1 Discover artistic fossils.

In Taos, The Valley debuts a new solo exhibition by artist Sarah M. Rodriguez on Saturday with an opening reception from 4 to 8 p.m. On view through January 6, Field showcases five cast-aluminum sculptures and four wall works, some of which include glass components created from animal tracks Rodriguez finds on her hikes near her Ojo Caliente home.

“She takes objects from her environment—like roots of trees, orchids from her family home in Hawaii, branches, and bones—and uses them to create a mold,” says Arielle Myers, owner and director at The Valley. “It’s a process that annihilates the material to make a fossil or remnant. It’s kind of like taking objects from her surroundings and archiving them.”

Mini-Christmas trees will be available for purchase at the HomeGrown: A New Mexico Food Show & Gift Market. Photograph courtesy of the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum.

2  Shop the tastiest treats.

The New Mexico Farm & Ranch Museum puts the state’s edible cornucopia on display during HomeGrown: A New Mexico Food Show & Gift Market on Saturday (9 a.m.–4 p.m.) and Sunday (9 a.m.–3 p.m.). Featuring more than 60 vendors showcasing pecans, tea, wine, sauces, and of course, chile, the foodie festival is a perfect opportunity to give a taste of the Land of Enchantment. Local 4-H members sell holiday wreaths and mini-Christmas trees while attendees can tour the museum and sip wines from around the state.

Get your Christmas shopping started at the Holiday Arts & Gifts Show in Cloudcroft. Photograph courtesy of the Cloudcroft Chamber of Commerce.

3 Give the gift of the mountains.

As the self-declared Christmas Capital of New Mexico, Cloudcroft shows off its holiday spirit with a series of maker markets, tree lightings, and decoration competitions beginning this weekend. Hosted by the Cloudcroft Art Society, the Holiday Arts & Gifts Show at the Michael Nivison Public Library gets jolly on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with area artists selling ornaments, Christmas platters, pottery, jewelry, and paintings. “Everything is one-of-a-kind,” says Karen Sonnenfelt, president at the Cloudcroft chamber of commerce. “There are a lot of fun things, and a lot of creativity.” Can’t make it this weekend? A Christmas Market follows on November 24 and 25.

The Fall Fiber Fiesta showcases woven clothing, felted rugs, woven rugs, basketry, and felted accessories. Photograph by Shayla Blatchford.

4 Have a fiesta with fiber artists.

The Fall Fiber Fiesta rolls into the Scottish Rite Temple in Santa Fe on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Hosted by the Española Valley Fiber Arts Center, the event showcases artists working with woven clothing, felted rugs, woven rugs, basketry, and felted accessories, just in time for holiday shopping.

“New Mexico really inspires fiber art, and helps makers fulfill their dreams,” says Amanda Speer, an artist who has participated in the fest for 10 years and works as the education and media coordination for the Fiber Arts Center. “The fiesta was my first big sale 10 years ago. After, I knew I could really do this full-time. We have at least 1,000 people come through the doors, and the appreciation for the work is exponential.”

The fiesta, which includes more than 50 artists, kicks off on Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. with live music, drinks, and little bites, and continues Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Catch "Gus on the Bus!: Puppets and Printmaking on the Plaza" featuring works by Gustave Baumann. Photograph courtesy of New Mexico Museum of Art.

5 Get on board with Gustave Baumann.

Gus on the Bus!: Puppets and Printmaking on the Plaza showcases the works and story of iconic New Mexico artist Gustave Baumann on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event features a talk on Baumann’s approach to art at St. Francis Auditorium, where a collection of replicas of the artist’s iconic marionettes will be on display; a crafting station in the lobby of the New Mexico Museum of Art, where attendees can create marionettes and prints using Baumann’s techniques; and an appearance by the Wonders on Wheels Mobile Museum with the exhibition Gustave Baumann: Hands of an Artist, Heart of New Mexico.  

“This is a great chance for people who are big fans of Baumann to have a different interaction with his work,” says Chris Nail, head of education at the New Mexico Museum of Art, which is collaborating with the New Mexico History Museum and the Wonders on Wheels Mobile Museum on the event. “But it would also be a fantastic chance for people to get an introduction to his work, the way he approached art, and his love for his adopted home of New Mexico.”

While you’re on the Plaza, stop by the New Mexico History Museum to see Art from the Heart & Good Cheer for the New Year, an exhibition featuring handmade holiday cards from Baumann’s collection that runs through February 18, 2024. Also at the museum, don’t miss the EnchantOrama! New Mexico Magazine Celebrates 100 exhibition, where kids can color iconic images from the pages of the magazine and create their own story on a vintage typewriter.

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