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The La Cienega Valley Association (LCVA), Santa Fe County Commissioner Mike Anaya and the County Commission, Santa Fe County Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) Task Force, McCune Foundation, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino, Santa Fe Thrifty Nickel, and the Santa Fe Traditional Flea Market present the first annual La Cienega Fall Festival at the Santa Fe Downs (the former Racetrack, just 1mile from NM599 on the I-25 West Frontage Road) on Halloween, Saturday, October 31. The Festival features lots of activities and entertainment and is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and almost all activities, including parking, are free.

The Fall Festival will feature a costume parade, pumpkin carving and decorating, supervised children’s crafts, mask and cornhusk doll making, gunny sack races, horseshoes, seasonal and regional food vendors, and entertainment by the Zuva Marimba Band, Mariachi Porvenir, Wise Fools, Baile Folklorico de Santa Fe, and Sol Fire.

A major feature of the Festival will be the first-ever Saturday presentation of the Santa Fe Traditional Flea Market in conjunction with a regional Grower’s Market offering fall produce. The Santa Fe Traditional Flea Market was launched in July on the Plaza at Oshara Village and now regularly includes more than 100 vendors from around Northern New Mexico.

Fall Festival events will take place on the large paved “valet parking area” to the west of the Grandstand, at the same time as the final Saturday of the Northern New Mexico Soccer Association youth matches on the Downs Infield.

Festival Events kick-off Saturday morning at 9:00 AM when the Flea and Growers Markets open and food vendors offer breakfast fare. Musical entertainment launches at 11:00 am and family and kids activities will begin at 11 am. The Markets will run through 3:00 pm, with Festival entertainment, events, and vending wrapping up at 4:00 pm.

The Fall Festival is the result of ongoing efforts to address underlying infrastructure and organizational issues related to local community and economic development in the region. Santa Fe County and the ACE Task Force have been working with LCVA and other community members to actively apply principles of community partnership, leadership, and continuing communication processes to invite feedback.


For information, call 424-2235.