The Bobcat Paw

New Mexico is the Land of Enchantment and for good reason. From its vast, serene deserts to its tall mountain peaks, there are endless adventures at every turn. During the autumn months, the need to wind down from summer activities only increases. Santa Fe prides itself on good weather and aims to support a host of different events. Here is a list of 7 of the Best Fall Festivities in Santa Fe. 1. Santa Fe Indigenous Peoples Day This exciting and important three-day event is hosted every year in Santa Fe. As a tribute to the ancestors that claimed the land in Santa Fe, there is an abundance of fun and education at this event. The main goal is for the community to remember and honor the valued Native American neighbors. From Saturday, October 12th through Monday, October 14th at the Downtown Santa Fe Historic Plaza, you can enjoy performances and stories like the Buffalo Dance Group, Youth Hoop Dancers, storytelling of the Indigenous History of O’gah Po’oge, and more! Visit...

Everyone needs a getaway every once in a while. If you’re hoping to add a dash of art and culture to your upcoming vacation, one of the best places to find this is Santa Fe, New Mexico. This family-friendly and art-filled destination is historically known as the hot spot to discover art of all shapes and sizes including art shows, performances, fiestas and more. Before you get your travel agent on the phone, check out these recurring events happening in Santa Fe to see which one sounds like the best option for you to visit. Art Festivals and Markets Native Treasures: Indian Arts Festival If you’re hoping to witness high-quality and professional art featured from a variety of artists far and wide, then this is a must-see. The Native Treasures Indian Arts Festival not only showcases art to look at but features pieces that can also be purchased. Each contributing artist has been hand-selected and invited by the members of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture (MIAC). Once...

Summertime in Santa Fe is a wonderful time to enjoy the full beauty of the Southwest with mountains, valleys, rivers, and prairies. Enjoy outdoor activities before coming back into town for local attractions. Here are some of our favorite things to do in and around Santa Fe in the summertime: photo courtesy of  santafe.org Santa Fe Plaza Ever since the city's 1610 founding, the Santa Fe Plaza has served as the focal point for city life, offering shops and restaurants, bullfights and fandangos, and a gathering place for both locals and visitors. There are still many of the old buildings standing, which act as reminders of the city's rich history and you can still attend Spanish and Indian markets, just like in older times. The Plaza is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and is something that should be on every summertime itinerary. Santa Fe Farmers Market Only about a mile away from Santa Fe Plaza, the Farmers Market is open all year round to offer loca...

There are so many great outdoor activities to do in Santa Fe that it's impossible to list them all in any single article. This is just a brief sampling of our favorites to get you started. Most of these activities are open all year round, thanks to our beautiful weather. image courtesy of SantaFe.org Pueblo Feast Days There are nearly 20 pueblos in the northern region of New Mexico, and each one of these communities has its own annual Feast Days and Religious Events. Most of them allow respectful visitors to observe and partake in the fun so that an understanding can be gained of traditional tribal culture and history. This is a wonderful way to learn about the area natives, and how they have lived for centuries before the arrival of others. Ski Santa Fe Our area provides challenges for experienced skiers as well as great introductions for newcomers. Offering some of the highest elevations for skiing in the United States, Ski Santa Fe has a base elevation of 10,350 f...

At the start of the new year, this is the best time to think about travel plans. Santa Fe offers events and festivals all year ‘round. Some of these festivals are related to art, some to celebrations of food and drink, some to music, and some are staged to celebrate Native culture or other ethnic cultures. In truth, there are so many Santa Fe, New Mexico activities and festivals offered, that it might be hard to choose which sounds most appealing, but a few of the most popular are described below. Santa Fe Indian Market For almost 100 years, this festival has been staged as a celebration of Native artists from around the region, from other parts of the U.S., and even from Canada. The works of more than 1,000 artists are on display at this festival, which routinely attracts at least 150,000 visitors from all around the globe. A particular highlight of this festival is that visitors have the opportunity to mingle and converse with the actual artists and make all purchases direct...

The Bobcat Inn        New World Cuisine is the new exhibit coming to the International Folk Art Museum in December. It will feature the histories of Chocolate,Mate,y Mas. (and more). The exhibit will run from December 9 through January 3rd,closing on the 4th. The museum is closed on Mondays and also Christmas Day and New  Years day.         This exhibit will show the earliest cultural mestizaje (mixing) of foods to take place in the Americas.This will highlight foods that were brought over from Europe via Spain and Asia via the Spanish.Chocolate and Mate are the two foods that are being featured and will trace the history of these two drinks and show how they became so popular during the colonial period as well as today.Mate is prepared by heating water and adding mate powder or leaves  and then straining it. It is drunk from a shared gourd or vessel with a silver straw. Sharing mate is a ritual and has it's o...

It's not too late to plan a New Mexico getaway for the annual Santa Fe Wine &; Chile Fiesta, during the weekend of September 26-30, 2012.  This annual event brings together the area's best culinary treats and wines from all over the United States, proving that Santa Fe is a force in the culinary world.  Our bed and breakfast is the perfect 'home base' during this incredible food and wine celebration, letting you leave the daily excitement to relax with the beauty and solitude of our inn, just 15 minutes from the Fiesta locations! While the list is always being tweaked, at the time of this writing, a total of over 150 wineries and 75 area and regional restaurants will be represented throughout the Fiesta  at a number of different programs, including wine seminars , cooking demos , guest chef luncheons , guest chef tours , The Grand Tasting, and Reserve Tasting.  Wine dinners will also be offered, with a wine-pairing menu at each. While the Fiesta boasts a...

If you are familiar with Santa Fe at all, you know of our Native American, Mexican, and Spanish roots.  Designated as a Creative City by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Santa Fe is recognized as a cultural melting-pot that supports and promotes our residents' creative art products, and hosts a variety of events to showcase this very creative side of our city.  In this spirit, we invite you to be our guests between August 13-19, 2012 during this year's Santa Fe Indian Market ! Hosted by the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA) at the downtown Santa Fe plaza, this prestigious Native arts market and festival is now in its 91st year.  This event is technically much more than a "simple" crafts and folk art fair:  this week-long series of events includes programs, lectures, films , readings, book signings, art awards, live performances, auction gala, and more are all part of one big celebration culminating in the Market...

Whether you are a seasoned opera aficionado planning a Santa Fe music getaway or contemplating buying a ticket for the first time, the range of performances and talent at this year's Santa Fe Opera is as vast as the glorious skies above our spectacular outdoor theater. There are still plenty of seats available for each of the 2012 performances:  Soprano Amanda Echalaz will perform as Tosca in the eponymous opera's debut in Santa Fe. The evil Baron Scarpia is portrayed by Raymond Aceto and heroic Cavaradossi is sung by Andrew Richards. 8:00 pm performances: July 30; August 8, 11, 15, 18, 21, 24 Bizet wrote "The Pearl Fishers" at the tender age of 24, instantly marking him s a musical geniu s. Even novice opera fans will recognize the lovely duet : “Au fond du temple saint”. The performance will be sung in French.  8:00 pm performances: July 31; August 10, 13, 22, 25 Maometto II is the story of the seige of Negroponte by the Turks. Under this dramatc b...

The Bobcat Inn The first Live Stage Performance of Jeff Bridges' Band is to Play at the historic Lensic Theater in Santa Fe , New Mexico on Sunday April 18 at 3:00PM. Bridges was highly acclaimed for his perfomance as Bad Blake in "Crazy Heart". The film was filmed mostly in Santa fe New Mexico, in fact a lot of the movie was filmed at Evangelo's a local watering hole right across from the historic Lensic Theater. Bridges won both the Golden Globe and the Academy Award for his portrayal of a down and out singer , and hard drinker in the movie. TBone Burnett and co-producer Ryan Bingham also won an academy award for Best original song , "The Weary Kind" This charitable event will host an auction on Crazy Heart Movie memorabilia , silent auction and screening of Crazy Heart along with the music. The event is being staged to raise money for New Mexico film Makers Give Back, sponsored by Hutton Broadcasting & NM Filmmakers union. Tickets are available t...

The Bobcat Inn Billy D & The Hoodoos will officially "in person" release their new CD at the bar in The La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe New Mexico March 26 & 27th. They will be playing new songs and old songs from 8:00PM to 11:00PM for rockers to dance the night away. See La Fonda's web site at http://www.lafondasantafe.com for more information.

Outstanding in the Field, a farm to table event will take place this Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at 3:00PM in Galisteo , New Mexico. Tim Willms ,farmer and owner of the Talus Wind Ranch is co-hosting the event with David Sellers , chef and owner of Amavi Restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Unfortunately, the event is sold out. Jim Denevan founded the Outstanding in the Field events in Santa Cruz California in 1999. He wanted to bring awareness to small organic farms. People have loved this event and now it is a national event. Their website shows all of the events and places that it occurs. I am hoping that they will do this again next year and I will buy my ticket early. A portion of the money is benefiting Kitchen Angels of Santa Fe The Bobcat Inn still has very limited availability for Oct. 3rd & 4th. We are the closest bed and breakfast to the event. The Bobcat Inn