Portal Artisans Celebration

Take a break during the SWAIA Santa Fe Indian Market to enjoy the Palace Portal Artisans’ Celebration in the shady Palace Courtyard. From 10 am—5 pm, Aug. 17—18, portal artisans will offer music, hand-crafted art, raffles, a Native specialties food booth, Sno-Cones, pickles, and traditional Indian dances. The event is free; enter through the Blue Gate south of the New Mexico History Museum's main entrance.

Along the south side of the Palace of the Governors, Native artists and craftspeople sell their handmade goods almost every day of the year, rain or shine. The 900+ participants in the Native American Artisans Program represent 41 tribes, pueblos, chapters and villages in New Mexico, the Navajo Nation, and parts of Arizona. A program of the New Mexico History Museum, its members adhere to rules regarding authenticity and traditional materials. All of their work is handmade.

To make room for Indian Market, the artisans each year move into the Palace Courtyard and turn it into a party, Native American-style. Check out the music and dance, then extend your stay (in air-conditioned comfort!) by visiting the museum’s exhibits, including Cowboys Real and Imagined, exploring 500 years of the cowboy story in New Mexico. Also at the museum is SWAIA’s Native Cinema Showcase, Aug. 12—18, with free daily showings of feature films, documentaries and shorts.