The Santa Fe Year: A Month-by-Month Calendar

January

Quiet. Cold and clear. Ski season is on at Ski Santa Fe. Restaurants take walk-ins easily. Lots of locals travel. If you're visiting to consider a move, January gives you the truest sense of full-time residency.

February

Mariachi Spectacular weekend brings energy. Snow possible. Days warm in the afternoon. ARTfeast supports local public schools through gallery and restaurant events.

March

Spring is windy in Santa Fe — like, dust-storm windy on bad days. Snow possible into the first week. Days warming into the 50s and 60s. Locals call this the rough month.

April

The Santa Fe Film Festival has been running spring sessions in recent years. Trees start budding. Patios open up. Earth Day events at the Railyard.

May

Mountain biking season begins in earnest. The Santa Fe Century cycling event draws riders. Memorial Day weekend marks the start of tourist season in earnest.

June - July

Peak summer. Monsoon afternoons start mid-July — short intense storms, then sunshine. Spanish Market (last weekend in July) is the major event; the Plaza fills with traditional Hispanic art. Bandstand concerts on the Plaza nightly.

August

The biggest month of the year. Indian Market (third weekend) is the world's largest Native American art market and reshapes the entire city for the week. Reserve lodging six months out. The Santa Fe Opera season is in full swing — outdoor opera under the stars is the experience.

September

Zozobra burns the Friday before Labor Day — the 50-foot puppet representing "Old Man Gloom" is set ablaze in front of tens of thousands. It's spectacular and uniquely Santa Fe. Fiestas weekend follows. The Santa Fe Wine & Chile Fiesta runs late September.

October

The best month. Aspens turning gold in the high country. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is an hour south and an unmissable trip. Days warm, nights cold.

November

Quieter. First snow possible on the Sangre de Cristos. Restaurant scene fully open and accessible. Veterans Day Powwow. Thanksgiving in Santa Fe has a settled, settled quality.

December

Christmas Eve farolitos on Canyon Road is one of the world's great holiday traditions — thousands of paper-bag lanterns line the road and the neighborhood walks together. The Las Posadas processions, multiple gallery holiday events, and the Plaza tree lighting fill the calendar. The single most magical time to be in Santa Fe.