Stargazing Perseid meteor shower, Santa Fe Indian Market, cars for kids charity show, and more. 
Happy Tuesday, 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 week ahead.
📰 In the news
Local happenings: A film on a 1960s queer bar, $800 microapartments pitched as affordable homes, and a maze like staircase weaving into Meow Wolf — catch up here.
State-level stories: A new school chief meets Sweeney Elementary families, a regional film honours ancestral waterways, and released wolves reignite questions about recovery — see what else is brewing.
National headlines: New SSA tech offers more reliable service, national recalls, and a housing market update — peruse the best of the rest.
Highlights this week
- Grab lunch and learn DOE benefits
- Sip tea while exploring Afghan heritage
- Celebrate Santa Fe builders at Sunset Soirée
- Stroll Acequia Trail on Wellness Wednesday
- Celebrate Indigenous stories through films and Q&A
- Get $400 off Windows with Renewal By Andersen
🫶 We got your back
Hiking: From lazy riverside rambles to lung-burning summits, these trail picks serve up a slice of wilderness just outside Santa Fe. Perfect for swapping cityscapes for star-filled skies.
Wildlife: If you’ve ever squinted at a distant blob, convinced it was an elk only to learn it was a rock, you’re not alone. These viewing spots are your VIP pass to crane super-colonies, elk herds, and maybe even a mountain lion cameo.
Cleaning: Tackling the whole house can feel like climbing Everest in flip-flops. This cleaning checklist breaks the job into manageable bites so you can crush it room by room.
Furniture: Need décor with a backstory deeper than your latest streaming binge? Mediterrania Home is the gallery that’ll turn your living room into a time capsule… just bring a sharp eye and an appreciation for pieces that only improve with every chapter of history.
Finance: Ready to break up with debt for good? National can help you cut ties, pay up to 30% less than you owe, and finally get some peace. This isn’t your average debt relief advice… it’s a financial fresh start, complete with a happy cry or two when your balance hits zero.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. This is entirely outside our control. Please check official event pages and social media for the most up to date information.
This week
🎸 Levi Platero – Santa Fe Summer Scene @ Santa Fe Plaza | Tuesday (8/12) at 6:00pm – Hide your remotes and rendezvous at the Plaza for Levi Platero’s free blues showcase, with Cary Morin serving up Texas-twang riffs that sting so good. Pack a blanket or chair, top off at the water station, and snag tacos from vendors, no booze, no problem.
🌠 Stargazing: Perseid Meteor Shower @ Santa Fe Botanical Gardens | Tuesday (8/12) at 8:30pm – This after-hours garden gathering is all about catching Perseid meteors without the crowds, with telescopes, planispheres, and Santa Fe Stargazers pointing out shooting stars. Advance registration is required. But you won’t need a PhD in astronomy, just a cozy sweater and curiosity.
🎶 Rumelia Collective @ School for Advanced Research | Thursday (8/14) at 6:00pm – Summer evenings on campus deserve a soundtrack richer than crickets, so treat yourself to a cocktail, an Oaxaca-inspired cheese board, and Rumelia Collective’s hypnotic Balkan-to-Turkey grooves. It’s the kind of global folk party your neighbors will spend the week bragging about.
🛍️ Mini Market Artisans of Nations@ IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) | Friday (8/15) from 9:00am – Step into the IAIA MoCNA Museum Store for a no-strings-attached art haul featuring fresh works from The Land Between Us exhibition. Rub elbows with talented Indigenous creators, snag one-of-a-kind pieces, and get your art cred soaring. Did we mention it’s totally free?
🎞️ Collective Spirit Film Shorts & Panel @ Museum of Indian Arts & Culture | Friday (8/15) at 4:00pm – Block out an hour this Friday for a free, compact run of four Indigenous shorts at MIAC, then stick around to quiz the artists in a laid-back Q&A. Think culture lessons minus the traffic, plus bragging rights for RSVPing on time.
This weekend
🏺 Santa Fe Indian Market 2025 | Saturday (8/16) at 8:00am – Forget your couch, downtown turns into the world’s biggest Native art block party with pottery, textiles, and enough jewelry to distract you from chores. It’s free, it’s fiercely authentic, and you’ll likely eat more frybread than planned while funding artists directly.
🚗 Cars for Kids @ State Employees Credit Union | Saturday (8/16) at 10:00am – Ready to swap your weekend couch for some chrome and charity? The 8th annual Cars for Kids show is back, letting your inner gearhead help Children’s Miracle Network and New Mexico families, with live music, tacos, lawn games, and more classics than your uncle’s garage.
🌱 A Soil Food Web Primer @ Santa Fe Botanical Gardens | Saturday (8/16) at 4:00pm – Whether you think dirt is boring or you’re secretly proud of your compost heap, this Soil Food Web primer turns soil microbes into backyard gold. Casey Williams leads you through compost hacks, biochar tips, and a microscope deep dive, all with dry wit.
🎭 Improv Show: After School Special & Lunch Ladies @ Santa Fe Improv | Saturday (8/16) at 7:30pm – Pull up a chair for a double feature of unscripted genius from the house improv squads After School Special and Lunch Ladies. No pop quizzes here, just off-the-cuff laughs and hometown charm. Consider this your most cultured excuse to skip dinner.
🎨 Pathways Indigenous Arts Festival 2025 @ Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino | Sunday (8/17) at 9:00am – Think of it as Santa Fe’s own cultural powwow, minus the pretentious hype, more dancing, films, and fashion than your group chat can handle. Three days at Buffalo Thunder serve up Indigenous art, food trucks, live music, and that warm, authentic buzz we all crave.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
🎶 Live music & entertainment
- 8/12 Chad Hoopes & Katia Skanavi @ St. Francis Auditorium – 12 pm
- 8/12 Hogan & Moss @ Cowgirl – 4 pm
- 8/13 Kirill Gerstein Recital @ New Mexico Museum of Art – 12 pm
- 8/13 Johnny Lloyd @ Cowgirl – 4 pm
- 8/13 Neikrug’s Through Roses @ Lensic – 6 pm
- 8/13 Entreflamenco Summer Season 2025 @ El Flamenco Cabaret – 6:15 pm
- 8/13 Hickoids @ Tumbleroot Brewery – 7:30 pm
- 8/14 Bill Hearne Happy Hour @ Cowgirl – 4 pm
- 8/14 Rumelia Collective @ School for Advanced Research – 6 pm
🏠️ This house is wild
Listed by: Darren Branch (Branch Realty)
Copper gates swing open to reveal a lush Tesuque hideaway where marble floors, hand-carved vigas, and custom ironwork set the scene for serious Santa Fe style points. Dramatic entryways, troweled plaster walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows keep things bright while artisan touches like forged copper sinks and graceful nichos add a dose of local flair. The chef’s kitchen and cozy family room are made for gatherings, but the real showstopper is the primary suite—think private patio, hot tub, fireplace, and a spa bath that could make a resort jealous.
Wraparound portals, an outdoor kitchen, and built-in bancos make alfresco evenings a must. With guest suites that rival boutique hotels, a home gym, creative studio, and a three-car garage with extra workshop space, this Tesuque retreat delivers tradition and tranquility just minutes from downtown Santa Fe.
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