Santa Fe County’s vibrant arts, cultural, and creative sectors attract a significant number of visitors annually, generating substantial economic impact. This sector includes over 250 art galleries, museums, and performing arts venues, with many located outside the City of Santa Fe in smaller communities and pueblos. Major art markets and festivals, such as the International Folk Art Market, Spanish Market, and Native American Art Market, draw visitors from around the globe.
In 2025, Santa Fe County launched the Arts, Culture, and Creative Economy (ACCE) Advisory Council to support and grow the region’s vibrant cultural and creative sectors. The Santa Fe County ACCE Council will hold regular meetings in the Johnson Street Conference Room of the Santa Fe County Administration Building located at 240 Grant Ave., second floor.
Santa Fe County hosts numerous annual events that attract both residents and tourists, including the Pilgrimage to Chimayo, Annual Crawdaddy Blues Festival, County Fair, various studio tours, and seasonal festivals.
Check out a list of our fantastic annual events!
The Madrid Art & History Walk Project was initiated by the community and is being supported with technical assistance from New Mexico Mainstreet through the Frontier & Native American Communities Initiative.
Congratulations to Santa Fe County creative businesses!
Santa Fe Grant Recipients As of 5/11/26 for Creative Industries Grants 2026. These Business Development & Expansion Grants, awarded by Economic Development
New Mexico Creative Industries Division, are the second batch of awards during fiscal year 2026. Grant applicants represent a wide range of creative disciplines, regions and stages of growth.
Art Eclipse LLC (Cerrillos) $24,000
Seftel Gallery will renovate a historic blacksmith shed into secure art storage and
workspace, along with targeted marketing. The project will increase production,
protect inventory, and strengthen the gallery’s role as a rural arts destination.
Cynthia Jones Jewelry (Santa Fe) $24,020
The company will invest in materials and upgrade its online platform to improve
production, streamline ordering, and support continued growth.
Tumbleroot Pottery Pub (Santa Fe) $24,880
Tumbleroot will invest in café upgrades and marketing to expand hours, create
jobs, and offer more hands-on arts experiences.
Light Styles of Santa Fe, LLC (Pojoaque) $24,919
The business will purchase new equipment and redesign its website to increase
production and improve customer experience.
Mountain cloud Zen Center
Santa Fe County
$49,991
The Land Stewardship Infrastructure Project aims to develop informed outdoor
recreation infrastructure that supports public interaction, environmental learning, and
awareness. The initiative will establish a system with American Disabilities Act (ADA)
compliant signage for wayfinding and education, upgrade trails and establish seated
areas for meditation, improve community garden and composting systems, and host
public learning workshops alongside local organizations. Ultimately, this project strives
to enhance environmental understanding and inclusive access to outdoor activities,
fostering long-term community engagement.
New Mexico Wildlife Center
Santa Fe County
$73,000
The New Mexico Wildlife Center (NMWC) is dedicated to safeguarding New Mexico’s
wildlife by offering educational outreach and conservation efforts to a variety of
audiences. Currently, plans are underway to increase accessibility and enhance visitor
learning experiences through the “Pathway Paving Project.” This three-phase project
aims to create a barrier-free outdoor facility through the installation of a cement path,
improved program areas, and public amenities, ultimately transforming NMWC into a
destination for outdoor education.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden
Santa Fe County
$25,000
The Piñon-Juniper Woodland Signage Project endeavors to create a meaningful
educational experience, exploiting the potential of a woodland trail in Northern New
Mexico for outdoor learning. By implementing a series of signs exposing woodland
biodiversity, ecological processes, cultural ties, and more, the project strives for visitor
engagement, ecological literacy, and conservation stewardship. Planning for an
inclusive, bilingual design, it strives to construct an interpretive infrastructure, blending
education, recreation, and responsible trail use, while enhancing outdoor exploration for
all visitors.
Santa Fe Children’s Museum
Santa Fe County
$99,999
The Santa Fe Children’s Museum (SFCM) will build an Adobe Village at The Trail,
collaborating with MASS Design Group and Surroundings Studio for design and
architectural insights and the Historic Santa Fe Foundation (HSFF) for historical
accuracy. The child-sized structures, made of traditional adobe materials without
utilities, will educate visitors about native cultures and their adaptation to environmental
challenges. Additionally, educational programs and signage will further enhance
appreciation for New Mexico’s history and cultural diversity, offering lessons on adobe
structures, indigenous tradition, Spanish influence, and more.
KMRD radio in Madrid for strengthening their programming, providing skill-building
opportunities, and facilitating creative expression through their volunteer-run, listener-supported low-power FM station.
Paseo Pottery in Santa Fe for building capacity to host large groups, a growing and underserved market in Santa Fe’s cultural tourism ecosystem, by acquiring additional equipment and improving existing ceramics programming.