The 29th annual Christmas at the Palace kicks off a weekend’s worth of holiday-themed events at the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors. Infuse your holidays with a dose of tradition:
Friday, December 13, 5:30–8 pm, Christmas at the Palace
Performances by local musicians (see schedule, below), piñatas, hot cider and cookies, craft-making activities, a chance to operate an antique printing press, and quality time with Santa and Mrs. Claus highlight this free event. (Donations of non-perishable foods are encouraged to help brighten other people’s holidays.)
Saturday, December 14, 10–4 pm, and Sunday, December 15, 10 am–3 pm, Young Native Artists Holiday Show & Sale
Come to the Meem Community Room to see what the children and grandchildren of the Palace Portal artists have created for your holiday gift-giving. Get it on the ground floor of collecting from the next generation of Native artists. Admission is free through the Washington Avenue doors.
Sunday, December 15, 5:30–7 pm, Las Posadas
Bundle up for the granddad of Santa Fe’s holiday celebrations. This recreation of Joseph and Mary’s search for an inn carries participants around the Plaza, where rooftop “devils” drive them on their way. Everyone finally gains admission into the Palace Courtyard for hot cider, cookies and carols. A free event.
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Las Posadas began in the early 1970s as a small celebration in the San Antonio neighborhood near Acequia Madre and Paseo de Peralta. Residents who had successfully defeated a development project held their version of a traditional Hispanic novena—one that’s still practiced in communities throughout New Mexico over nine nights’ time. By the early 1980s, the event had grown beyond the capacity of the neighborhood’s narrow streets, and the Palace of the Governors took it over.
Since then, it has attracted thousands of visitors, some of them out-of-staters who schedule their New Mexico vacation based on its timing. Actors and a choir from the Church of the Holy Cross near Española will once again lead this year’s event.
“We hope everyone joins us in celebrating not just the holidays but the sense of community that they foster,” museum Director Frances Levine said.
Hints from Santa’s elves: The New Mexico History Museum and Palace of the Governors will close at 3 pm on December 13 and 15 to give staff and volunteers time to prepare for these events. Also, Las Posadas requires street closures within the Plaza area, so give yourself extra time to find a parking spot.
These events are made possible by the generous contributions of the Plaza Café; Cowboys and Indians Santa Fe; Charles D. Batts; Shiprock Santa Fe; The Shop A Christmas Store; American Tent Rentals; Holy Cross Church; Los Capitanes; and Las Compadres del Palacio.
The schedule for Friday evening’s Christmas at the Palace
5:30–8 pm, Santa arrives at the front door of the Palace and meets with children throughout the evening in the Palace Courtyard. Warm up by a bonfire with hot cider and cookies.
5:30–8 pm, Make holiday cards on one of the antique presses in the Palace Press. In the courtyard, use your craft skills to turn a paper sack into a cowboy-boot stocking.
5:30–6:30 pm, Coro de Agua Fria performs traditional Christmas carols in the Palace Courtyard.
5:30–6:30 pm, the young performers of Enchanted Strings play a selection of holiday and classical music within the Santa Fe Found exhibit inside the Palace.
5:30–6:30 pm, EPIK Youth of the Santa Fe Concert Association perform Christmas carols and classical music in the Palace’s Green Room.
6:40–7:30pm, Schola Cantorum of Santa Fe performs a cappella sacred masterpieces in the Santa Fe Found exhibit inside the Palace.
6:40–7:30pm, Ensembles from the New Mexico School for the Arts perform holiday favorites and well-known music of the Baroque and Classical masters.
Piñatas in the Courtyard, 6 pm, Children ages 3 to 7; 6:45 pm, Children ages 8 to 12
