NOV. 1–2
FLOATING ON A MELODY
On the first weekend of November in the town of Artesia, 42 miles south of Roswell, the horizon is transformed into a colorful, glowing mosaic as 25 to 30 hot-air balloons take to the sky. “Ballooning is a long-standing tradition in our town,” says event coordinator Vickie Grousnick, “and this is a community event that feels like an extended-family gathering. This year, the Artesia Balloons & Bluegrass Festival honors one of the pilot’s wives, who passed away.” Expected to attract around 1,000 attendees, the free event includes performances by New Mexico–based bluegrass bands, an arts-and-crafts bazaar, a food festival, and high-flying fun. Most of the action takes place at Martin Luther King Park (N. 13th St. at W. Gilchrist Ave.). Balloons take off at 7 a.m. (575) 746-2744; artesiachamber.com
NOV. 2–29
HOME? SWEET HOME!
Design Santa Fe—an annual event that in-cludes presentations by national design-industry professionals, a home tour, and other special programs—ends with a bang this year. Design Lab: Next Nest challenged student and professional designers to design new interiors and exteriors for the modern home, such as the kitchen, entertainment area, entryway, and garden. But this isn’t your average redesign scenario. Imagine electronically controlled wall graphics and tablet-controlled ambient sound and lighting. Through most of November, the SITE Santa Fe art space (sitesantafe.org) will exhibit Next Nest’s top design concepts. The exhibit opens November 2, with an awards ceremony honoring the top entries in the juried competition. (505) 989-1199; sitesantafe.org, designsantafe.org
NOV. 5
SONGSMITHS Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt are skilled at pointing out the profundities of life in their songs, and while their vocal approaches— Lovett’s smoky tenor, and Hiatt’s whiskey-burned croon—may differ, they share common ground. The two musicians have played together often. Inspired by a previous tour featuring Lovett, Hiatt, Guy Clark, and Joe Ely, Heath Concerts promoter Jamie Lenfestey created the Songs & Stories series, which brings like-minded artists together onstage, this time at Albuquerque’s Popejoy Hall. “It gives the listener a very unguarded look into the musicians,” Lenfestey says. “There’s something magical that happens when the artists jell; there is an intimacy that’s shared with the audience.” (877) 664-8661, (505) 925-5858; popejoypresents.com, unmtickets.com
NOV. 8–10
CERAMICS Y MÁS
“When the Pecos Valley Potters’ Guild Art Show debuted in 1989,” says guild president Megan Heil, “we had only a handful of artists involved. Now we have nearly 50 booths, many of them with multiple artists.” This year the show and sale in Roswell, dubbed Fiesta del Arte, isn’t limited to ceramics. “There are paintings, prints, glasswork, photographs, sculpture, metalwork, textiles and fiber art, woodwork, jewelry, leatherwork, and mixed media, too,” Heil says. On November 8, at the Roswell Convention Center, an opening-night party will include hors d’oeuvres and live music by Ritmo Latino—which plays salsa, cumbia, and cha-cha—and a local mariachi band. (575) 752-0105; roswellpotters.org
NOV. 8–10
DELICIOUS DOINGS
The exhibition New World Cuisine: Chocolate, Maté, y Más is on view through January 5, 2014, at the Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, and a program tied to the event, FUZE•SW: Food+Folklore Festival, is an epicure’s playground. “We will celebrate and honor food, which we do so well here in New Mexico,” says Steve Cantrell of the Department of Cultural Affairs. “We’ll look at New Mexico’s food traditions, folklore, history, and representations in the arts.” The festival includes talks and panel discussions by authors, chile experts, and farmers. New Mexico Magazine contributing culinary editor Cheryl Alters Jamison leads a panel discussion titled “Cooking Culture: Recipes, Tales, and Traditions,” and will teach a cooking class with her husband and co-author, Bill Jamison. Joining Jamison are Santa Fe chefs Martín Rios (Restaurant Martín) and James Campbell Caruso (La Boca and Taberna La Boca). Other highlights include a food-truck brunch, a cocktail party, and a gala reception. $200–$250 per person. (505) 476-1126; fuzesw.museumofnewmexico.org
On November 9, Holiday Pie Mania rolls out at Santa Fe’s Builders’ Source Gallery. Enjoy free samples of chef-made pies, then bid to have one made for your own holiday meal. Proceeds benefit the Food Depot, northern New Mexico’s food bank. $5 in advance, $7 at the door. (505) 847-3333; holidaypiemania.com
NOV. 20–24
MARIACHI MAESTROS
Each year, between 500 and 900 musicians of all ages from around the world make their way to the Las Cruces International Mariachi Conference for a series of performances and workshops. On Saturday, enjoy the 20th annual Spectacular concert, featuring Mariachi Cobre (the house band of the Mexican Pavilion at Epcot Center), Las Colibri, and internationally renowned mariachi-banda vocalist Ezequiel Peña. This popular concert draws more than 7,000 attendees each year. Sunday, following a nondenominational mariachi morning mass, the action moves to the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Museum for a mariachi competition, hands-on art activities for children, an arts-and-crafts exhibit, and delicious food. (575) 525-1735; lascrucesmariachi.org
NOV. 8–DEC. 1
SHOP LOCAL
Numerous fairs and expos give shoppers the opportunity to purchase gifts directly from the many talented artists and craftspeople we count among our neighbors. Here’s a rundown of some popular holiday-time fairs: The Ruidoso Christmas Jubilee (Nov. 8–10), at the Ruidoso Convention Center (575-336-4877; ruidosochristmasjubilee.net); the 30th Annual Weems International Artfest (Nov. 15–17), at Albuquerque’s Expo New Mexico (505-293-6133; weemsinternationalartfest.org); the juried Los Alamos Affordable Art Sale (Nov. 22–Jan. 4), at Fuller Lodge (505-662-1635; fullerlodgeartcenter.com); the 32nd Annual Placitas Holiday Arts & Crafts Sale (Nov. 23–24), in Placitas (505-867-5740; placitasholidaysale.com); the 14th Annual Río Grande Arts and Crafts Festival Thanksgiving Holiday Show (Nov. 29–Dec. 1), at Expo New Mexico’s Lujan Exhibit Complex (505-292-7457; riograndefestivals.com); and the Bosque Farms Christmas Bazaar (Nov. 30–Dec. 1), at Cowboy Hall. (505) 865-4662; bosquefarmsrodeo.org