Santa Fe December 2026 Events: A Week-by-Week Guide

At a glance

Source: each organizer's own page, checked October 20, 2026

Every week in December

• Saturdays Dec 5, 12, 19 and 26, 8 AM to 1 PM. Santa Fe Farmers' Market. Santa Fe Farmers' Market Pavilion, 1607 Paseo de Peralta. Local food and gifts, open every Saturday all year. Check the market page for any holiday changes.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sundays Dec 6, 13, 20 and 27, 10 AM to 3 PM. Railyard Artisan Market. Santa Fe Farmers' Market Pavilion, 1607 Paseo de Peralta. Local makers with art, jewelry, crafts and home goods for holiday shopping.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Through Sun Dec 20. Company at the Santa Fe Playhouse. Santa Fe Playhouse, 142 E De Vargas St. Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM, Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM, with an ASL interpreted performance on Sat Dec 5 at 2 PM.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page

Week 1: Tue Dec 1 to Sun Dec 6

Flamenco, mariachi and the season's biggest weekend of traditional Hispanic art.

• Tue Dec 1, 7:30 PM. Yjastros: The American Flamenco Repertory Company in The Spanish Room NOW. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. An immersive evening of flamenco.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Fri Dec 4, 1:00 PM and 7:00 PM. Mariachi Christmas. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. Mariachis, special guests, children's dance and choir.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Fri Dec 4, 5 to 7 PM. Palace Press Presents: Letterpress Demonstration (free). New Mexico History Museum, 113 Lincoln Ave. Historic printing presses in action, with hands-on activities for all ages, free during First Friday evening admission.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sat Dec 5, 10:00 AM. The Met: Live in HD, Samson et Dalila. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. Saint-Saens's opera on the Lensic screen.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sat Dec 5, 9 AM to 5 PM and Sun Dec 6, 9:30 AM to 4 PM. Winter Spanish Market. Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W Marcy St. Juried artists of the Traditional Spanish Market with santos, tinwork, colcha, weaving and more, indoors and in time for holiday gifts.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sun Dec 6, 4:00 PM. The Santa Fe Symphony: Sounds of the Season. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. The Symphony's holiday program of winter and seasonal favorites, led by Maestro Guillermo Figueroa.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page

Week 2: Mon Dec 7 to Sun Dec 13

Holiday voices fill the Lensic and the Cathedral Basilica.

• Mon Dec 7, 7:30 PM. Aoife O'Donovan and Chris Thile: Wassail! A Holiday Celebration. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. Holiday songs from two Grammy-winning artists.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Wed Dec 9, 7:00 PM. The Santa Fe Symphony Chorus: Carols & Choruses. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, 131 Cathedral Pl. The Symphony Chorus and Symphony Brass with traditional and contemporary holiday music, including a Joy to the World sing-along.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Wed Dec 9, 7:30 PM. Postmodern Jukebox: The Future is Vintage Tour. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. Modern pop hits reimagined in vintage style.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Fri Dec 11, 7:30 PM. New Mexico Gay Men's Chorus: Calling All Angels. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. The chorus's annual holiday concert, styled as a late-night call-in show.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sat Dec 12, 7:30 PM. Father John Misty (solo). Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. A solo evening from the folk-rock songwriter.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sat Dec 12 to Tue Dec 22. Santa Fe Desert Chorale: Carols & Lullabies, A Winter's Glow. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, 131 Cathedral Pl. Twenty-four professional singers and pianist Nathan Salazar in carols, sacred works and festive songs. Santa Fe concerts are Dec 12 at 7:30 PM, Dec 15, 17 and 18 at 7 PM, Dec 19 at 7:30 PM, Dec 20 at 4 PM and 7:30 PM, and Dec 22 at 7 PM.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page

Week 3: Mon Dec 14 to Sun Dec 20

Garden lights, free carols, Bach and the Nutcracker.

• Wed Dec 16, 5:30 to 6:00 PM. Free Pop-up Carols. Santa Fe Public Library Southside Branch, 6599 Jaguar Dr. The Desert Chorale with the Young Voices of Santa Fe Opera.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Thu Dec 17 to Thu Dec 31 (closed Dec 24 and 25), 4:30 to 7:30 PM. La Luz de las Noches. Santa Fe Botanical Garden, 715 Camino Lejo (Museum Hill). Thousands of lights, farolitos and wood fire pits, with music and carolers, s'mores, cookie decorating, the new La Luz Express model train, and Santa and Mrs. Claus on select nights. New this year, tickets carry a 4:30, 5:30 or 6:30 PM entry time.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Fri Dec 18, 7:00 PM and Sat Dec 19, 4:00 PM. Santa Fe Pro Musica: Bach Festival I. St. Francis Auditorium, New Mexico Museum of Art. Interpretations and improvisations on Bach's Inventions.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sat Dec 19, 1:00 and 7:30 PM, and Sun Dec 20, 1:00 and 5:00 PM. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet: The Nutcracker. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. Clara's holiday adventure with professional dancers and students.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Sun Dec 20, 3:00 PM, Mon Dec 21, 7:00 PM and Tue Dec 22, 7:00 PM. Santa Fe Pro Musica: Bach Festival II. St. Francis Auditorium, New Mexico Museum of Art. A program that includes Corelli's Concerto Grosso in D Major.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page

Week 4: Mon Dec 21 to Sun Dec 27

Christmas week, with a farewell tour, a movie night with orchestra and the Farolito Walk.

• Tue Dec 22, 2:00 to 2:45 PM. Free Pop-up Carols. DeVargas Center, 564 N Guadalupe St. A Santa Fe Desert Chorale quartet.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Tue Dec 22, 7:30 PM. Judy Collins. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. A stop on her farewell tour.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Thu Dec 24, 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM. The Santa Fe Symphony: Holiday Movie Magic. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. Holiday film favorites with the orchestra. The noon show is a family-friendly version.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Thu Dec 24, from sundown. Canyon Road Farolito Walk. Canyon Road Arts District. Thousands of farolitos line Canyon Road, Acequia Madre and nearby east-side streets, with small pinon bonfires, carolers and musicians. Many streets close to cars and parking, so plan to walk in, and dress warmly.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page

Week 5: Mon Dec 28 to Thu Dec 31

Bach, a New Year's Eve concert tradition and a midnight Zia on the Plaza.

• Tue Dec 29 and Wed Dec 30, 7:00 PM. Santa Fe Pro Musica: Bach Festival III. St. Francis Auditorium, New Mexico Museum of Art. A program that includes Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B Minor.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Thu Dec 31, 1:00 PM open rehearsal and 5:00 PM concert. Joe Illick and the New Year's Eve Orchestra. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St. A Santa Fe New Year's Eve tradition now in its 19th year.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page
• Thu Dec 31. New Year's Eve on the Plaza (free). Santa Fe Plaza. The 12th annual city celebration with live music, pinon bonfires, heaters and food trucks, plus free hot chocolate and biscochitos while supplies last. The countdown starts around 11:45 PM, and at midnight a handcrafted Zia symbol rises over the Plaza with fireworks. Roads around the Plaza close on Dec 31, and no alcohol is allowed on the Plaza.
  MapDirections from the innOfficial page

Ski season in December

Ski Santa Fe lists a tentative Nov 26 opening, snow permitting, and is open every day of the season, including Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Eve. Early season chairlifts run 9 AM to 4 PM. Ski Santa Fe is 16 miles from the Plaza at the top of Hyde Park Road (NM 475). See our Ski Guide 2026-2027 for more.

Farolitos and holiday lights

Farolitos are small paper bag lanterns weighted with sand and lit by a candle, and the word is the one Santa Fe prefers for what other places call luminarias. See them at their best at La Luz de las Noches (Dec 17 to 31, closed Dec 24 and 25) and on Canyon Road on Christmas Eve. The Plaza stays lit for the season after the Holiday Lighting on Nov 27.

Where to stay for a Santa Fe December

Kings Rest Court Inn is a classic Route 66 motor court at 1452 Cerrillos Rd, family owned and operated since 1981. We keep it simple and personal with 16 rooms, free covered parking at your door, and no parking fee or resort fee. We are on the old Route 66 stretch of Cerrillos Road, and the Plaza is about 2 miles, 8 to 10 minutes by car, so carols, markets and New Year's Eve are easy to reach.

Plan your Santa Fe December stay

Ready to plan your December? Book direct for free covered parking at your door and no resort fee. The Plaza is about 2 miles, 8 to 10 minutes by car, so full days out end with an easy ride home.