Happy Friday, Santa Fe. You know the drill – grab your coffee (or whatever you sip in the morning), kick back, and let Santa Fe Brief serve up everything you need to know for the weekend ahead.

📰 In the news

Local happenings: Santa Fe’s art scene revives with SITE immersive displays, residents debate new pallet shelter proposals, and veterans unlock free state park access — catch up here.

State-level stories: Ruidoso wrestles with rising waters, a New Mexico rider pedals coast to coast for free speech, and top soccer squads clash on pro fields — see what else is brewing.

National headlines: Infrastructure to study post-viral syndromes, full retirement age to increase by two months, major food recalls, and a new study on asteroid deflection — peruse the best of the rest.

Highlights this week

• Celebrate circus arts fueling social change
• Barbara paints rescue donkeys live for charity
• Explore Santa Fe trails on monthly hikes
• Explore how music reshapes your brain
• Join free Community Day with NM True
• Unlock dozens of travel deals with AARP

🫶 We got your back

Drink: From barrel-aged beauties that make you slow down and savor to crisp IPAs that high-five your taste buds on the way down, Santa Fe is full of breweries that pour personality by the pint. Check out our favorites here.

Home: Don’t wait until your bathroom turns into a swimming pool to find a plumber. Our shortlist of trusted plumbing pros makes it easy to connect with the best of the best, whether you need ’em yesterday… or six months from now.

Culture: With art galleries, sculptures, historical exhibits, and oddly specific niches, these must-visit museums are a great excuse to put on real pants and explore the city.

Community: There’s something magical about Sunday farmer’s markets, pop-up concerts, annual gatherings, and block parties that turn strangers into neighbors. Local events don’t just entertain, they spark conversations and create a sense of belonging. Here’s a deeper look at why local events matter more than we realize.

Pets: An emergency vet visit could cost you $7,000+ (ask me how I know 🙃). From the initial fee just to be seen to x-rays, surgery, medicine, and aftercare, it adds up quicker than a chew toy turns into a crime scene. The good news? You could get up to 90% cash back on your vet bill with this pet insurance plan.

👀 Why just read it when you could be in it?

Own or manage a local business? Thousands of your future fans read our emails — advertising your products, services, listings, and events with us is easy.

You can advertise with us or submit an event for free.

📆 Around town this weekend

All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirey outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.

Today

👣 Walking History Tour @ School for Advanced Research | Friday (7/11) at 10:00am – Eastside’s hidden gem awaits with cobblestones underfoot, blooming gardens at every turn, and a surprisingly cute pet cemetery. Once called El Delirio, this 1920s Mediterranean villa is now a research playground for anthropologists and Indigenous artists, so nod politely and look like you belong. Lace up comfy shoes, bring your best small talk, and see why scholars still call this place home.

🌍 Terra Madre: Katrina Bello @ Zane Bennett Contemporary Art | Friday (7/11) at 10:00am – This laid-back art showcase strips back the drama to land, memory, and fine charcoal marks. Katrina Bello’s pastel drawings, metal prints, and silent videos feel like flip phones from Taos, nostalgic, a bit scratched, and worth a double-take.

This weekend

🎨 Barbara Paints Donkeys Live @ Barbara Meikle Fine Art | Saturday (7/12) at 11:00am – Swing by the gallery to hang with Barbara, Marley, and Penelope, and pretend you’re the world’s sternest art critic while she paints live portraits of our most opinionated burros. You’ll learn about the rescue and snag limited-edition prints.

🌙 Night Witch Market @ The Crow’s Nest | Saturday (7/12) at 5:00pm – Grab your best weirdos and head to The Crow’s Nest for the first Night Witch Market, where quirky treasures really do come out at night. Expect handcrafted oddities from local artists, cocktails by As Above So Below Distillery, and food that’ll make your sensible self reconsider your life choices. With live music and more, it’s the kind of off-kilter local charm we’ve been waiting for.

🤝 Community Day@ Santa Fe Railyard Park | Sunday (7/13) at 10:00am – Thinking you’ve explored every nook of our town? Community Day brings free food demos, local crafts, and toe-tapping tunes right under our nose. It’s a no-frills reunion with neighbors, so snag a taco, say hi to your old barista, and call it quality time.

🖼️ We Are the People by L. Scooter Morris @ Aurelia Gallery | Sunday (7/13) at 11:00am – Get ready for a gallery show that rolls the Constitution, the flag, and a bonfire of cash into a single, chunky painting. L. Scooter Morris’s new sculpted works embed founding documents and dollar bills in thick acrylic so you can practically feel democracy under your fingertips. It’s part history lesson, part political roast, and exactly the kind of local outing that beats your usual weekend routine.

🎶 Cantos y Cuentos Concert @ Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi | Sunday (7/13) at 4:00pm – Desert Chorale is hauling you off your couch with modern songs and stories from Latin America, hopping from Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela. Sixteen pros debut Ernesto Herrera’s Cuban-inspired world premiere, then pass the torch to Nacha Mendez’s soulful New Mexican guitar. No passport required.

Next week

🖼️ Art Experience – Stained Glass @ TLC Stained Glass | Monday (7/14) at 1:00pm – If you’ve spent weeks squinting at your neighbor’s sun-drenched window and wondering how they get that glow, here’s how to design and build your own stained glass suncatcher. Pick your pattern, choose from dozens of art glass colors, then learn Tiffany’s century-old tricks for snapping, shaping, and soldering it all together into something Instagram-worthy. No experience required, just patience for the occasional rogue shard. Bonus points if you upstage that overzealous gardener next door.

🎨 Railyard Artisan Market @ Railyard Plaza | Tuesday (7/15) at 8:00am – The Railyard Artisan Market is popping up every Sunday with over 60 local artisans showing off handmade pottery, jewelry, and art. It’s like wandering through a curated treasure trove, except you can actually chat with the person who threw that fancy mug. Swing by, support small businesses, and snag a gift that beats anything you’ll find in the airport souvenir shop while soaking up genuine Santa Fe vibes.

🌱 Garden Camp 2025 @ Santa Fe Botanical Gardens | Tuesday (7/15) at 9:00 am – Get ready to watch young minds bloom in this week-long summer day camp at Santa Fe Botanical Gardens! Ages 9–11 will dig into soil, explore the pinon-juniper woodlands, track wildlife, and let creativity sprout through garden-inspired art and science projects. After-care is available until 5:00 pm for $35/day, but spots are limited—registration opens March 3 at 8:00 am. Don’t wait to help your kid cultivate a love of nature and fun in the sun.

Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →

🎶 Live music & entertainment

• 7/11 Bill Hearne @ Ahmyo River Gallery – 2 pm
• 7/11 Vieux Farka Touré @ Santa Fe Railyard – 7 pm
• 7/11 Vieux Farka Touré @ Railyard Plaza – 7 pm
• 7/11 The Oak Ridge Boys @ Buffalo Thunder – 8 pm
• 7/12 Big Jabroni @ Santa Fe Improv – 7 pm
• 7/13 Shepherd on the Rock @ St. Francis Auditorium – 6 pm
• 7/13 Complexions @ Lensic – 8 pm
• 7/14 Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue @ Lensic – 7 pm
• 7/15 Ravel and more @ St. Francis Auditorium – 12 pm
• 7/15 Music of the Bard @ First Presbyterian Church – 6 pm

Price is right – Santa Fe edition

How it works: We’re going to give you some facts about a home for sale, including a picture of the outside, the kitchen, and one additional room. Your job? Guess how much it’s listed for (preferably before you click to find out).

*This 👇 could be your listing. Hit us up if you’ve got a home (or 12) to sell.

Listed by: Natalie Rivera Benavent (Barker Realty, LLC)

Traditional vigas and a classic Kiva fireplace keep the southwestern vibes strong in this single-story Eldorado home, while brick floors and soaring ceilings add a little extra drama. The kitchen comes ready for culinary experiments with granite counters, a gas cooktop, and wall-mounted double ovens, and the attached studio with loft is just waiting for a yoga mat, easel, or treadmill.

Uninterrupted views stretch from the rear portal across 1.5 acres, with newer Pella windows and mini-splits making sure the inside stays cool and comfortable. The primary suite brings a walk-in closet and a freshly updated bathroom, and there’s plenty of room for projects or parking in the two-car garage.

Make your guess, then (and only then)… see how much it costs →