Celebrate Fall’s Splendor in Santa Fe County
Fall is on its way, bringing golden sunlight, cool sweater weather and blazing foliage from yellow aspens that gild the Sangre de Cristos. In Santa Fe County, this is a favorite time of year for locals. The changing seasons offer endless fun. Take a road trip to an oasis of wildlife and water then fuel up on a hearty, homemade meal at a long-loved rustic cafe. Stop by a bustling farm stand for ingredients freshly harvested from the fields around you. Shop for unique jewelry, photography and other artworks on the Turquoise Trail Studio Tour, then hit the outdoors on a mountain bike for thrilling adventures. As summer fades to fall, there’s no better place to find yourself than Santa Fe County.
Road Trippin’ to Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve
The 35-acre Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve is home to a staggering 900 species of flora and fauna, including some 200 species of birds and 40 species of butterflies. Accessed by a 20-minute hike from the living history museum El Rancho de las Golondrinas in La Cienega, the preserve harbors three plant zones: riparian/wetland, transitional, and dry upland. A one-mile trail leads deep into a rare and delicate ecosystem, a natural cienega (Spanish for “marsh”). Keep an eye out for monarch butterflies, Cooper’s Hawks and Great Blue Herons. Take a guided tour and discover how to identify and track animals (Saturday, October 11, 9 a.m.) or learn about the changes brought by autumn on a walk among golden cottonwood trees (Saturday, October 25, 10 a.m.)
Access to the preserve for self-guided walks is included with museum admission through Friday, October 24, then the preserve closes for the season.
Farm & Table Fare
For sun-kissed heirloom tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, and other farm fare freshly harvested from on-site fields, visit the Farm Stand at Reunity Resources. In peak season, the stand sells a cornucopia of colorful, flavorful ingredients—eggplants, pattypan squash, zucchini, shishito peppers, cabbages, Little Gem Lettuce and so much more. Honey and other local products are also for sale. The Farm Stand is a pastoral place to relax at shaded tables with a cup of local coffee or chai rooibos tea and admire the bounty in the fields.
Open Saturdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through September.
Diners can’t get enough of the mouth-watering fare at the San Marcos Cafe and Feed Store. For more than 40 years, this rustic country restaurant has served breakfast and lunch in an old adobe building tucked off the Turquoise Trail Scenic National Byway (NM Highway 14). House favorites include green chile stew, corned beef hash, eggs Benedict, and cheese blintzes topped with raspberry preserves and sour cream. Regulars leave room for the towering cinnamon rolls—they’re big enough to share, but you’ll want to order your own. Greet the peacocks and chickens on the property on your way to visit the feed-store located behind the restaurant, where you can pick up dog and cat food and even a hay bale for your horse.
Art Adventure
If the dramatic red rock formations and azure blue skies strike you as stunning signs of nature’s artistry when you’re driving on the historic Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, wait until you check out the Turquoise Trail Studio Tour. More than 40 artists along this historic trail, from Santa Fe to Cedar Crest, open their studio and gallery doors to visitors on two consecutive weekends, happy to talk about their work in ceramics, painting, photography, sculpture, stained glass, jewelry and many other media. The tour takes you through old mining towns bustling with galleries, boutiques and locally loved restaurants, where you can fuel up between studio stops.
September 20-21 and September 27-28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bicycling Through Beauty
Santa Fe County is a mecca for mountain bikers, with scenic trails for every level of rider. If you can’t pack your wheels to bring them with you, don’t sweat it. RAWORKS Rentals & Bike Repair Shop offers top-of-the-line bikes for challenging mountain trails as well as city e-bikes and gravel bikes. Located downtown, in the Design Center, RAWORKS also offers insider tips on its website about our extensive network of awesome trails, including the extreme Winsor Trail at the Santa Fe Ski Basin, the meandering Dale Ball Trails and the peaceful Glorieta Basin Preserve.
Seeking a customized guided mountain biking adventure? Book a tour with Santa Fe Mountain Adventures. You can ride the Rail Trail to the historic railroad town of Lamy, or the high-alpine Aspen Vista Trail through glorious golden aspen trees in the fall. You can also sign up for an off-road Jeep adventure or a guided day hike in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Connect with Santa Fe Mountain Adventures to learn more about their exciting tours.
On the Royal Road
The storied 1,600-mile El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro (Spanish for “The Royal Road of the Interior Land”) linked Mexico City and the Spanish town of Santa Fe from 1598 to 1882, providing a main thoroughfare for goods and people to travel back and forth. The road teemed with caravans of mule-driven freight wagons that frequently stopped at parajes (or “stopping place” in Spanish), where water and animal fodder were plentiful. El Rancho de las Golondrinas (The Ranch of the Swallows) was one such paraje, providing a stopping place for caravans traveling to, or from, Santa Fe. This historic ranch is now an acclaimed living history museum and a wonderful place to learn more about El Camino Real. The arrival of the railroad meant the end of El Camino Real in 1885, but the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railroad closely follows the Royal Road. So does Interstate I-25, along the west side of the Rio Grande. In 2000, 400 miles of the route in the United States was designated a National Historic Trail.
Stay and Play at Bishop’s Lodge
For an ultimate fall getaway that combines award-winning luxury with nature’s spectacular beauty, plan a stay at Bishop’s Lodge, Auberge Resorts Collection-Santa Fe. Pack your days with hands-on cultural experiences, scenic outdoor adventures, elevated wellness programs and exquisite dining. Archbishop Jean Baptiste Lamy settled this iconic landmark 150 years ago and his small Territorial adobe chapel still sits on a hill on the lodge’s 317-acre property. Now deconsecrated, guests use it for yoga and meditation classes. Connect with your inner artist in painting and silversmithing classes. Soak up serenity with a botanical-infused massage or a vibration sound healing treatment at the lodge’s Stream Dance Spa. Explore mountain trails on foot and horseback and fish in nearby sparkling waters. When the day is done, savor an exquisite meal that spotlights local ingredients in innovative dishes such as wagyu striploin with green chile tamal at SkyFire, the lodge’s acclaimed restaurant.
Balloon Fiesta
Up in the air flies Smoky the Bear alongside Darth Vader and a beloved family of bees. These are just some of the 100 or so special-shape balloons in the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The world’s largest balloon event, and also the most photographed event, brings some 600 hot air balloons that fill New Mexico’s brilliant blue skies. The field below is jammed with thousands of balloon enthusiasts who travel to Balloon Fiesta Park from around the world. The fabulous festivities include the illuminated Dawn Patrols, Mass Ascensions and Evening Glows.
Saturday, October 4 through Sunday, October 12
The round-trip ABQ Balloon Fiesta Shuttle takes fiesta-goers from Santa Fe to Balloon Fiesta Park and back again. For departure times and locations and to purchase tickets, click the link:
ticketleap.events/tickets/tourism-santa-fe/abq-balloon-fiesta-shuttle-2025
The Joys of Learning
Since 1985, the Santa Fe Children’s Museum has provided kids with programs, exhibits, outdoor activities and other events that bring joy and a sense of wonder to learning and play. Now, the museum is offering activities in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) that enhance a natural sense of play and discovery in children. Programs such as Science Saturday (2 p.m. to 4 p.m.) feature experiments and projects with guest scientists and STEAM instructors. They’re all included in the museum admission.
34th Annual Santa Fe Wine and Chile Fiesta
Save the Date for the 34th Annual Fiesta, September 24-September 28, 2025!An annual five-day event celebrating the best Santa Fe has to offer with over 60 participating restaurants and 90 winery partners.Over 3,500 guests arrive in Santa Fe each September for this one-of-a-kind Fiesta. Featuring Winery Dinners, Auctions and Much More!
Please drink responsibly and always choose a designated driver.
Dates: September 24-September 28, 2025!
Santa Fe Harvest Festival at Golondrinas
Join El Rancho de las Golondrinas for a family fun celebration of the bountiful harvest season.
10:00am Oct 4, 2025 - 4:00pm Oct 5, 2025
Galisteo Studio Tour
Each year, artists in historic communities invite you to their homes and studios to meet them, watch them work and purchase one-of-a-kind paintings, jewelry, pottery and other works. These annual Artist Studio Tours also showcase the artistry of the region, taking you to scenic towns and villages in Santa Fe County during the most beautiful seasons of the year. The tours include traditional foods and live music, and maps are available to guide you as you walk from studio to studio. The annual schedule includes the Eldorado Studio Tour, the Pojoaque River Art Tour, the Galisteo Studio Tour and the La Cienega Studio Tour.
10:00am Oct 11, 2025 - 5:00pm Oct 12, 2025