Eve’n Better
Danielle Carpinelli
Christmas Eve is coming—now what?
Many a Santa Fean has remarked to SFR staff that even if they don’t celebrate Christmas, they find this time of the year particularly magical in our fair city. We get that, especially in the face of so much…spending and nightmarish consumption. Christmas Eve in Santa Fe feels like a special pocket universe or something. As such, we’ve gathered a few suggestions for things to do on the night before Christmas.
Of course, no Christmas Eve would be complete without the annual Canyon Road Farolito Walk. Other than Zozobra, this might be Santa Fe’s most-attended event. In case you’ve been living under a rock (or are visiting and just don’t know), the yearly gathering finds our most gallery-laden street buzzing with farolitos, lights, lasers, bonfires, music, drinks, food and general feel-good fun for everyone.
If you’re more in the market for a daytime experience, Sky Railway’s now-annual Pablo’s Holiday Express finds the eponymous Christmas dragon Pablo joining forces with Mrs. Claus herself for a kid-friendly train ride back and forth from Lamy to Santa Fe. Once there, you’ll find what the railway calls “an adventurous winter wonderland,” so pack up the kids and get train-ing (just make sure to visit skyrailway.com for time details).
Our last rec is for the townies who love a good hotel bar, and that bar is La Reina from El Rey Court. There, you’ll find country/folk act John Francis and the Poor Clares getting twangy for Christmas, plus local bartenders we love and a truly satisfying winter vibe alongside specialty cocktails, local beers and general camaraderie. (Alex De Vore)
Christmas Eve Farolito Walk: Sundown-9 pm Wednesday, Dec. 24. Free. Canyon Road
Pablo’s Holiday Express: Various times Wednesday, Dec. 24. $29-$64.152 Old Lamy Trail, skyrailway.com
John Francis and the Poor Clares: 8 pm Wednesday, Dec. 24. Free. La Reina, 1862 Cerrillos Road, (505) 982-1931
Public Domain
Auld Lang Fine!
See you in hell, 2025!
You’ll likely notice that SFR will have a year-end issue drop on Dec. 31 for the time first time in we-don’t-know-how long, but given that this-here issue runs right up until that date, it seemed wise to offer our readers a few options for New Year’s Eve revelry.
Starting off in the evening, composer/conductor Joe Illick does his annual NYE thing at The Lensic with the New Year’s Eve Orchestra and guest violinist Augustin Hadelich.
A little later and just down the street, DJ/coffee/ramen joint REMIX Audio Bar keeps things chill starting at 7 pm with what we hear is a real kickass carrot cake and all the sweet electronic jamz you need to usher this year out the door.
Then, those looking to get a little more rowdy might consider Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, where Santa Fe’s celebrated Grateful Dead tribute act Detroit Lightning will keep on truckin’.
The late-night partiers will then surely wish to know about Meow Wolf’s Carousel, the annual NYE dance/experience at its House of Eternal Return perma-installation packed with DJs. (ADV)
Joe Illick and the New Year’s Eve Orchestra: 5 pm Wednesday, Dec. 31. $38-$90. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St., (505) 988-1234
REMIX Wednesdays: 6 pm Wednesday, Dec. 31 Free. 222 N Guadalupe St., (505) 803-7949
NYE w/Detroit Lightning: 8 pm Wednesday, Dec. 31. $40-$50. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery 2791 Agua Fría St., (505) 303-3808
Carousel: 9 pm Wednesday, Dec. 31. $72.49. Meow Wolf, 1352 Rufina Circle, (505) 395-6369
Cathedral Reverberations
File Photo
Every December, the Santa Fe Desert Chorale serenades us with a heartfelt, holiday inspired chorale concert in the majestic setting of the The Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, and this year is no different. Artistic Director Joshua Habermann leads 24 talented local and national singers, accompanied by pianist Nathan Salazar, through a journey of classic carols including crowd favorites such as “O Magnum Mysterium II” and “Silent Night,” along with a few Latin American seasonal folk tunes. While many come back to hear the classic carols, Habermann always throws in a few surprises to keep it fresh. (Adam Ferguson)
Carols & Lullabies: Luminaria Concert: 4 pm and 7:30 pm through Dec 21. $22-$11. Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, 131 Cathedral Place, (505) 982-5619
Hot!
Courtesy Lensic.org
Though we laughed when Aziz Ansari’s character on Parks and Recreation asserted that we agreed as a society to forget that year in the late-’90s when everyone loved swing music, it’s important for folks to know that North Carolina’s Squirrel Nut Zippers is and always has been so much more than their breakout record, Hot. Think of ‘em more like a jazz act with notes of swing and old-timey torch songs. Now think about how that might apply to the Christmas season, because they’re coming to Santa Fe at a stop for their Christmas Caravan tour. Expect songs you know and love, plus maybe some SNZ hits (fingers crossed for “Wish For You” from the 1995 record The Inevitable). If this show doesn’t get you into the spirit, maybe you just hate Christmas. (ADV)
Squirrel Nut Zippers: Christmas Caravan: 7: 30 pm Friday, Dec. 19. $36-$65. Lensic Performing Arts Center, 211 W San Francisco St., (505) 988-1234
Lighting the Way
The Santa Fe Christmas gestalt can be summarized as a combination of biscochito smells and farolitos—those pretty little lit bags you see everywhere the moment it turns cold. Yeah, we love pretty lights at the holidays, and so does the Santa Fe Botanical Garden, which it’ll prove tenfold during December’s La Luz de las Noches. Hit the ol’ SFBG at night for a veritable cornucopia of pretty winter lights and farolitos, plus food from Nuñez Catering, drinks from As Above So Below Distillery, music from folks like Jacob Shije and the Young Voices of the Santa Fe Opera and so much festive cheer you’ll be like, “Dang, that’s a lot of festive cheer.” Hit visitsfbg.org for more details. (ADV)
Santa Fe Botanical Garden La Luz de las Noches: 4:30-7:30 pm Thursday, Dec. 18-Wednesday, Dec. 31. $0-$29.95. Santa Fe Botanical Garden, 715 Camino Lejo, (505) 471-9103
Totally Tuesday
Courtesy Tumbleroot
By the time we all get to the end of December, everyone has pretty much had it with holidays and coldness and blustery winds and all that. Thankfully, the fine folks at Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery have deigned that Tuesdays shall henceforth be dedicated to the Tiki gods, which is to say the Midtown bar/venue is embracing the proud tradition of watering hole tiki action. There you’ll find craft cocktails created in the most tropical ways possible, plus what Tumbleroot brass is calling “island eats,” aka food. We have to assume the club will host music to fit the occasion as well, so if you, too, have felt frozen and tired and ready for a reprieve, Tiki Tuesdays seems like a good way to lighten the terror between now and late-May, when the warmth returns. (ADV)
Tiki Tuesdays @Tumbleroot: 4-9 pm Tuesday, Dec. 30. Free. Tumbleroot Brewery & Distillery, 2791 Agua Fría St., (505) 303-3808
