New Mexico

Holidays: Canyon Road Christmas Eve Walk, Chimayo Easter Pilgrimage, Christmas in Madrid, Christmas on the Pecos, Las Posadas, Victorian Christmas Evening, Winterfest

Holidays

Canyon Road Christmas Eve Walk - Walk up Santa Fe's Canyon Road, stopping off at bonfires to catch a bit of warmth and perhaps sing a few carols. Businesses and friends along the way offer hot cider, hot chocolate and posole (a traditional Christmas stew).

Chimayo Easter Pilgrimage - During Holy Week, thousands of pilgrims journey on foot to El Santuario de Chimayó, a beautiful shrine in northern New Mexico.

Christmas in Madrid - Christmas in Madrid started in the 1920s, when Madrid was a mining town run by Oscar Huber. The whole town would decorate homes and businesses with more than 100,000 lights and create a winter wonderland filled with decorations and blinking lights at the ballpark. That tradition continues today with lights and a Christmas Parade.

Christmas on the Pecos - The magical vista created by over 100 Carlsbad homeowners who spend hours decorating with care is a wonderful site viewed from cruises along the Pecos River. Christmas on the Pecos has been voted one of America's "must see" events 12 years in a row.

Las Posadas - Under the glow of colored lights strung in trees on the Santa Fe Plaza, several hundred spectators cradled candles Sunday as they watched an annual re-enactment of a story on which the Christian faith is founded.

Victorian Christmas Evening - Reenactors dressed in clothing from the 1880s help visitors celebrate in the style common to Silver City before the turn of the century, and a visit from a frontier Father Christmas is always a favorite for kids and parents alike.

Winterfest - WinterFest celebrates the holidays with arts, crafts and music, highlighted by the Holiday Light Parade, when the lights through the middle of town are turned off and the glow from lights on decorated floats and automobiles illuminate the faces of spectators.