Gone but Not Forgotten: Remembering Santa Fe's Great Lost Festivals

While Santa Fe's cultural calendar remains famously packed, locals and longtime visitors often speak wistfully of celebrated events that, for various reasons, have since faded into the city's rich history. These festivals and gatherings, each with a unique flair, contributed significantly to the vibrant tapestry of the City Different and are remembered for the special energy they brought to the community.

These gatherings were more than just dates on a calendar; they were beloved institutions that reflected the creative, adventurous, and eclectic spirit of Santa Fe. They offered unique experiences, from the dusty, authentic twang of roots music at a movie-set ranch to the cutting-edge creations of a burgeoning art scene, leaving behind a legacy of cherished memories.

Here are a few of the great Santa Fe events that no longer exist.

Thirsty Ear Festival

For over a decade, the Thirsty Ear Festival was a cornerstone of Santa Fe's summer music scene. Held primarily at the iconic Eaves Movie Ranch, a sprawling Old West film set south of the city, the festival was revered for its authentic, laid-back atmosphere and stellar lineups of roots, folk, and Americana music. What made it truly special was its intimate and uniquely New Mexican setting. Attendees could wander through dusty saloon fronts and under wide-open skies while listening to legendary singer-songwriters. The festival ended its celebrated run in the early 2010s after its founder and main organizer moved out of state, leaving a void for fans of grassroots American music.

AHA Festival of Progressive Arts

The After Hours Alliance (AHA) Festival was a vibrant, free, and fiercely local celebration of Santa Fe's younger, edgier, and more experimental arts scene. Centered at the Santa Fe Railyard, the festival was a dynamic showcase of "progressive arts," featuring everything from interactive installations and live music to art-covered lowriders and avant-garde performances. It was a crucial platform for emerging local artists, including the now-famous Meow Wolf collective in its earlier days. The AHA Festival was known for its energetic, almost-rebellious spirit, offering a creative outlet that existed outside the traditional gallery system. After a multi-year run, the event quietly disappeared from the annual calendar around 2018 as key organizers moved on to other projects.

Outside Magazine's Bike & Brew Festival

For several years, Santa Fe's passion for outdoor adventure and craft beer came together in the Outside Bike & Brew Festival. Sponsored by the locally-headquartered Outside Magazine, this multi-day event was a cyclist's dream. It featured organized group rides for all skill levels on Santa Fe's world-class trails, professional cycling clinics, film screenings, and a large craft beer garden at the Railyard. It perfectly captured the city's active lifestyle, attracting both locals and tourists who wanted to ride the high-desert terrain by day and sample New Mexico's best brews by night. While popular, producing a large-scale, multi-faceted event like this presents significant logistical and financial challenges, and the festival was discontinued after its 2016 iteration.

5 Things Most People Don't Know About Santa Fe's Past Events

1. A Precursor to Zozobra Existed: In 1925, in protest of the main Fiesta's increasing commercialization, a group of artists and writers created their own free, satirical event called El Pasatiempo, which featured the very first burning of Zozobra. The concept was so popular it was officially incorporated into the Fiestas de Santa Fe the following year.
2. Thirsty Ear Wasn't Always at the Eaves Ranch: While forever associated with the Eaves Movie Ranch, the festival had to relocate to the Bonanza Creek Movie Ranch for its 2001 iteration, another famous local film set.
3. The Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA) Hosted Major Festivals: The recent closure of the CCA meant the end of a physical home for several recurring and beloved cultural events it produced or hosted, including the Santa Fe Jewish Film Festival and the Cinematheque series, which had been staples for decades.
4. The "Tertio-Millennial" Fiesta Was Based on a Falsehood: A massive Fiesta celebration in 1883, the "Tertio-Millennial Exposition," was held to honor the supposed 333rd anniversary of Santa Fe's founding in 1550. The only problem was that the city was actually founded in 1610; the earlier date was fabricated as a promotional tool to boost tourism and business after the railroad arrived.
5. AHA Festival Helped Launch Meow Wolf's Public Profile: Before they had a permanent building, the Meow Wolf art collective was a frequent and popular participant in the AHA Festival of Progressive Arts, using the event to showcase their wild, interactive installations to a broad public audience in the Railyard.