOUNCES SPRING

2024 PLAYS TO BE PRESENTED IN

ROTATING REPERTORY

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO –

Nicholas Ballas, Artistic Director of The New Mexico Actors Lab, announced

today that the Lab will open its 2024 season with a pair of thought-provoking, controversial two-character

plays, Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties and David Mamet’s Oleanna.

The two plays will be performed inrotating repertory (alternating performances) to highlight both their parallels and differences.

Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties concerns Zoe, a black 20-year-old undergraduate, who is called to a meeting

with Janine, a liberal white Ivy League professor, to discuss Zoe’s paper on the effect of slavery on American history.

Their meeting begins respectfully, but subsequent meetings steadily deteriorate into personal assaults and the unmasking of the professor’s unconscious biases. Set in 2016 during the fateful presidential primary campaign, The Niceties was described by the Los Angeles Times as “a shrewd piece of writing.... (that) takes a crowbar to the jagged generation gap between those in power and the disruptive new thinkers radical enough to expose the way their elders — including many who identify as progressives — so often pull the ladder up after themselves, as if to defend whatever hard-fought advances they have made.” Burgess is a rising American playwright and screenwriter whose work has been produced across the United States, including at Manhattan Theatre Club, Geffen Playhouse, Portland Stage Company, and the Contemporary American Theatre Festival.

Oleanna, by Pulitzer Prize-winner and Tony-nominated David Mamet, portrays the power struggle between John, a university professor up for tenure, and Carol, one of his female students who initially comes to see him about her grades. The meeting leads to her making a complaint of sexual harassment with the backing of an activist student organization, which threatens John’s career and tenure. When it was first staged in 1992, the play drew comparisons to the Anita Hill and Clarence Thomas debate during Thomas’ Supreme Court confirmation hearing. The play’s shocking ending demonstrates the power of theatre and its ability to polarize discussion. NMAL’s production will offer an opportunity to revisit the debate in the context of the #MeToo era. The New York Times described Oleanna as “wholly absorbing --a typically virtuoso display of Mr. Mamet's gift for locking the audience inside the violent drama of his characters.... John and Carol go to it with hand-to-hand combat that amounts to a primal struggle for power.

As usual with Mr. Mamet, the vehicle for that combat is crackling, highly distilled dialogue unencumbered by literary frills or phony theatrical ones.”

The two plays will alternate performances in the spring of 2024 from May 8 to June 23.

All performances will be held at NMAL’s permanent home, the Lab Theater, located at 1213 Parkway Drive in Santa Fe –one

block from Meow Wolf.

For more information email kfolivant@gmail.com.

Calling all local bands!

The Teen Center is looking for talented bands to headline our epic teen night events!
Whether you're into punk, pop, indie, or rock, we want to hear from you! Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to showcase your music and connect with an awesome audience of teens.

For more details and to sign up, contact Brian Stinett at (505) 479-1470.
Let's make some unforgettable memories together!

Exciting news from The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe! Gloomies are back! We are thrilled to announce that children from our community will have the chance to participate as Gloomies at the Burning of Zozobra this year. Kids aged 11-15 are welcome to apply to take on this iconic role for the centennial celebration. Submissions are due May 24, and auditions are on June 8 - don't miss out on this historic opportunity! More info here: www.burnzozobra.com/gloomie #Zozobra

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe is thrilled to announce a landmark agreement with our insurance provider that will allow children from the community to return to the role of Gloomies in the upcoming Centennial Burning of Zozobra.

Recently, insurance stipulations, professional dancers were tasked with portraying Gloomies for the iconic event. However, the special significance of the 100th burning has led to a collaborative effort with our insurance carrier, culminating in a decision to include the younger members of our community in this historic celebration for this year’s burning.

To ensure the highest standards of safety and performance, there will be a selection process for interested children. Auditions are slated for June 8th, where kids will demonstrate their ability to follow directions and comprehend the risks involved in participating in the event. It is imperative that children vying for a role understand the significance of this opportunity and the responsibility it entails.

Selected participants will be required to attend every rehearsal and will receive training in fire protection and safety to prepare them for their performance. This initiative is not only a nod to our city’s rich history but also an investment in the youth who represent the future of Santa Fe.

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe invites the community to support these young performers as they prepare to be part of Zozobra’s 100th burning.

The Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe is dedicated to serving the children of our community and is proud to create experiences that educate, inspire, and ignite imagination.

Kids ages 11-15, Here’s your once-only chance to perform as a Gloomie at the 100th Burning of Zozobra on Friday, August 30, 2024

Minimum Qualifications:

• Good listener and pays attention

• Good at following directions

• Not shy about performing in front of an audience of 65,000 people

• Able to coordinate movement of arms and legs

• Able to be physically active for extended periods of times without getting tired or agitated

• Not afraid of Zozobra, loud noises, fire, or fireworks

• Gets along well with others

Children will be escorted by adult chaperones pre-selected by Kiwanis. Due to the large number of people onstage during the performance, parents and/or family members will need to watch from the ballpark. Tickets may be purchased online at burnzozobra.com or at local credit unions; kids 10 & under are free accompanied by parents.

2024 Zozobra Gloomie Tr

What are you trying out for?*

• Audition to be a GLOOMIE (attend audition in person)

1. I will*

   • Audition in person to be a Gloomie. Auditions will be held on Saturday June 8, 2024 at Fort Marcy Park from 10 am-2 pm.

2. Certify that you have no relations with any member of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe below or explain how you do. Pleae understand that Kiwanis members will be limited to 10 to allow as many children from our community to participate*

   • I have no relations with any member of the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe

   • I have an affiliation Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe

3. In order to perform as a Gloomie on Zozobra night I understand i MUST attend ALL of the rehearsals and safety trainings below . I certify I can attend the following (SELECT ALL):*

   • Select All

   • Auditions on Saturday June 8, 2024 at Fort Marcy Park from 10 am-2 pm.

   • Rehearsal: Sat., August 3, 2024, 11am–3pm

   • Rehearsal: Sat., August 10, 2024, 11am–3pm

   • Rehearsal: Sat., August 17, 2024, 11am–3pm

   • Rehearsal: Sat., August 24, 2024, 11am–3pm

   • Dress Rehearsal: Wed., August 28, 2024, 5–9:30 pm

   • Zozobra Day: August 30, 2024 7–11 pm

Make the first day of the workweek a little less Monday and a lot more Funday with tickets half off for all New Mexican residents!

Bring your kid(s) after school for some immersive fun or schedule a cheaper-than-a-movie date night.

Mark your calendars because Monday Funday happens almost every Monday *blackout days apply* from 3pm - 8pm, and all New Mexican residents can get their tickets half off by using the promo code MONDAYFUNDAY.

IDs/proof of residency are required at check in.

Monday Nights during the entire month of May, Come by and swing at our weekly swing dance in Santa Fe with rotating teachers and DJs every week. We'll announce live band nights and costs separately.

Lesson starts at 7pm. Dancing starts at 8pm.
- $10 lesson & dance
- $5 dance only

Our dance floor was refinished recently. Please bring clean, non-marking shoes to wear while in the dance hall.

We recommend up-to-date vaccinations and/or masks. If there is a likelihood that you have been exposed to any virus, please recover fully before you return to the dance. We would like to protect dancers from illness as much as possible. Thanks!

The Downtown Blues Jam is Santa Fe's premier weekly event for LIVE blues music in Santa Fe.

The evening is hosted by house band Brotha Love & The Blueristocrats and features a special guest jammer each week to keep it fresh and interesting, along with amazing musicians from places near and far who come to share their extraordinary talents with happy blues fans.

8:30pm-11:30pm | NO COVER

Tuesdays are becoming Boxcars favorite day as we celebrate our service industry brothers and sisters with $2.00 tacos, $2.00 draft beers, $5.00 margaritas and more.

Specials are always coming and changing.

Come out and enjoy some Latin beats and heat up the dance floor

Join us at Social Kitchen & Bar this Whiskey Wednesday for a locals' night you won't want to miss! Enjoy the smooth sounds of the country music duo Second Chances while sipping on our special $7 whiskey cocktails. Plus, get an exclusive 20% off all food items. It’s the perfect midweek pick-me-up!

### Hashtags
1. #WhiskeyWednesdays #SecondChancesMusic #SocialKitchenBar #LocalNightOut #CountryMusicLive #WhiskeyCocktails #FoodieDiscounts #SantaFeEvents #LiveMusicLovers #EatDrinkEnjoy #SantaFeMusicScene #secondchances #NewMexicoTrue #countrynights #CountryDuo

Toast under a beautiful desert sunset on our classic ride, the Sunset Serenade. Select experiences will now feature Dueling Guitars!

The Sunset Serenade departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. Each ticket includes a seat in our enclosed train cars, a complimentary champagne welcome as the adventure begins, and live entertainment! Additional snacks and drinks can be purchased.

You may also choose to upgrade to our first-class car, The Acoma. The one and only original lounge car from the 1937 Super Chief. Enjoy the same luxury as some of our previous passengers - Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Jack Benny! The air-conditioned Acoma with its curved couches and original art deco furnishings has limited spaces available and an upgraded bar menu.
Departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. This train has no stop, you are onboard the duration of the ride.

Trains will begin boarding 15- 20 minutes prior to departure and leave promptly as scheduled.

*This train departs at different times depending on the day. Please visit https://bit.ly/3HSDyVf for available dates and times. Schedule subject to change.

"Open Mic is back! Come share your music, poetry, and other audial art at Cake's Cafe every Wednesday.

Enjoy late-night refreshments (and food!) starting at 7.

We'll start with a short workshop before opening the floor to performances! Hope to see you there."
227 Galisteo (behind Pantry rio)

Josh cultivates an immaculate vibe, and Daylar swings some bangin' drinks. come share!

Every Wednesday, warm up those vocal chords and come with your go-to karaoke song.

Crash Romeo will be hosting Karaoke Night

Every Wednesday starting at 8 p.m.

TONIGHT! It's the return of Warm Up Wednesday and what better way to do it than with My patna DOER Mandy Jackson if y'all remember the classic underground hip hop nights at the undie!

Well we’re bringing it back.
For those that don't know about this, join us for a night of classic and new hip hop funk and throwbacks mixed up by some of New Mexico's finest hip hop dj's.

Also, featuring live performances and much more.

This is the place to be on Wednesday night in Santa Fe.....
see you there 9pm..

For centuries, this maverick city at the edge of the Southern Rockies has been a cultural crossroads, from Native and Hispano peoples whose oral traditions root them in the landscape to a long line of writers whose work imagines and illuminates the American West and the wider world. What better place to bring together influential authors, thinkers, and passionate readers for an event as unique and inspiring as the city itself?

ON STAGE:

Bestselling, prizewinning authors headline the Festival, discussing their work with readings and book signings that set the stage for further inspired conversations.

Walk & Talk:

Small groups of festivalgoers along with featured authors stretch their legs and their minds during morning meditations, walking tours, and other literary-themed activities.

In Conversation & Talks:

Authors and other notable figures engage in one-on-one conversations and thought-provoking discussions. An opportunity to find out what inspires some of today’s most important writers.

The list of authors is endless…and for all other inquires…. https://www.sfinternationallitfest.org/authors

Celebrate the end of the week (and give your kids the chance to burn off some energy) with a fun-filled trip to LiggettVille.

When you book online for a Friday between 1 pm - 4 pm, you can enjoy our combo tickets for just $15 per person.

These tickets include access to our exhilarating Sky Trail® ropes course with Sky Rail® zip rails, as well as our exciting Clip 'n Climb® climbing walls.

That's up to an hour and a half of play for just $15!

And don't worry, the little ones can join in on the fun, too!

Children who are 48" and under can enjoy the smaller Sky Tykes® ropes course and Clip 'n Climb® climbing walls for just $10 during this special offer.

F1rst and Th3rd Friday of each month!

We are thrilled to share that @donutvision who is crafting dessert pastries with Southeast Asian flavors will be at Back Road Pizza!

This Friday, don’t miss their Taro and Coconut Rice Flour Donut!

Their menu will change monthly, so keep an eye out for exciting new flavors as we roll them out.

@backroadpizza 1807 2nd St #1, Santa Fe
Friday, Jan. 19th (5pm-7pm)

Music from the 60’s till today! Get ready to dance and sing your heart out to classics that will keep you wanting more.

Food and drinks available late night

Every Saturday join The Margarita Rail which is Sky Railway's nod to the famous Santa Fe Margarita Trail!

Enjoy amazing views and live music on this train dedicated to Santa Fes favorite cocktail, The Margarita!

The Margarita Rail Train departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. Each ticket includes a seat in our enclosed train cars, a complimentary drink ticket, and live entertainment!

Additional snacks and drinks can be purchased.

Trains will begin boarding 15- 20 minutes prior to departure and leave promptly as scheduled.

*Schedule subject to change. Please visit https://bit.ly/3vBmEY8 for available dates and times.

Cue up your Otis Redding record and get your Duckie dance on because PRETTY IN PINK is rolling up in a rented limo May 18th and 19th for prom season! Whether you're bananas for Blane, die-hard for Duckie, or just wanna see Andie pulling off her iconic outfits, check yes at jeancocteaucinema.com to be our prom date.

7 PM on the 18th and 3PM on the 19th are the starting times for the 2 showings.

American Indians lived on the lands of modern-day New Mexico long before Spanish settlement in the 1500’s.  With such a long history in these lands, the Native American’s timeless traditions, arts and beliefs continue to enrich the state today, and make it the fascinating place that it is known to be.  The Pueblo’s–Spanish word for towns—of  New Mexico are the oldest tribal communities in the country, and are richly historic communities of people who continue to practice the time-honored traditions, beliefs and practices of their ancestors.  Each Pueblo is a self-governing community with distinctive traditions, ceremonies, beliefs, and languages.   Throughout New Mexico, there are 19 different Pueblo’s still in existence, including the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos north of Santa Fe.  These historic communities open their towns to visitors throughout the year whom are seeking a meaningful experience of Pueblo culture and traditions. This winter, take the opportunity to visit an ancient Pueblo during the Pueblo Feast Days, and experience for yourself the ways in which these remarkable cultures retain a strong connection with their past.  Stay at our luxury Santa Fe Bed and Breakfast this winter, and don’t miss the chance to experience winter dances and feast days at our regional Pueblo’s.  

Indian Pueblo Feast Days

Feast days are a time for tribal members to come together, and to renew their culture, language and native religion.  Each Pueblo hosts its own feast day, which is named after its individual Saint of the Pueblo.  Feast Days at Indian Pueblo’s are an important and ceremonial time of year.  This January, visit one of the best known New Mexico Pueblos, San Ildefenso.  The people of this Pueblo have lived in the present site since before thirteen hundred A.D., and retain a strong sense of history with their ancient ceremonies, rituals and tribal dances.  One important festival performed during this feast day is the Buffalo Deer Dance.  If you are in Santa Fe during these Pueblo Feast Days, you should take the time to experience this remarkable display of cultural history.  It’s a performance you won’t forget. However, if you do decide to visit Native American Pueblo’s, please do always remember to understand and practice pueblo etiquette, as you are a guest in this ancient and treasured community. We look forward to sharing this wonderful part of our regional history and culture with you this winter.

This listing of dances and events at local Native communities is provided by the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. It is best to call ahead to the main office at each Pueblo to confirm dates and learn about rules for visitors and photography that are specific to that Pueblo.

JANUARY

January 1

Turtle Dance at Taos Pueblo.

January 6, King's Day Celebration

Dances at Picuris Pueblo.
Buffalo, Deer, and Antelope Dances at Nambe.
Various dances at Sandia Pueblo.
Deer or Buffalo dances at Taos Pueblo

January 22

Evening Firelight Dances at San Ildefonso Pueblo.

 January 23

San Ildefonso Pueblo Feast Day: Buffalo, Comanche, and Deer Dances.

FEBRUARY

February 2, Candelaria Day Celebration

Dances at Picuris Pueblo

 Late February

Deer Dances at San Juan Pueblo

MARCH

March 19, St. Joseph's Feast Day

Harvest Dance and various dances at Laguna Pueblo (Old Laguna)

 Easter Weekend

Basket and Corn Dances at most Pueblos

 Easter Sunday

Bow & Arrow Dance after Mass at Nambe

Dances at Zia Pueblo Sunday & Monday

MAY

May 1

San Felipe Pueblo Feast Day - Huge Corn Dance

May 3

Santa Cruz Feast Day - Blessing of the Fields and Corn Dance at Taos Pueblo

Memorial Day Weekend

Annual Jemez Red Rocks Arts & Crafts Show

JUNE

First Saturday of the Month

Blessing of the Fields at Tesuque Pueblo, Corn Dance.

June 13, San Antonio Feast Day

Corn Dances at Sandia and Taos Pueblos
Comanche Dance at Santa Clara

June 24

San Juan Pueblo Feast Day
Buffalo and Comanche Dances and Corn Dances at Taos Pueblo

June 29, San Pedro Feast Day

Corn Dance at Santa Ana

JULY

July 4,

Mescalero Apache Maiden's Puberty Rites: Mountain Spirits Dance at Mescalero
Nambe Dances - Winter Buffalo, Spear, Yellow Corn, White Buffalo and Commanche Dances at Nambe Pueblo

First Weekend

Picuris Pueblo Arts and Crafts Fair

2nd Weekend

Taos Pueblo Annual Powwow

3rd Weekend

Jicarilla Apache Little Beaver Roundup & Rodeo; various dances in Dulce

July 20-21

ENIPC Arts and Crafts Fair, San Ildefonso Pueblo

July 25

Santiago Feast Day - Corn Dance at Taos

July 26, Santa Ana Feast Day

Corn Dance at Santa Ana and Taos Pueblos
St. Ann's Feast Day - Harvest and various dances at Laguna

AUGUST

August 4

Santo Domingo Pueblo Feast Day - Huge Corn Dance

August 9

San Lorenzo Sunset Vespers at Picuris

August 10

San Lorenzo Feast Day at Acomita
Trade fair, Ceremonial Foot Race, Pole Climb at Picuris Pueblo

2nd Friday and Saturday

Zuni Cultural Art Expo

August 12

Santa Clara Pueblo Feast Day - Buffalo, Harvest or Corn Dance

August 9-13

Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial - 50 tribes in dances, parades and rodeos at Red Rock State Park near Gallup

3nd Weekend

Zuni Tribal Fair

August 15, The Assumption of our Blessed Mother's Feast Day

Harvest and various dances at Laguna Pueblo (Mesita)
Zia Pueblo Feast Day - Corn Dances

August 19-20

Santa Fe Indian Market - Basket, Butterfly and Corn Dances in Santa Fe

August 28

San Augustine Feast Day at Isleta Pueblo; mass in the morning and a procession following mass. Indian dances in the afternoon.

SEPTEMBER

September 2, San Estevan Feast Day

Harvest Dance at Acoma Pueblo

 September 4, Saint Augustine Feast Day

Harvest Dance at Isleta Pueblo

 September 8, Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Feast Day

Harvest and Social Dances at Laguna Pueblo (Encinal)
Corn Dance at San Ildefonso Pueblo

 2nd or 3rd weekend

Stone Lake Fiesta - various Jicarilla Apache Dances in Dulce

 September 19, St. Joseph's Feast Day

Buffalo, Eagle and Social Dances at Laguna Pueblo (Old Laguna)

 September 25, St. Elizabeth Feast Day

Harvest and Social Dances at Laguna Pueblo (Paguate)

 September 30

San Geronimo Feast Day: Buffalo, trade fair, ceremonial foot races and pole climb at Taos Pueblo

OCTOBER

October 4, St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day

Elk Dance at Nambe Pueblo

 October 17, St. Margaret Mary's Feast Day

Harvest and Social Dances at Laguna Pueblo (Paraje)

NOVEMBER

November 12, San Diego Feast Day

Various Dances at Tesuque Pueblo

 Last Week in November

Christmas Light Parade at Zuni Pueblo

DECEMBER

First Weekend

Walatowa Winter Arts & Crafts Show, Jemez Pueblo

 December 11

Vespers and procession are usually held at 6 pm at Pojoaque

 December 12

Feast Day Mass at 10 am at Pojoaque in Tribal Council Room: Dances performed after the Mass

 December 24 & 25, Christmas Celebrations

Spanish Dance drama "Los Matachines" at Picuris and San Juan Pueblos

Pine Torch Processions at San Juan Pueblo

 December 24

Sundown procession with bonfires at Taos Pueblo
Acoma Pueblo is lit with luminarias beginning at the scenic viewpoint and continues as far as "Sky City"
After 10 pm Mass at Laguna, various dances
After midnight Mass: at San Felipe, Santa Ana, and Tesuque Pueblos
Buffalo, Deer & Antelope dance after Mass at Nambe

December 25

Various dances at Tesuque
Dances to be announced (Deer or Los Matachina) at Taos Pueblo
Christmas Celebration: Matachina Dance at San Ildefonso Pueblo

 December 25-28

Harvest Dance at Laguna Pueblo
Dances at Zia Pueblo

FOR MORE PLEASE VISIT https://www.miaclab.org/42 & https://fourkachinas.com/blog/pueblo-feast-days/

Art collectors are often said to have “a good eye” for pictures, but what does that really mean?

This selection of photographs from three collections recently donated to the museum and one promised gift illustrates a variety of approaches to choosing works of art and assembling a collection.

On view will be suites of work from each collector, including photographs by Ruth Bernhard, Edward Burtynsky, Harry Callahan, Adam Fuss, David Michael Kennedy, Minor White, and more.

On view January 20 - July 7, 2024.

Included with Museum Admission.

Join conductor and educator Oliver Prezant for a series of fun, informative talks on opera. Each talk will introduce you to opera basics while previewing one of the five operas of the Santa Fe Opera’s 2024 season. For more than 25 years, Oliver Prezant’s unique presentations have helped thousands of newcomers and established opera lovers deepen their experience of music and opera.

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Giuseppe Verdi’s La traviata (The one who strayed)

Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave

A loving sacrifice on the altar of propriety … Join us for a deep dive into the world of the Parisian demi-monde, where the glittering parties of the upper class give way to late-night liaisons between courtesans and their elite clientele. During the presentation we’ll dig into the text and the music as we explore the tragedy of Violetta, a courtesan, and Alfredo, the young man she truly loves. We’ll also take a look at the concept for the new production by director Louisa Muller.

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▸ Upcoming talks:

Friday, April 26 - LA TRAVIATA

Friday, May 10 - DON GIOVANNI

Friday, May 24 - THE RIGHTEOUS

Friday, June 7 - DER ROSENKAVALIER

Friday, June 21 -THE ELXIR OF LOVE

Collected Works 202 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, NM 87501 6:00 PM – 7:30 pm

▸No reservation necessary – Seating is first come first served

Every 4th Friday come and get your Electronic Music madness going at Cake’s - DOWNTOWN SANTA FE!
MORE DETAILS COMING SOON

Concerts by Candlelight happens every Saturday in Santa Fe featuring music from all walks of life.

Music covering everything from classical to rock and roll. Taylor Swift to Queen to Romeo and Juliet!

All shows are done with hundreds of candles burning…

Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Albuquerque. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Taylor Swift at The New Mexico Museum of Art under the gentle glow of candlelight.

General Info
📍 Venue: New Mexico Museum of Art
📅 Dates and times: select your dates/times directly in the ticket selector
⏳ Duration: 65 minutes (doors open 45 mins prior to the start time and late entry is not permitted)
👤 Age requirement: 8 years old or older. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult
♿ Accessibility: this venue is ADA compliant
❓ View the FAQs for this event here
🪑 Seating is assigned on a first come first served basis in each zone
🎻 Check out all the Candlelight concerts in Santa Fe
🕯️ If you would like to book a private concert (min 15+ people), please click here
🎁 To treat your friends and family to a Candlelight gift card, click here

Tentative Program for Tribute to Taylor Swift on Friday January 26, 2024

• Lavender Haze

• Love Story

• Cardigan

• Blank Space

• Enchanted

• Anti-Hero

• We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together

• All Too Well

• Wildest Dreams

• Lover

• I Knew You Were Trouble

• You Belong With Me

Performers

• Listeso String Quartet

On Wednesday February 14, 2024 - A Tribute to Queen and more

Tentative Program

Queen:

• Don't Stop Me Now

• Killer Queen

• Somebody to Love

• Love of My Life

• Crazy Little Thing Called Love

• Under Pressure (Queen and David Bowie)

• Bohemian Rhapsody

• Fat Bottomed Girls

• We Will Rock You

• Another One Bites The Dust

• We Are The Champions

Other Works:

• Gianni Schicchi, “O Mio Babbino Caro” – Giacomo Puccini

• La Boheme, SC 67, Act 2: “Quando m'en Vo' (Musetta's Waltz)” – Giacomo Puccini

• Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620, Act 2: “Der Hölle Rache Kocht in Meinem Herzen (Queen of the Night Aria)” – W. A. Mozart

Performers

• Listeso String Quartet

Also on Februrary 14, 2024 - Valentine's Day Special ft. "Romeo and Juliet" and More
Tentative Program

• Moon River from Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Henry Mancini

• O Mio Babbino Caro from Gianni Schicchi – Giacomo Puccini

• Méditation from Thaïs – Jules Massenet

• String Quartet No. 2 in D Major: III. Notturno: Andante – Alexander Borodin

• Clair de Lune, L.32 – Claude Debussy

• Libertango – Astor Piazzolla

• Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet – Nino Rota

• Gabriel's Oboe from The Mission – Ennio Morricone

• My Heart Will Go On from Titanic – James Horner and Céline Dion

• Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana – Pietro Mascagni

• Serenade for Strings in E Minor, Op. 20: II. Larghetto – Edward Elgar

• Fantasy Overture from Romeo and Juliet – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Performers

• Listeso String Quartet

Artistic Directors Nicholas Ballas and Robert Benedetti are excited to announce NMAL’s 10th Anniversary 2024 Season featuring six compelling and thought-provoking plays by award-winning playwrights: Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties (May 8 to June 16) in rep with David Mamet’s Oleanna (May 15 to June 16); the world premiere staged reading of Carolyn Gage’s Georgia and the Butch (August 9 to 18), Lanford Wilson’s Burn This (September 4 to 22), Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning (October 9 to 27); and Eden Prairie, 1971 by Mat Smart (November 13 to December 1).

Tickets are now on sale at the NMAL website, www.nmactorslab.com. 

Season tickets are $175 (six shows for the price of five).
Individual tickets are $35, with discounted tickets (see website for details) and two preview performances costing $15.

The first two plays of the season, performed in repertory style, tackle some of the thornier issues of integrity and ignorance in academia with two powerful renditions of the professor/student conference gone bad in The Niceties and Oleanna. Deep dives into racial identity and sexual harassment will draw audiences into two very different decades of social awareness.

The New York Times said of Eleanor Burgess’ The Niceties, “The parallels to David Mamet’s controversial classic Oleanna are clear: A 20-year-old undergraduate meets one-on-one with a professor who fatally underestimates her. By the end of their conversation, the professor’s career is in jeopardy, the militant student bent on its destruction. But where Mr. Mamet made his student a feminist straw woman menacing a man who doesn’t much deserve it, the likable yet merciless Zoe is the one we’re meant to root for here, against a professor who is guilty as charged.” The Niceties will be directed by Robert Benedetti and performed by Karen Ryan and Baby True; Oleanna, Mamet’s impassioned response to the Clarence Thomas hearing, will mark Suzanne Lederer’s directing debut with NMAL, and will be performed by Emily Rankin and Geoffrey Pomeroy.

The fall season will offer four plays beginning with the world premiere of Carolyn Gage’s Georgia and the Butch, directed by Robert Benedetti as a staged reading.  This dramatic adaptation uses excerpts from the letters between Maria Chabot, a young, gender-non-conforming lesbian and the renowned artist Georgia O'Keeffe, with additional narration by their mutual friend, Mary Wheelwright.

Lanford Wilson’s explosive drama, Burn This, explores the spiritual and emotional yearnings of Anna, a dancer in NYC, and her unexpected love affair with Pale, an edgy restaurateur. Their determined struggle toward emotional honesty and liberation exemplifies the strength, humor, and complexity of all Lanford Wilson's work and confirms his standing as one of America's greatest playwrights. Nicholas Ballas will direct.

Zoe Lesser returns to New Mexico Actors Lab to direct Pulitzer Prize finalist Heroes of the Fourth Turning by Will Arbery, a scrupulously hewn drama centering on four alumni of a conservative Catholic college who confront themselves and each other, clashing over theology, politics, and personal responsibility.  It’s an in-depth exploration into the hearts and minds of Christian Conservativism.

The season closes with Mat Smart’s Eden Prairie, 1971, directed by Nicholas Ballas. On the same night Apollo 15 makes its lunar landing, draft-dodger Pete steals home to Eden Prairie after a 300-mile trek from Canada risking arrest to deliver an important message to his childhood friend, Rachel. Both are caught between duty to the ones they love and their own futures. In a moment of national tension that mirrors our own, Pete must defend his choices and grapple with the sacrifices he has made. This stark, passionate drama questions our notions of bravery and responsibility and the search for love.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS

THE NICETIES:  May 8- 12, 23-24, June 1-2, 6-7, 14-16

OLEANNA:  May 15-19, 25-26, 30-31, June 8-9, 15-16

GEORGIA AND THE BUTCH:  August 9-11, 15-18

BURN THIS:  September 4-8, 12-15, 19-22

HEROES OF THE FOURTH TURNING:  October 9-13, 17-20, 24-27

EDEN PRAIRIE, 1971:  November 13-17, 21-24, 29-December 1

Performances Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinees at 2p.m., with additional Wednesday Preview at 7:30 p.m. in the first week (limited seating). All performances at The Lab Theater, 1213 Parkway, Santa Fe - – one block from Meow Wolf.

Additional information at www.nmactorslab.com

Artistic Director, Nicholas Ballas nicob@nmactorslab.com (505) 670-1077

Associate Artistic Director, Robert Benedetti – BenedettiR@comcast.net (310) 633-3324

Managing Director, Katie Olivant kfolivant@nmactorslab.com (209) 535-7088SD

Working for yourself can be a little lonely...until you join the Solopreneur Social Club.

Join us at Iconik Red for connection on solopreneur life, small business networking, and new friends.

Hosted my Entrepreneurial Coach Ryan Glassmoyer (abstracttherapie.com).

Abstract Therapie is a unique creation by Intuitive Coach Ryan Glassmoyer.  

Ryan learned she was intuitive while studying Language and Literature at the University of Washington in Seattle.  Recently recovered from heroin addiction at the ripe young age of 21, she returned to college and decided to study what she was naturally good at; analyzing stories.  Simultaneously, she joined Alcoholics Anonymous where her spiritual awakening began. The 11th Step in the 12-Step work says to seek a Higher Power through prayer and meditation. Taking the steps seriously, Ryan accepted a friend’s invitation to go to a meditation party one evening.  At this gathering a significant wound was touched by a divine force and she cried quite noticeably. The teacher took her aside and asked her a life-changing question.  

“I see that you were incredibly touched there, and I see that you are highly intuitive. Have you ever done this work before?” Ryan said she hadn’t, which confirmed further what her new teacher was sensing. “I believe you have heightened intuitive gifts and that you’re meant to do this work not only to help yourself but to help others,” the mentor said, “if you’re interested I’ll teach you how.” So began a two-year apprenticeship in energy reading.  

Fast forward many years and Ryan leads a life of adventure, foregoing traditional employment to create life on her terms. She lived in three foreign countries and started businesses in each, either teaching English or coaching. Ryan grew up as a facilitator and continued to learn about herself, others and the spiritual forces that move through the world.  

When the pandemic hit she saw her intuitive coaching practice bloom. The anxiety people were feeling in unpredictable times was elevating the call to energy work. Being creative, Ryan sensed that simply being an “energy healer” didn’t encompass all of what she is or does and set out to describe her work more authentically.  

After speaking with many clients about their experiences, a common theme became clear. The value of Ryan’s work is the abstract. She takes clients far from linear thoughts into a space where they can see that which is hidden.  Understanding her talents for analyzing stories as well as cultivating intuitive experience, Ryan codified the Abstract Therapie method you’re exploring now.  

Her goal is to help you reconnect to the immense power of your intuition and imagination, wherein you reclaim authorship of your own story through deep intuition and practical coaching.

We meet once a month on usually the first Monday night of the Month.
We are limited to 12 Participants, so we suggest you reserve your spot in advance.

At Open Studio Night, we simply get together and make art.
The joy of these gatherings is in the synergy created when artists get together.

We all work on our own art, sometimes in silence and sometimes sharing and talking.
We oftentimes ask each other for feedback and learn many things about each other’s processes.
Sometimes we offer each other critiques and sometimes we ask each other for advice..

THERE'S NO INSTRUCTION AT OUR OPEN STUDIO NIGHT, JUST ARTISTS PAINTING TOGETHER....

These are 4hr Sessions: $5.00
Hope to see you there! Click on the link below to reserve your space...
https://app.squarespacescheduling.com/schedule.php...

Toast under a beautiful desert sunset on our classic ride, the Sunset Serenade. Select experiences will now feature Dueling Guitars!

The Sunset Serenade departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. Each ticket includes a seat in our enclosed train cars, a complimentary champagne welcome as the adventure begins, and live entertainment! Additional snacks and drinks can be purchased.

You may also choose to upgrade to our first-class car, The Acoma. The one and only original lounge car from the 1937 Super Chief. Enjoy the same luxury as some of our previous passengers - Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Jack Benny! The air-conditioned Acoma with its curved couches and original art deco furnishings has limited spaces available and an upgraded bar menu.
Departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. This train has no stop, you are onboard the duration of the ride.

Trains will begin boarding 15- 20 minutes prior to departure and leave promptly as scheduled.

*This train departs at different times depending on the day. Please visit https://bit.ly/3HSDyVf for available dates and times. Schedule subject to change.

Sharpen your pencils and join us for an evening of drawing in the galleries! Staff will lead a series of introductory drawing exercises for those who would like. Everyone else is invited to pull out their sketch pad and find inspiration in the galleries. Participants are invited to bring their own drawing supplies (pencils only please) but materials will also be made available.

This is a FREE program.

Join us every 1st Friday of the month for BASS NIGHT on the Santa Fe Plaza as we bring some of the best dubstep, midtempo, trap, and DNB DJs to Cake's Cafe!
21+ ONLY
Open Decks // Free Cover // Happy Hour : 8-9PM
After 9PM: Ladies 5$, Gentlemen: 10$

Join us every 1st Friday of the month for LATIN NIGHT on the Santa Fe Plaza as we bring the HEAT with of the best live performances and DJs to Cake's Cafe!
21+ ONLY
Free Cover // Happy Hour : 9-10PM

It’s the first Friday of the month and you know what that means….time to get you booty on the floor tonight…make our day! Let's make it a memorable one!

DJ DMonic and Dynamite Sol along with DJ T3 will be bringing the party.

Things kick off at 10 p.m.

Bring your $10 cover.

Every Second Thursday of the Month, You can Create with O’Keeffe at the La Farge Library.

Create with O'Keeffe

La Farge Library Community Room

Thursday, January 11, 2024

3:30pm - 4:30pm

An open art workshop for kids with our friends from the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum.

The Second Thursday of every month we bike through the city to a different brewery!

January - Second Street Railyard
February - Santa Fe Brewing Brakeroom
March - Tumbleroot

All riders will get a raffle ticket for a gift card or swag, and REI Bike Tune-Ups!

Rain or shine, meet at 7 PM, ride out around 7:20
Ride distance: 5-8 miles (social pace)

Every 2nd Weekend is Hip Hop Night at Cake’s Cafe - DOWNTOWN SANTA FE

MORE DETAILS COMING SOON

Parties. Passion. Paris.

Violetta is the belle of the ball at every party in Paris, until she falls in love with Alfredo. They run away from high society for a simple life in the country, when Alfredo’s father asks Violetta to sacrifice her love to save the family’s honor.

This lavish new production set in 1939 Paris is directed by Louisa Muller, who is reframing the opera as a memory play in which our heroine is preparing herself with what little time she has left and wrestling with what freedom really means. It features an international cast: Armenian soprano Mané Galoyan is Violetta, Uzbek tenor Behkzod Davronov is Alfredo, and Mexican baritone Carlos Arámbula is Germont!

Music By

Giuseppe Verdi

Libretto By

Francesco Maria Piave

Sung In

Italian

Instant Translation Screen

English and Spanish

Production support generously provided by

The John Crosby Production Fund

The engagement of Louisa Muller is supported by

The Marineau Family Foundation

The performances of Corrado Rovaris are supported by

Gene & Jean Stark

Run Time

Approximately 2 hours 15 minutes; includes a 25-minute intermission

Act I

Violetta’s salon. A revel is in full swing, and its hostess Violetta Valéry, the most beautiful courtesan in Paris, wonders how much longer her health will permit her to carry on this way. Her friend Gastone brings her a new suitor who he says has been in love with her for a year. Her escort, the Baron Douphol, disapproves. She laughs off such devotion, but the young man, Alfredo Germont, swears that his love could cure her. She protests again: friendship, not love, is all that she can offer. She gives him the camellia from her dress and tells him to bring it back when it has wilted. Alfredo is thrilled. When the party is over, she searches her soul: amidst her frenzied life of parties and pleasures, could she possibly fall in love?

Act II

Violetta and Alfredo’s country home. Violetta has left Paris for a bucolic idyll. She and Alfredo are happier than either has ever been. She has been selling her jewels to maintain their lifestyle. A visitor is announced, who she expects will be her business agent. She is shocked to learn that he is Giorgio Germont, Alfredo’s father. He asks Violetta to leave Alfredo so that his daughter can organize a proper marriage. Violetta tells Germont how ill she is and how much she needs Alfredo, but she agrees to make the sacrifice. When Germont leaves, she writes a note to the Baron telling him she will meet him at her friend Flora’s soirée that evening. Alfredo returns to find his father waiting for him, urging him to return home to Provence. An enraged Alfredo finds the invitation to Flora’s and rushes off to Paris.

Flora’s ball in Paris.
Everyone wonders what has become of Violetta and Alfredo. She enters on the arm of the Baron. Soon Alfredo appears, looking haggard. He sits down immediately to gamble, intending to win enough to buy back what Violetta has sold. As the guests go into dinner, Violetta slips away to meet Alfredo and begs him to leave. She fears the Baron will challenge him to a duel. Alfredo flings the doors wide and calls everyone in. He hurls insults at Violetta and throws his money at her: “You are all my witnesses that I have hereby paid her!” Violetta faints in Flora’s arms. Germont enters in search of his son. Only he truly understands the scene he beholds, but he cannot speak of it. Alfredo is remorse-stricken.

Act III

Violetta’s bedroom. Violetta, very weak, asks her maid Annina to open the curtains and let in the light. The streets still swell with revellers: it is the Carnival season. Violetta asks Annina to check the coin purse to see how much money remains.

The faithful Doctor Grenville arrives; Violetta makes an effort to greet him, and asks him not to forget about her. He puts on a cheerful face with her and then whispers to Annina that her mistress has but hours to live. Violetta sends Annina out to distribute coins to the poor. She re-reads the letter she has had from Giorgio, promising that both he and Alfredo will come to ask her forgiveness for her terrible sacrifice. Annina returns, breathless with joy. Alfredo rushes into the room, takes her in his arms, and they vow to go away together to a quiet place where all will be restored. But it is too late. She struggles across the room. Germont and Doctor Grenville have entered. She rises, painless at last … and falls.

Fri, June 28, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

Tickets

Wed, July 3, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Sat, July 6, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Fri, July 12, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Fri, July 19, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Thu, August 1, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Mon, August 5, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Sat, August 10, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Sat, August 17, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Tue, August 20, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Sat, August 24, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Suave, Shameless and Doomed.

Lecherous nobleman, Don Giovanni has had infamous exploits (he keeps a catalog). He kills the father of one of his victims and now, his continued debauchery will seal his fate. Who will exact revenge and make him pay the price for his misdeeds?

Stephen Barlow directs a new production set in Victorian London viewed through the lens of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. This comedy infused with darkness features Ryan Speedo Green in his role debut as Don Giovanni, the company debut of Rachael Wilson as Donna Elvira, as well as appearances by former apprentices Teresa Perrotta as Donna Anna, Nicholas Newton as Leporello and Liv Redpath as Zerlina.

Music By

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto By

Lorenzo Da Ponte

Sung In

Italian

Instant Translation Screen

English and Spanish

Production support generously provided by

The Tobin Endowment

The Robert & Ellen Vladem Perpetual Fund for Opera Production

The performances of Harry Bicket are supported by

Joseph M. Bryan, Jr.

The performances of Ryan Speedo Green are supported by

Sarah Billinghurst Solomon

The performances of Nicholas Newton are supported by

Guy L. & Catherine D. Gronquist

Run Time

Approximately 3 hours 25 minutes; includes a 25-minute intermission

Act I

Leporello complains about his work as a servant, while his master pursues an amorous adventure. Don Giovanni, masked, hurries out of the house, chased by Donna Anna, and then by the Commendatore, her father, who draws his sword to free his daughter from this unknown intruder. Giovanni deals the Commendatore a mortal blow. Donna Anna is overcome with grief. She returns with her fiancé Don Ottavio, who tries to comfort her, and they swear to avenge her father.

In the morning Giovanni and Leporello overhear a woman’s lament. Giovanni approaches to seduce her, and then realizes she is Donna Elvira, whom he has already seduced and abandoned. He manages to escape her, leaving Leporello to explain that she is but one entry in a formidable catalogue of conquests.

Later they come upon a jovial working-class wedding. Giovanni flirts with Zerlina, the bride, and invites the entire party to his villa. The groom, Masetto, is duly disgruntled, but distracted by Leporello. Giovanni and Zerlina are left alone – until Elvira interrupts and sweeps Zerlina away. Anna and Ottavio enter, asking Giovanni’s help in finding the killer of Anna’s father. Elvira interrupts again, denouncing Giovanni; but he claims she is mad. Suddenly Anna recognizes in Giovanni’s speech the voice of her father’s murderer and her attacker. Back in her boudoir, she describes the scene to Ottavio, and they both swear vengeance again.

At Giovanni’s home, Zerlina tries to calm a jealous Masetto. Giovanni leads them both back to the party. Three masked figures (Anna, Elvira, and Ottavio) make their entrance. The dancing begins. Giovanni leads Zerlina into an adjoining room and when her screams are heard, everyone rushes to her aid. Giovanni seizes Leporello and tries to blame him, but no one is deceived. Anna, Elvira, and Ottavio unmask and denounce Giovanni as the Commendatore’s assassin. Giovanni flees.

Act II

Giovanni and Leporello exchange clothes so that Giovanni can woo Elvira’s maid. Elvira falls for the trick, and Giovanni sings a melting serenade to the maid. Masetto arrives with a band of peasants on the hunt for Giovanni. Giovanni divides them up and sends them off, and gives Masetto a beating. Zerlina hears his groans and comes to console him.

Leporello, still disguised as Giovanni, is trying to shake Elvira when Anna, Ottavio, Zerlina, and Masetto surprise him and demand his death. Leporello reveals his identity, begs for mercy, and manages to escape. Ottavio swears vengeance. Elvira reflects on her betrayal and her enduring love.

Giovanni and Leporello hide in the funeral chapel. They hear a solemn voice and realize it is coming from the Commendatore, whom Giovanni orders Leporello to invite to supper. The Commendatore’s ghost nods his assent.

Ottavio hints at his forthcoming marriage to Anna, and she reproaches him for speaking of it so soon after her father’s death.

Giovanni seats himself for supper. Elvira enters, demanding that he mend his ways. He sends her away, and her shriek is heard in the corridor, only to be echoed by Leporello’s: the Commendatore has come to dine. He confronts Giovanni with his horrifically guilty conscience. Giovanni is tortured but declares he will not repent. The Commendatore exacts his revenge. The other characters deliver the moral of the story: the lives and deaths of evildoers are always the same.

Schedule:

Sat, June 29, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Fri, July 5, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Wed, July 10, 2024

8:30 pm

Enhancements:

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Mon, July 29, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Sat, August 3, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Tue, August 6, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Fri, August 16, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Wed, August 21, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Fri, August 23, 2024

8:00 pm

Enhancements:

• Tour

• Transportation

• Dining

Tickets

Toast under a beautiful desert sunset on our classic ride, the Sunset Serenade. Select experiences will now feature Dueling Guitars!

The Sunset Serenade departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. Each ticket includes a seat in our enclosed train cars, a complimentary champagne welcome as the adventure begins, and live entertainment! Additional snacks and drinks can be purchased.

You may also choose to upgrade to our first-class car, The Acoma. The one and only original lounge car from the 1937 Super Chief. Enjoy the same luxury as some of our previous passengers - Judy Garland, Clark Gable, and Jack Benny! The air-conditioned Acoma with its curved couches and original art deco furnishings has limited spaces available and an upgraded bar menu.
Departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. This train has no stop, you are onboard the duration of the ride.

Trains will begin boarding 15- 20 minutes prior to departure and leave promptly as scheduled.

*This train departs at different times depending on the day. Please visit https://bit.ly/3HSDyVf for available dates and times. Schedule subject to change.

July 6 & 7, 12–6pm

Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Santa Fe Wine Festival at El Rancho de Las Golondrinas. Test your taste buds and sample hand-made New Mexican wines from vintners around the state. Eat delicious foods, buy local arts & crafts, and dance your weekend away! Please drink responsibly.

Tickets & Info: https://golondrinas.org/events/santa-fe-wine-festival/

Get your tickets in April and save $2 per ticket! Tickets increase to full price on May 1, and then ticket prices increase by $5 one week before each festival. Space is limited and some festivals sell out, so get your tickets early.

Limited tickets available for the VIP Experience, which gives you access to the air-conditioned VIP Lounge, private wine tastings and delectable hors d’oeuvres. *Discounts do not apply to the VIP Experience.

Members, you get free admission to all festivals, but you must reserve your free tickets online to guarantee entry.

Faith. Power. Ambition.

David struggles to reconcile spirituality with ambition. His desire for more transforms his relationship with his family, friends and, perhaps, his own faith. His journey from preacher to Governor, like the lives of those closest to him, is shaped by current affairs of the 1980s.

Kevin Newbury directs an intriguing new production set in the American Southwest. This World Premiere by Gregory Spears and Tracy K. Smith features an all-star cast including Anthony Roth Costanzo, Michael Mayes, Elena Villalón, Jennifer Cano Johnson, Greer Grimsley, among others. Jordan de Souza makes his Santa Fe Opera conducting debut.

Music By

Gregory Spears

Libretto By

Tracy K. Smith

Sung In

English

Instant Translation Scree

English and Spanish

Production support generously provided by

Wyncote Foundation, as recommended by Frederick R. Haas & Rafael Gomez

Brautigam-Kaplan-Ostergaard Foundation

Robert L. Turner

Additional artistic support provided by

David B. & Anna-Karin J. Dillard

Carol Franc Buck Foundation

The Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation

The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation

National Endowment for the Arts

The performances of Jennifer Johnson Cano are supported by

The MacKay Fund for Debut Artists

The performances of Anthony Roth Constanzo are supported by

Gene & Jean Stark

Run Time

Approximately 3 hours; includes a 25-minute intermission

Act I

1979. A state in the American Southwest. Paul, an oil magnate with political aspirations, his friend CM, his son Jonathan, and his son’s best friend David are out for a day of turkey hunting. David, a preacher, tells Jonathan he feels that God is telling him to marry Jonathan’s sister Michele. Jonathan cannot hide that he wishes David could be more than a brother-in-law to him. Back at Paul’s ranch, David proposes to Michele, and she accepts.

Eli, an army serviceman, tells his wife Sheila that he will be leaving soon to lead training exercises overseas. She protests, for her own sake and that of their daughter, Shannon. David preaches a sermon on the importance of loving one’s neighbor. A few weeks later, David asks Sheila, a parishioner in his church, to lead a women’s group. David and Michele read the laudatory article that has just been written about the church. David’s charisma and leadership skills have led to whispers of his potential emergence as a write-in candidate for Governor, and Paul and CM are worried that David’s big personality is a threat to Paul’s own gubernatorial campaign. Michele asks David to make a public statement that he has no intention of running against Paul.

1986. Jonathan challenges David on his stance on AIDS. In David’s words, “Love is terrifying.” In Jonathan’s, “Isn’t it?” Sheila leads the women’s group – all profess the need to be calmed and soothed in the midst of family issues – and confesses that she is a survivor of abuse, but a believer in the all-knowing love of God. “Terrible and wonderful.” David and the Deacons plan to expand the sanctuary. Michele misses the David she’d thought she knew. David, seeing that Sheila is still in the church, goes back in after her to offer his prayerful attentions. They kiss.

Act II

Paul’s ranch, after the election. First Lady Marilyn is planning a dinner. Michele confides in her mother that her relationship with David has cooled. Marilyn assures her that she and Paul will always provide options for her. Michele sees a vision of David and Sheila’s affair. Paul has a heart attack and dies. The family is stricken. At the ensuing wake, old friend and consultant CM arrives and immediately asks David to run in the special election to replace Paul as governor.

Three months later David has won the special election. He returns to his church to say goodbye. Michele offers a curious prayer about forgiveness for husbands who betray their wives.

1990. David and Sheila, now husband and wife, host a reception at the Governor’s Mansion. They meet various guests, among them is Jacob, a young Black preacher from a struggling urban community. He complains that his community is misunderstood, while David holds fast to the belief that cracking down on crack and on the areas it affects is the best policy. Sheila extemporizes a speech about God’s compassion and privately excoriates David for what she sees as the change in his heart and views. Sheila feigns a headache and retires for the evening.

Shannon, Sheila’s daughter, has brought her friend Deirdre home from college. The dinner conversation with Sheila and David so manifests the tension between idealistic Shannon and her more staid stepfather that the girls take their meal upstairs. In the morning Shannon offers encouragement to her mother. Sheila makes a generous gift to the Women’s Shelter and goes there to offer her services as a group leader. There she meets Michele, who is there as legal counsel. Though forgiveness is neither sought nor offered, the two seem almost relieved to see each other.

Jonathan visits David at his office, interrupting a meeting on a new piece of “quiet” legislation. Jonathan is leaving for a place where he can be himself. David reflects on friendship and the passage of time and asks of God, “What did I mistake for you?”

The 2024 Summer Festival

Joshua Habermann, conductor
Sponsored by Carmen Paradis and Brian McGrath

Embark on a musical expedition as sixteen professional Desert Chorale artists accompanied by chamber orchestra and percussion explore the rich heritage of 17th and 18th century music from North and South America. Experience the toe-tapping melodies and soul-stirring harmonies of works by Latin American Baroque composers. Then, return to the present with selections from the modern Mass of the Americas by Frank La Rocca, in which he melds together “tones of Western church music with those of traditional Mexican folk songs.” Debuted in 2018, this “cornerstone of modern liturgical composition” (Mark Nowakowski) incorporates texts in Spanish, Latin, and Nahuatl (the indigenous language of the Aztecs).

Love. Lust. Devotion. Aging.

In the decadent world of Vienna, a story of romantic entanglements unfolds between a youthful nobleman, his mature mistress, and a young woman engaged to be married to an older Baron. Who is to give in or give up their heart?

Bruno Ravella directs this elegant new production set in the 1950s in a co-production with Garsington Opera and the Irish National Opera. Making her SFO conducting debut will be Karina Canellakis. Former apprentices Rachel Willis-Sørensen is the Marschallin and Paula Murrihy is Octavian. Ying Fang returns to Santa Fe to sing Sophie.

Music By

Richard Strauss

Libretto By

Hugo von Hofmannsthal

Co-Producer

A co-production with Garsington Opera and Irish National Opera

Sung In

German

Instant Translation Screen

English and Spanish

Production support generously provided by

The Avenir Production Fund

The Estate of James R. Seitz, Jr.

The Jane & Arthur T. Stieren, Jr. Endowment Fund, in memory of Arthur T. Stieren, Jr.

Additional artistic support provided by

Miranda & David Lind

The performances of Karina Canellakis are supported by

Susan Esco Chandler and Alfred D. Chandler

The performances of Ying Fang are supported by

The Peter B. Frank Principal Artist Fund

The performances of Rachel Willis-Sørensen are supported by

The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation

The performances of Matthew Rose are supported by

The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation

The performances of Paula Murrihy are supported by

Friends of Richard Strauss Operas

Run Time

Approximately 4 hours 10 minutes; includes a 25-minute intermission and a 20-minute intermission

Act I

The Marschallin’s bedroom. The Marschallin, Princess von Werdenberg, and the young Octavian, Count Rofrano, rise regretfully from her bed, where they have spent the night. At a sound in the hallway – perhaps the Marschallin’s husband – Octavian hides and disguises himself as a chambermaid. The Marschallin’s cousin, Baron Ochs auf Lerchenau, enters asking her whether she has given thought to his letter, in which he asked her to choose a Rosenkavalier – Knight of the Rose – to take the customary silver symbol to the woman Ochs has decided to marry, Sophie, the daughter of the very wealthy and recently ennobled Herr von Faninal. She suggests Octavian and shows Ochs his picture. Ochs cannot help but see the resemblance to “Mariandel,” the maid, whom he shamelessly pursues.

The Marschallin holds her morning levée, during which she is addressed by an animal tamer, a milliner, three noble orphans, and two Italian scandalmongers, and sung to by an Italian tenor. Ochs browbeats the notary into drawing up a marriage contract. Losing his temper, he interrupts the tenor’s song. The Marschallin sends everyone away, but not before Ochs has left her with the silver rose – and engaged the intriguers, Valzacchi and Annina, to secure him an assignation with “Mariandel.” The Marschallin muses on the passing of time.

Octavian returns, dressed as himself, and notes the Marschallin’s melancholy mood. She assures him he will leave her for a younger woman. He naturally protests, and she sends him away. When she realizes they have parted without a goodbye kiss, she sends her footman after him, but he has already ridden away. She calls her page to take the rose to him.

Act II

Faninal’s salon. Sophie waits excitedly with her duenna, Marianne. Octavian brings the rose to Sophie and both are smitten. The real suitor enters and Sophie is appalled by the Baron’s rude manners. Baron Ochs goes into an adjoining room with the notary and Sophie and Octavian agree that she must not marry Ochs. As they move to embrace, they are caught by Valzacchi and Annina, who call for the Baron. Octavian challenges him to a duel and wounds him lightly on the arm, at which Ochs shouts bloody murder.

He is cheered when left to rest with a bandage and Faninal’s wine. Annina returns with a note inviting him to a rendezvous with “Mariandel” that evening. He accepts with delight but does not tip her.

Act III

A room in an inn. Octavian, now helped by Annina and Valzacchi, sets a stageworthy scene for the confounding of Ochs. The Baron and “Mariandel” soon meet for a private supper, but strange figures appear from trap doors and windows, making Ochs think he sees ghosts. Suddenly a woman dressed in mourning bursts from a blind window, claiming to be Ochs’s deserted wife. It is Annina in disguise, followed by a herd of children screaming, “Papa!” The innkeeper and servants rush in. Finally Ochs calls the police, and claims that “Mariandel” is his fiancée Sophie. Faninal arrives, furious, and sends for the real Sophie. At the height of the confusion, the Marschallin appears. The Police Commissary recognizes her – he was once her husband’s orderly–and she easily explains that this was all a farce. She insists that Ochs leave Vienna, and he does, pursued by Annina and the children, the innkeeper, and his creditors. Now the Marschallin is left with undecided Octavian and anxious Sophie. The day she predicted has come. Quietly she leaves them alone together.

Something for everyone within this cosmic array of choral favorites

Program Sponsor

Elaine Wang Meyerhoffer

Conductor

Joshua Habermann

Artistic Director
Sponsored by Carmen Paradis and Brian McGrath

July 21–August 3, 2024

Spend an evening soaring the skies with our twenty-four professional Desert Chorale artists as they traverse extraterrestrial beauties, the thrills of flight, and the miracle of human connection. From classical masterpieces to popular tunes by Dolly Parton and others, there’s something for everyone during this interstellar program. Don’t miss the chance to hear beloved works from our album The Road Home live in concert. Plus, be the first to experience not just one but two world premieres! First, our 2024 commissioned composer Daniel Knaggs will dazzle you with Harmony of the World, which incorporates the words of renowned astronomer Johannes Kepler. Then, as a new partner with Chicago a cappella’s HerVoice competition and mentorship program for up-and-coming women composers, the Desert Chorale is honored to present Thoughts by winner Andelena Jackson. Prepare to be filled with awe and wonder on a musical journey for the ears and the soul.

Click here to view the planned repertoire for this program.

Performances

SUN, JULY 21 at 4 PM

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Sponsored by Gregory Dove

BUY TICKETS

FRI, JULY 26 at 7:30 PM

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

BUY TICKETS

SAT, AUGUST 3 at 7:30 PM

Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi

Sponsored by Patricia “Tish” Romer in memory of Joan Berner

BUY TICKETS

Desire. Love Potion. Magic.

Nemorino, a not-so-clever mechanic, has fallen for Adina, a school teacher. He desires her attention, but doesn’t feel worthy. Fortunately, he meets Dr. Dulcamara (most certainly a quack) who sells him a “magic elixir” that can make his dreams come true.

Stephen Lawless directs a revival of our 2009 production set in an Italian village in 1945. Prepare to be delighted as the lovers find their footing, and the elixir does its job! Former apprentice Jonah Hoskins performs Nemorino, Chilean soprano Yaritza Véliz sings the role of Adina and former apprentice Luke Sutliff is Belcore.

Music By

Gaetano Donizetti

Libretto By

Felice Romani

Sung In

Italian

Instant Translation Screen

English and Spanish

Production support generously provided by

The Estate of Suzanne Hanson Poole

The performances of Alfredo Daza are supported by

The MacKay Fund for Debut Artists

The performances of Jonah Hoskins are supported by

The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation

The performances of Luke Sutliff are supported by

The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation

Run Time

Approximately 2 hours 45 minutes; includes a 25-minute intermission

Act I

The villagers are coming in from a long, hot day. They enjoy hearing Adina read from the story of Tristan and Isolde and the magic love potion. Nemorino watches from a distance, yearning for even a word from Adina. He approaches her afterwards and professes his love. She shoos him away with brisk (and beautiful) words about the need for fickleness.

The army is in town. Sergeant Belcore enters, intent on storming the heart of Adina, the most beautiful and successful girl in town. She seems impressed. Nemorino is full of disgust and despair.

A cart pulls up carrying the Great Doctor Dulcamara, bearing pills and potions for every kind of ailment. He is most proud of his cure-all elixir. Nemorino approaches him quietly and asks whether he possesses the love potion of Queen Isolde. Absolutely, Dulcamara assures him. He will have damsels fawning over him. But he must wait a day for it to work. (Dulcamara has never heard of Isolde, the potion is a cheap Bordeaux, and the time would allow the Doctor to leave town.) He downs the flask and immediately feels robust enough to ignore Adina the next time he sees her. To get even, she consents to marry Belcore. Nemorino, horrified, begs her to wait another day.

Act II

Everyone is assembled for the wedding of Adina and the sergeant. Adina privately murmurs that she’s waiting to sign the marriage contract until Nemorino arrives. Nemorino seeks out the doctor to ask for another bottle of the elixir. Dulcamara agrees to wait until he can borrow the money. Belcore strides by, puzzled by Adina’s postponement. Nemorino laments that he is penniless. Belcore suggests he join the army and receive the volunteer bonus. Nemorino, jubilant, signs, and takes the cash back to Dulcamara for another bottle.

Suddenly the village girls surround Nemorino. He thinks this is the effect of the elixir; he does not yet know that his uncle has died and left him a fortune. Adina has felt responsible for his enlistment, but her guilty feeling turns to jealousy and sadness when she sees him with all the girls. Dulcamara offers her the elixir, but she assures him she can win Nemorino back on her own.

Nemorino was by no means indifferent: during all the confusion he noticed a tear upon Adina’s cheek. He is sure she cares for him. Adina approaches Nemorino and shows him that she has bought back his military contract. He feigns indifference, and she finally confesses her love. Belcore struts by, finds them together, and consoles himself by proclaiming that the world is full of women for him. Dulcamara redoubles his boasting: the magical elixir can make poor men into millionaires and can bring true love.

April 5th,
May 11th
August 3rd & 16th
September 7th and 20th

Join us on the DeathCookie Express to solve the murder of Leb Borkin and discover the secret of “The Metamorphosis.” It’s up to you and your fellow travelers to help Sasha find her brother’s killer on this sinister Sci-Fi journey!

The DeathCookie Express departs and returns to the Santa Fe Depot. Each ticket includes a seat in our enclosed (heated) train cars, a complimentary champagne welcome as the adventure begins, charcuterie, and live entertainment! Additional snacks and drinks can be purchased.

Trains will begin boarding 15- 20 minutes before departure and leave promptly as scheduled.

*Schedule subject to change. Please visit https://bit.ly/3pU2hCG for available dates and times

September 13 & 14, 2024

Vance Joy • Mavis Staples

Lucinda Williams

Courtney Barnett • Ethel Cain

The California Honeydrops • Nick Mulvey • Dakhabrakha

Elisapie • Red Light Cameras

Raashan Ahmad's Love & Happiness Dance Party Both Nights

Thursday Early Bird Welcome: Gone Gone Beyond • Brett Dennen

Tickets

Lensic Members can purchase two-day passes, camping and other add-ons starting April 9th.

Two-day passes go on sale to the public starting April 12th.

Camping & Lodging

On-site camping and lodging will be available. Check back soon for more information.

Blossoms & Bones brings music back to Georgia O’Keeffe’s summer home and studio, Ghost Ranch, Friday and Saturday September 13 and 14, 2024!

An intimate festival experience in the heart of the stunning landscape that inspired Georgia O’Keeffe’s life and work in Abiquiu, New Mexico just north of Santa Fe on Hwy 84.

Two days of amazing music, camping, glamping, great food vendors and libations from New Mexico brewers and distillers. Enjoy some of New Mexico’s best hiking trails, morning yoga classes, swimming pool, horseback riding, after show DJ dance parties with Raashan Ahmad and much more!

“The bones seem to cut sharply to the center of something that is keenly alive on the desert even though it is vast and empty and untouchable– and knows no kindness with all its beauty.”
– Georgia O’Keeffe

In 1993 and 1994, a 188-acre private parcel owned by Katherine Wells was recorded by the New Mexico Archaeological Society’s Rock Art Field School led by Jay and Helen Crotty.  

In 2007, the property was donated by Katherine Wells to The Archaeological Conservancy and became known as The Wells Petroglyph Preserve.  

The Preserve represents the most concentrated area of petroglyphs on Mesa Prieta and is on the National Register of Historic Places and the State Register of Cultural Properties.

Recognizing that the petroglyphs on Mesa Prieta offer an irreplaceable link to the past, an effort to organize a project to survey and record all the petroglyphs on the mesa was initiated in 1999.  The organizers of the Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project realized that the preservation of that history was critical to the area’s quality of life.     

     Over the next three years maps were gathered, permission obtained to record on several parcels of private land, volunteers were trained by Jay and Helen Crotty and Jerry and Jean Brody, funds raised, recording forms developed, and many other related tasks were accomplished.

Field work began in 2002. Since the project began in 1999, about 80,000 petroglyphs and cultural items have been documented. 

This includes the re-survey of the Wells Petroglyph Preserve, which initially was recorded before GPS units became affordable and digital photography was in wide use. Documenting petroglyphs on the entire mesa will take many years and require untold thousands of volunteer hours.
      As a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, MPPP relies on income from grants, generous donors, income from tours, sales of merchandise and various creative fundraising efforts to support educational, recording and numerous other preservation activities.

Turkey tracks surround this Pueblo IV shield bearer with arms extended, possible feather headdress and full facial features.  Numerous turkey tracks exist on surrounding boulders.

Mesa Prieta - The Place

Geology

       About 3.3 million years ago, a fissure near Pilar vented molten lava which flowed about 25 miles south on top of the river-cobble and sand which forms the Santa Fe Group, a sedimentary deposition comprising eroded material from the Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  When the hot lava cooled, it formed a hard canoe-shaped basalt layer.  As the Rio Grande began to flow about 440,000 years ago, it eroded the softer landscape around the basalt layer, eventually leaving the protected mesa cap towering one thousand feet above the river basin, as it is today.   

    When the hot lava cooled, it formed a hard canoe-shaped basalt layer.  As the Rio Grande began to flow about 440,000 years ago, it eroded the softer landscape around the basalt layer, eventually leaving the protected mesa cap towering one thousand feet above the river basin, as it is today.    

      Basalt boulders have a light brown color when newly formed or when continuously covered with soil.  Erosional processes that expose the boulders to light, moisture and air cause a dark patina or "desert varnish" to develop on the surface of the boulders.  New fractures, boulders becoming uncovered, and the process of creating petroglyphs on the boulders break through the dark patina, exposing the natural lighter color below.

Significance
       Mesa Prieta, meaning ‘dark mesa’, is a thirty-six square mile mesa extending twelve miles in a northeasterly direction.  Over 100,000 examples of rock images are estimated to exist on the mesa in addition to other archaeological features.  The east side is closely adjacent to the Rio Grande; the western side has large habitable and agricultural areas between the base of the mesa and the nearest drainage.

The terrain on Mesa Prieta is 
rugged and steep.

Deep fissures and rugged escarpments cover the side of the mesa.

  Archaeologists note that there are numerous other archaeological features, such as shrines, water control systems, check dams, lithic scatters, ceramics, field houses and other structures, grid gardens and ancient and historic trails in addition to the rock images.  The number and quality of the glyphs make the mesa similar in importance to other major sites in New Mexico such as Petroglyph National Monument in Albuquerque and 

the Three Rivers site near Tularosa.  Approximately 80% of the glyphs and other features are on private land.  Most of the remaining 20% are located on Bureau of Land Management land with The Archaeological Conservancy owning 181 acres and Ohkay Owingeh a small amount. 

       While the mesa's more remote location has spared it the problems of Petroglyph National Monument, there are troubling issues.  Development is encroaching in some areas.  Some important petroglyph sites have been mined for riprap.  Mining continues today and the threat of future mining is always present.  Vandalism has been less extensive than at some sites, but is evident in the most visited sections.  One of the worst hazards is destruction caused by off-road vehicle traffic in areas with concentrations of glyphs, particularly on BLM land.  Some areas of concentrated glyphs on steep slopes have been seriously eroded by centuries of overgrazing by sheep and torrential monsoon rains in the overgrazed areas.  With increased visitation to the petroglyph areas, escalation of erosion has been observed, particularly in areas where visitors do not stay on established trails.

Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Styles

Prehistoric agricultural check dam.  Agricultural features constructed of rocks are common on the mesa; recording volunteers record these structures as Cultural Landscape features.

      The rock images found on Mesa Prieta represent three distinct time periods:  Archaic, Pueblo IV, and Post European Contact (Historic) including Modern.  All three types are well represented, which makes the site unique and testifies to intense human occupation in the surrounding areas over the past several thousand years.  Folsom points have been found which confirm about ten thousand years of human activity in the area.  The availability of water nearby has made Mesa Prieta a compelling locale for humans and its huge, dark boulders are ideal for rock graphics.        

Archaic Period

Ancient Archaic Period Petroglyph.  These petroglyphs are so heavily repatinated that they are often difficult to see.

Boulder showing cupules and a one-poled ladder from the Archaic period.  Cupules are archaeological features found worldwide and are thought to have ceremonial purposes.

       Archaic period images are scattered around the site.  They have much in common with archaic glyphs found around the world.  Though exact dates are not verifiable at this time, the images can be related to Archaic era glyphs found in the Glorieta area of New Mexico that were associated with wood samples that have been carbon dated to about 5,000 years ago.  
       Archaic images of meandering lines, asterisk-like forms, one-pole ladders, grids and other abstract forms as well as human and animal hand and footprints are found on the mesa.  Images of humans, animals, plants and other objects common in early history are not found among the Archaic glyphs. 
     These ancient images are deeply pecked into the basalt boulders and are so repatinated that visitors easily miss them.  Many are barely discernible under the best light conditions.  Hunter-gatherer people who were the first occupants of the area made Archaic images thousands of years ago.

Ancestral Pueblo - Pueblo IV

        The largest numbers of petroglyphs on the site are from the Pueblo IV period, roughly 1300 A.D. to 1600 A.D.  Perhaps 75% of the petroglyphs on Mesa Prieta fall into this category.  These petroglyphs were created by Ancestral Puebloan peoples who filtered into the area around 1300 A. D., probably from the Four Corners region.  They developed what has come to be known as the Rio Grande Style.  The florescence of rock images reached its peak sometime before the arrival of the Spanish conquistador Juan de Oñate in 1598 who established a crown colony at San Gabriel near Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo).
        A huge number and variety of glyphs were created during this period.  These include circles, spirals, stars, geometric patterns, human hand and foot prints and animal prints such as deer, elk, bear and turkey.  Human figures appear as dancers, shamans, hunters, flute players, women giving birth and warriors.  Most Pueblo IV glyphs are believed by archaeologists to be related to some form of ritual or ceremony.

      The mesa is well known for its large number of shields, shield bearers and flute players.  One of the largest flute player sites in New Mexico, it has the largest number of animal flute players known.  Recent research has identified numerous sun calendars and solar markers among the rock images.

The flute player is a common image in Ancestral Puebloan rock images.  Animal flute players are unusual; the largest concentration of these images occurs on the Wells Petroglyph Preserve.

This image shows both one-horned and two-horned serpents emerging from a crack in the boulder.  Serpents in Ancestral Pueblo images
are thought to be mythological and are
often associated with water and emergence
into this world.

This Ancestral Puebloan petroglyph shows several ceremonial figures including a shield bearer, a shamanistic figure with a two-horned serpent across his body and a large-headed figure with a headdress.  A possible mountain lion or canine is at the top.

       Snake images abound on the mesa.  One of the most common types is the two-horned Awanyu.  The Awanyu is a Tewa diety, the guardian of water, either free flowing as in a river or zig-zag as in lightning.  The depiction of Awanyu in petroglyphs is a common motif.  One-horn Awanyus in profile with the horn facing backward are less common.  Other snake images appear to have rattles on their tails or to have the appearance of lightning. 
     Animal images include deer, elk, dogs, a variety of birds, mountain lions, bears, bison, turtles, dragonflies and many that cannot be identified.  The petroglyphs from the Pueblo IV period range from the crudely done and lightly pecked to others masterfully executed by Puebloans with great skill and a refined sense of line and form.  Perhaps the largest category of glyphs during this period is that of “unidentified.”  These are abstract forms that resemble nothing we recognize in the physical world. 

Post European Contact (Historic) Period

       The third major time period for petroglyphs on the mesa is the Historic era which began around 1600 A.D with the coming of the Spanish.  The most common image is the Christian cross.  Sheepherders and others created hundreds of examples.  Less common but significant are the many images of horses and horses with riders. 

       A unique feature on the mesa is that of Spanish lion images; several have been found and some are magnificently done.  Other Historic images include wagons, inscriptions, dates, names, initials, churches and humans.

This rider on a horse appears to be holding a spear.  We know, by the subject matter, that this petroglyph was made after 1600 as the Puebloan people did not have horses prior to the arrival of the Spanish.

This unusual and exquisitely crafted lion appears to have a crown on its head.  Note how the tail curves above its back in a proud stance.  Several of these images occur on Wells Petroglyph Preserve and elsewhere on Mesa Prieta and it is conjectured that their design imitates Spanish heraldic depictions.  Very similar lions are seen on artifacts and furniture in the collections of the Museum of New Mexico.