by Kyla Romero on
1 Take in mountain air, music, and BBQ.
Spend your weekend in the mountains surrounded by music, delicious food, and fresh air at the 8750’ BBQ and Music Festival in Red River, from Thursday through Saturday. The festival began nearly 30 years ago as part of a series of fests that extended to Texas. After a rebrand in 2020, the weekend-long event was renamed after the elevation of the mountain town and became a vital local celebration. “We try catering to the tried and true of the folks that have been coming for 30 years,” says Nicole Rehm, a member of the Red River Events Team. “We’re trying to get in some of the fresh and younger folks, so they can make this a tradition.”
The festival features multiple venues, including Bitter Creek Ranch, the historic Motherlode Saloon, and Brandenburg Park. While mostly walkable between venues, a shuttle takes guests to Bitter Creek Ranch. Unlike many large festivals, 8750’ promises a relaxing time—“because we don’t have any overlapping shows,” Rehm says, so audiences can really settle in to listen and dance.
Throughout the festival, visitors can sample barbecue and chili from chefs competing in the BBQ, green chile, and red chili cook-offs. “When you walk through the park on Saturday, it’s really sort of an overload for your senses,” Rehm says. Every evening concludes with an adults-only concert at the Motherlode Saloon. Tickets are available for the entire event as well as individual performances. “Whatever you’re looking for this weekend, you can find it here,” says Rehm. Purchase tickets here.
2 Discover the largest Native art show in the world.
Experience a weekend celebrating culture, tradition, art, and community on the streets of Santa Fe during the 104th annual Santa Fe Indian Market. The festival, which has become a global platform to celebrate and support Native artists, features more than 1,000 Indigenous artists and makers among 200 tribal nations while presenting a wide range of mediums, including jewelry, pottery, textiles, painting, sculpture, and more. On Saturday and Sunday, the market features live entertainment, including music and dance performances, a fashion show, and a film festival. View information for ticketed events and the full schedule here.
Indian Market weekend in Santa Fe also means an exciting lineup of additional Indigenous art markets, performances, conversations, and happenings. Here are a few to put on your radar.
2026 IndigenousWays Festival
Kick off the weekend in the Santa Fe Railyard on Friday night with live music, food, art, workshops, and a community celebration at the 2026 IndigenousWays Festival, a free and family-friendly event from 6 to 10 p.m. with music by Keith Secola, Levi Platero, and Sage Bond.
Book Launch Party: Native Visual Sovereignty
Uplift Indigenous theater and storytelling at the Book Launch Party: Native Visual Sovereignty on Saturday at SITE Santa Fe from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Native Visual Sovereignty is a compendium of critical texts, new essays, oral histories, artist notes, and documents discussing the origins of the Self Determination Era and its artistic expressions. The book is edited by Candice Hopkins, curator of Indian Theater: Native Performance, Art, and Self-Determination, currently on view at SITE. The event kicks off at 11 a.m. with a Karma Star bead workshop with Tara Evonne Trudell and a performance by Erica Lord, before readings from the book, a performance by Eric-Paul Riege, and a happy hour with music and mocktails.
Sacred Sites Protection: Then and Now
Engage in a conversation about the role of storytelling and art during the Sacred Sites Protection: Then and Now panel on Friday at 1 p.m. at the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture. Join filmmaker Sterlin Harjo, comedian and activist Dallas Goldtooth, Gov. Mark Mitchell of Tesuque Pueblo, and others for a discussion of how artists, tribal leaders, and communities are doing their part by protecting sacred sites that hold historical identity for future generations. Reserve a spot here.
2026 IAIA Student and Recent Graduate Art Market
Support emerging Native student and graduate artists on Saturday at the 2026 IAIA Student and Recent Graduate Art Market at the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts Museum. The Institute of American Indian Art, centered in Santa Fe, empowers Native students to create ambitious art. The market includes more than 20 current IAIA students and recent alumni who create jewelry, ceramics, beading, paintings, prints, and more.
Pathways Indigenous Art Market
Experience three days of Native art, music, and flavor at the sixth Pathways Indigenous Art Market at the Hilton Santa Fe Buffalo Thunder. The market includes a lineup of performers that includes the Acoma Family Dance Group, Jonas Greene, Jameson D. Lopez, and 14 other artists. The market screens numerous Native-made films, including Gangland, Jim Thorpe: Lit by Lightning, and more. From Friday to Sunday, 350 artists-plus sell a broad selection of products from jewelry to clothing to health and beauty products, along with a food court serving Native and regional cuisine.
Indigenous House
Connect with the community over music, storytelling, food, and lectures during the Indigenous House presentations at La Fonda on the Plaza on Friday and Saturday. Begin Friday with a women’s breakfast, followed by a creator summit and a Gangland movie panel with actor Lou Diamond Phillips. After, visit and network with the film creators and industry leaders. On Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to noon, enjoy the Indigenous House Open House, followed by a 3 p.m. conversation about fashion and culture with Vogue’s Christian Allaire, Faherty’s Kerry Docherty, and Indigenous fashion professionals like Lauren Good Day and Lehi ThunderVoice Eagle. Conclude the day with a Rez Roundup Honky Tonk, kicking off at 4 p.m., where visitors celebrate Indigenous and Western culture.
3 Celebrate Pueblo history.
Honor the 1680 Pueblo Revolt at Jemez Historic Site’s Pueblo Independence Day celebration on Sunday. The day begins at 7 a.m. with a 13-mile run from the plaza at Jemez Pueblo to the historic site, recalling the runners who carried knotted cords to the pueblos to help coordinate the uprising against Spanish colonization—one knot was untied each day until the revolt began. Beginning at 10 a.m., watch traditional Pueblo dances, browse Native arts and crafts, and grab a bite from food vendors. Visitors can also explore Gíusewa Pueblo, an ancestral site of the Jemez people, and the ruins of San José de los Jémez Mission. Get tickets here.
4 Dance the blues away.
Take the train to the original Las Vegas and arrive at a weekend full of blues and culture performed in historic venues at Ride the Rails to the Blues. From Friday night through Sunday afternoon, enjoy multiple performances held in either Buffalo Hall & Cowboy Cafe or the Historic Castañeda Hotel.
Buffalo Hall is nearly 100 years old and was originally used as a bowling alley and an automotive shop. After its 2019 restoration, the building retained its character with industrial flooring and reused lumber for the tables. The Castañeda was created in the late 1800s as one of the first trackside hotels built by the Fred Harvey Company.
Surrounded by rich history, experience a weekend of artists including Mr. Capone-E, Ed Allan, Levi Platero, Ryan McGarvey, Steve Crenshaw Band, and so much more. Two venues guarantee that visitors can quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger at either, or both, but food trucks will also accompany the spread. On Friday, start the weekend off right during the kick-off party at the Castañeda Hotel. On Saturday, experience an afterparty at the Buffalo Hall. On Sunday, unwind with a blues and country brunch. Get the full experience with VIP tickets, which includes the best seating, full access to both vendors, and dedicated bar service. View the full schedule of performers and purchase your tickets here.
5 Grub on some grubs.
Watch your Saturday fly by at the Seventh Annual Bug Fest at the Museum of Nature and Science in Las Cruces from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., where you can discover the tiny perspective and massive impact that insects and other invertebrates have on the ecosystem and our daily lives. The fest includes fun for everyone with hands-on activities, games, and a close-up look at insects from across the globe. If you are brave enough, the fest includes a Bug Bar, where visitors can discover what bugs taste like.