When visiting a new city is often difficult to know the best way to manage your time to catch the must-see sites, eat like the locals do, and find some chill time. With its historic architecture, numerous museums, world class galleries and many art markets Santa Fe has much to offer visitors. No doubt if you have been planning a trip to Santa Fe you already know about our historic plaza, and our world renown, Indian, Folk and Hispanic Markets. As a local, I’m here to fill you in on a little secret. If you are looking for a place that has a wide variety of activities in a small easily walkable and even wheelchair accessible area then you will want to check out the Santa Fe Railyard. The Railyard offers shopping, dining, movie theaters, museums, art galleries, free concerts, a brewery, a farmers market, boutique shops, and it is home to the Santa Fe Artists Market, one of the longest running juried art markets in Santa Fe.
Saturday is by far the best day to visit the Railyard. You can easily spend the entire day here and still not see or do everything the Railyard has to offer. Come early and have breakfast at the Farmers Market. Our Farmers Market opens at 8am. Grab a burrito, a fresh pastry, a mini quiche or a locally made sausage on a stick to go with your morning coffee or fresh squeezed apple juice. Stroll the farmers market while enjoying your breakfast burrito and listening to local musicians and then maybe pick up some produce to snack on later.
Half a block away from the Farmers Market and just north of the Water Tower you will find the Santa Fe Artists Market.
Full disclosure, I participate in this market. The market boasts eighty six local artist members who rotate throughout the season. You will find thirty eight of them at the market on any given Saturday including jewelers, painters, potters, leather workers, cobblers, photographers, fiber artists and glass and wood artists. The market is open every Saturday from 8am until 2pm (weather permitting) from March through December.
Local Mixed Media Artist,Paula Best is one of the regular artists participating in the Santa Fe Artists Market. Her paintings are vibrant, uplifting and sometimes even humorous. Paula enjoys working with a variety of media so you never know what you will find when you visit her booth. Stop by to see her and you might find up-cycled clothing, prints, cards, jewelry or whimsical hand felted and beaded scarves.
If you came to Santa Fe for rest, relaxation or to find your inner self then you will want to stop by The Ark bookstore. It can be found one block west of the Water Tower nestled between Camino de la Familia and Romero streets. The Ark is Santa Fe’s self described “Metaphysical Wonderland”. It’s the go to place for books to inspire you, or to purchase crystals, metaphysical jewelry, incense, or prayer flags. The Ark also hosts regular book signings, talks and even tarot card readings.
Around 11am the African Dance Class starts at the Railyard Performance Space. In warm weather the doors to the studio are left wide open and visitors are welcome to watch the class or for a small fee you can join in yourself. The space also offers Yoga, Tai Chi, Creative Dance and Qigong as well as Family Dance classes.
By now you will probably be ready for some lunch and maybe some people watching. The Railyard hosts a variety of restaurants some of which have patio seating overlooking the Ramada. The Railyard is also home to one of the best New Mexican restaurants in the city. Tomasitas is a family owned local favorite. Their red chile is as close to homemade as it gets and they are known throughout the state for their margaritas. The “Frog” and the “Grand Mariner” margaritas are my favorites. Try one, and I think you will agree.
The Railyard is known as the Contemporary Art hub in Santa Fe. After lunch stroll through some of the neighborhoods Contemporary Art galleries or head over to SITE Santa Fe, Santa Fe’s contemporary art museum.
Full disclosure, my husband works for SITE Santa Fe. They did not ask me to write this nor am I or my husband receiving any compensation from SITE to write this. SITE Santa Fe has a beautiful newly remodeled building which has enabled them to have two shows installed at one time. They now have a performance space, that offers concerts, lectures and family friendly events. SITE Santa Fe has always been a favorite among Santa Fe’s contemporary art lovers but with the new added spaces and ability to hold events they really are becoming a community gathering place. If you are not able to make it there on Saturday, they offer free days and on Thursday afternoons they offer Tea and a Tour. SITE Santa Fe is a must see for art lovers.
Spend your evening enjoying a movie at The Violet Crown, Santa Fe’s premier movie theater. You can find the theater on the corner of Alcadesa Street and Camino de la Familia Street, in front of the Water Tower. This eleven screen theater offers online ticketing and reserved seating. Arrive early and take advantage of their free four hour parking validation. The Violet Crown has both a Cafe and a Lounge and offers a full dinner menu which offers locally sourced food, thirty beers on tap, twenty nine different wines and sometimes even offers fresh Kombucha. The seating at the theater is the best in the city. Each roomy seat offers a fold away table and a cup holder and movie goers are encouraged to have dinner and a drink while watching their feature film.
The Railyard is easily accessible by car, train or shuttle. The Santa Fe Pickup is a free daily shuttle service that makes stops throughout the plaza, Canyon Road and the Railyard. It is available every fifteen minutes with it’s last run at 5:30pm.
The New Mexico Rail Runner also makes it first, or last stop depending on which direction you are going in the Railyard at the Santa Fe Depot. If you would rather drive yourself to the Railyard that is not a problem either. There is lots of hourly parking in the City’s Railyard Municipal Parking Garage which maxes out at twelve dollars to park for the entire day. There is also limited metered parking throughout the Railyard.
I hope this article inspires you to take some time while you are visiting us to explore the Santa Fe Railyard. You won’t be disappointed.