1 Float into an artist’s dreamy world.

Stella Maria Baer’s unique and ethereal style makes her paintings feel like portals into a dreamworld of rabbitbrush-laden fields where horses enjoy pastel sunsets. Her use of handmade pigments—foraged from the soil, stones, and minerals near her home and around the world—are part of the transportive quality of her works. Born and raised in Santa Fe, Baer depicts desert vistas that share space with her affinity for celestial bodies, equine beings, and her family.

A new exhibition of her work, Moon Horse and Sky, opens Saturday at Fechin Studio at the Taos Art Museum at Fechin House, in Taos. The show features more than a dozen of what the artist describes as a “Western mystic earth pigment paintings.” A reception takes place from 1–3 p.m.

Featuring imagery of the landscape near her home at Moon Horse Ranch, south of Santa Fe, as well as members of her family, the exhibition, which runs through July 21, also spotlights nuanced relationships with loved ones. “There are a couple of different themes that I am looking at. One is the idea of physical manifestations of spiritual realities,” says Baer. “With the portraits of the children, I was trying to get at this feeling of them growing and slipping away and riding off into the wild world.”

"Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon" illustrates new ground-breaking research in Anna Sofaer’s exploration of the Chaco Canyon. Photograph courtesy of Adriel Heisey/Center for Contemporary Arts.

2 Learn from the ancients.

Researcher Anna Sofaer embarked on an archaeoastronomical study of Chaco Canyon in June 1977, which led to her discovery of a celestial calendar that was built into the landscape by the ancient Puebloans.

Since then, Sofaer has created the nonprofit Solstice Project and made three documentaries about Chaco Canyon, all of which are playing at the Center for Contemporary Arts in Santa Fe this weekend. Written on the Landscape: Mysteries Beyond Chaco Canyon, the newest film, dives into recent discoveries Sofaer and colleagues have made about Chaco, the people who lived there, and the expansive network they created, which reached far beyond the confines of the canyons.

The weekend-long event includes panel discussions and screenings. “Every new discovery in the Solstice Project’s research holds immense significance,” says Philip Tuwaletstiwa (Hopi), a Solstice Project team member, in a press release. “Our ongoing research not only offers a fresh perspective on Pueblo history but also provides a profound appreciation of Native American scientific prowess. This knowledge is invaluable, especially for younger generations, as it illuminates the remarkable achievements of their ancestors.” Find a full schedule of screenings and talks here.

Pop soul group Sweet Roll is among the performers at A Juneteenth Celebration, in Albuquerque. Photograph courtesy of Sweet Roll.

3 Get a jumpstart on Juneteenth.

Start the celebration early with AMP Concerts’ A Juneteeth Celebration at the Open Space Visitors Center in Albuquerque on Saturday. After an 8 a.m. hike, the day continues with a talk by historian Timothy E. Nelson about Blackdom, the historic incorporated all-Black town in New Mexico; a poetry reading and workshop with former Albuquerque poet laureate Hakim Bellamy; African storytelling and crafting with Brenda Hollingsworth-Marley; and a concert with performances from Sweet Roll, a pop soul group, and DaJerney, a reggae artist originally from Jamaica.

The Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous celebrates the fur trapping era on the Santa Fe Trail. Photograph courtesy of the NRA Whittington Center.

4 Step back in time.

A historic reenactment and rendezvous takes over Ratón on Sunday evening. Happening annually since 1975, the Santa Fe Trail Rendezvous sees folks dressing up in pre-1840s gear, impersonating historic figures, and reenacting life in times past. Events include hatchet throwing, archery competitions, and black powder shooting.

“It’s a commemoration of the fur trapping era from approximately 1821 to 1840 on the Santa Fe Trail,” says Ed Hager, who acts as the “booshway”—or head of trading—during the rendezvous. “It’s nostalgic and fun,” he adds.

The event, which includes vendors and cooking competitions, lasts all week, with closing ceremonies on Saturday, June 15. Find it at the NRA Whittington Center in Ratón.

Come to the Las Vegas Wildlife Refuge to see the new visitor center and then take a stroll along the trails. Photograph courtesy of the C. Ames/Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge.

5 Commune with animals.

Get to the reopening of the Las Vegas Wildlife Refuge visitor center on Saturday for an all-day party and Summer Fest from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kids can hop from craft stations to archery and live animal shows. Treats include donuts in the morning, Frito pies in the afternoon, and many opportunities to glimpse animals in their natural habitats. At 1 p.m., catch a performance by the Mariachi Cardenal group from Robertson High School.

Read more: For more things to do, check out our online calendar of events.