New Mexico Native American Feast Days, Pueblos Dances, Festivals

New Mexico’s 19 Pueblos and wide swathes of tribal lands offer visitors an unrivaled glimpse into Native American culture, both historical and contemporary. Very often, access to these pueblos comes in the form of feasts days, dance ceremonies, festivals and many other special events. Below you’ll find about 100 ways to explore this essential element of this region’s cultural history

Pueblo feast days usually take place on the same date every year, while other special events take place during specific weekends throughout the year. Please note that event dates can change and/or be closed to the public with little or no notice. Many dances and events are scheduled based on the decisions of pueblo leaders, and scheduling can be inconsistent from year to year. “It’s up to the tribal war chiefs to decide what dances are going to be held and when,” according to one pueblo visitor center representative.

When planning to attend a pueblo event, contact the visitor center or pueblo office beforehand. Find a complete list of pueblo telephone numbers and websites below.

January

Turtle Dance – Taos Pueblo
Transfer of Canes to new officials and various dances – Picuris Pueblo
Pueblo Corn Dances – Cochiti Pueblo

King’s Day Celebration in honor of new tribal officers: Antelope, Buffalo, Deer dances – Most pueblos
Evening Firelight Dances (Occasional) – San Ildefonso Pueblo

San Ildefonso Feast Day (Buffalo, Deer and Comanche dances)– San Ildefonso Pueblo

St. Paul Feast Day – Picuris Pueblo

February

Candelaria Feast Day – Picuris Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo

First Weekend

Governor’s Feast Day and various dances – Old Acoma Pueblo

Second Weekend

Deer dances – San Juan Pueblo

End of the Month

Buffalo Dances – Cochiti Pueblo

March

Village Feast – Laguna Pueblo

April

Easter Weekend Dances

Many Pueblos

Every Fourth Weekend

Gathering of the Nations (One of the country’s largest powwows) – Albuquerque Convention Center

May

St. Phillip Feast Day – San Felipe Pueblo

Santa Cruz Feast Day with Corn Dance, blessing of the fields and foot races – Taos Pueblo

Memorial Day Weekend

Jemez Red Rocks Arts and Crafts Show – Jemez Pueblo

June

First Saturday in June

Blessing of the Fields – Tesuque Pueblo

San Antonio Feast Day (various dances) – Sandia Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, Picuris Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, Santa Ana Pueblo

San Juan Feast Day – Taos Pueblo
St. John the Baptist Feast Day – Ohkay Owingeh

July

Celebration of the Waterfall – Nambe Pueblo

St. Bonaventure Feast Day – Cochiti Pueblo

Second weekend in July

Annual Intertribal Powwow – Taos Pueblo

Third Weekend in July

Little Beaver Celebration with pro-Indian and open Rodeo, powwow, pony express race, parade, dances and more – Jicarilla Apache

Santiago Feast Day – Taos Pueblo

Santa Ana Feast Day – Santa Ana Pueblo, Taos Pueblo
Seama Village Feast – Laguna Pueblo

August

First Week

Gallup Inter-tribal Indian Ceremonial with dances, rodeo, art and more – Gallup, NM
Ramah Navajo Fair and Rodeo – Ramah, NM

St. Dominic Feast Day – Santo Domingo Pueblo

San Lorenzo Feast Day mass and sunset dance – Picuris Pueblo

9-10

Zuni Cultural Arts Expo – Zuni Pueblo

San Lorenzo Feast Day with foot races, dances and pole climbing – Picuris Pueblo
San Lorenzo Feast Day – Acoma Pueblo (Acomita), Laguna Pueblo

St. Clare Feast Day – Santa Clara Pueblo

Our Lady of Assumption Feast Day – Zia Pueblo
Assumption of Our Blessed Mother’s Feast Day – Laguna Pueblo

Third Week

SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market – Santa Fe Plaza
Indigenous Fine Art Market – Santa Fe Railyard

September

First Week

Navajo Nation Fair (rodeo, powwow, frybread contests, Miss Navajo Nation Pageant and more) – Window Rock, AZ
Kewa Pueblo Arts & Crafts Market – Kewa (formerly Santo Domingo) Pueblo.

St. Stephen Feast Day – Acoma Pueblo

St. Augustine Feast Day – Pueblo of Isleta

Encinal Village Feast – Laguna Pueblo

Labor Day Weekend

Totah Festival Indian Market and Powwow – Farmington, NM

14-15

Go-Jii-Yah Feast, annual celebration with foot races, powwow and country rodeo – Jicarilla Apache

St. Joseph Feast Day with Buffalo, Eagle and Social Dances – Laguna Pueblo

St. Elizabeth Feast Day – Laguna Pueblo

San Geronimo Eve Vespers – Taos Pueblo

San Geronimo Feast Day with dances, races, pole climb, arts and crafts fair – Taos Pueblo

October

First week

Northern Navajo Nation Fair – Shiprock, New Mexico

San Francisco de Assisi Feast Day – Nambe Pueblo

Ancient Way Fall Festival and Arts Market – Zuni Pueblo

Second Weekend

Jemez Red Rocks Open Air Market – Jemez Pueblo

St. Margaret Mary’s Feast at Paraje Village – Laguna Pueblo

November

San Diego Feast Day – Tesuque Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo

Zuni Christmas Lights Parade – Zuni Pueblo

Last week of November

SWAIA Winter Indian Market – Santa Fe/Albuquerque
Indigenous Fine Art Market’s Holiday Showcase – Albuquerque

December

First Week

Shalako dance and festival (Closed to the public) – Zuni Pueblo

Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day – Pojoaque Pueblo
Bow and Arrow, Comanche and Buffalo Dances – Tesuque Pueblo
Matachina Dances – Jemez Pueblo

Procession of the Virgin Mary – Taos Pueblo
Christmas Eve Midnight Mass and Dance – Tesuque Pueblo
Christmas Eve Mass and Buffalo, Deer and Antelope Dances – Nambe Pueblo
Sundown Torchlight Procession of the Virgin Vespers and Matachina Dances – Picuris Pueblo
Luminarias display (2,000 paper bag lanterns line the road leading to Acoma Pueblo)

25*

Various Dances and Matachinas Dance – Taos Pueblo
Matachina Dances – Picuris Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh
Various Dances – Jemez Pueblo, Laguna Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara Pueblo, Tesuque Pueblo, Zia Pueblo
*Many pueblos offer Christmastime events. Please see our phone list at the bottom of the page to contact specific pueblos.

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