As you travel between Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos, you pass several Indian pueblos or villages. Throughout the year there are feast days, dances and other public events to which visitors are always welcome. But it is important for non-Indians to realize that the dances are not only social, but religious events to be observed with respect.

When visiting a pueblo, remember you are a guest on private land and it is necessary to obey Indian rules and laws:

Do not talk during the dances; do not applaud

Do not walk across the dance plaza

Refrain from talking to dancers until they finish

Do not enter kivas or areas marked as restricted

Do not take alcoholic beverages to the pueblo

Do not take pictures

Obey all parking and speed limit signs

Do not pick up pottery shards or other tempting artifacts

When visiting a pueblo on a regular (not a feast) day, check with tribal officials before taking your camera out of your car. Some pueblos have rules against photography. Most, however, require that you buy a photo permit first. Also, check for information on sketching or videotaping.

As many of the traditional planting and harvest dances follow the whims of the seasons, the dates scheduled for dances may change. It is a good idea to call the governor's office (numbers below) of the pueblo you intend to visit to make sure dances will be performed as listed here.

Acoma Pueblo 60 miles west of Albuquerque on I-40, then 12 miles south of I-40 - 505-552-6604
Cochiti Pueblo 45 miles north of Albuquerque on I-25, then west of I-25 - 505-465-2244
Isleta Pueblo south of Albuquerque on I-25 - 505-869-3111
Jemez Pueblo 30 miles NW of Bernalillo on NM 44, then north on NM 4 - 505-834-7359
Laguna Pueblo 46 miles west of Albuquerque on I-40 - 505-552-6654
San Felipe Pueblo 10 miles north of Bernalillo, off I-25 - 505-867-3381
Sandia Pueblo 13 miles north of Albuquerque, then east of NM 313 - 505-867-3317
Santa Ana Pueblo 8 miles northwest of Bernalillo on NM 44 - 505-867-3301
Kewa Pueblo 25 miles south of Santa Fe, NW of I-25 - 505-465-2214
Zia Pueblo 8 miles NW of Santa Ana Pueblo on NM 44 - 505-867-3304
Zuni Pueblo 140 miles west of Albuquerque to Gallup, then 34 miles south of Gallup off NM 53 - 505-782-4481

Indian Pueblo Cultural Center
Every weekend dances at 11 am and 2 pm at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque. Eleven Indian Pueblos surround Albuquerque. 2401 12th Street NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102. Telephone 505-843-7270

Nambe Pueblo north on US 84/285 to NM 503, 6 miles east - 505-455-2036
Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan Pueblo) north of Espanola on NM 68 - 505-852-4400
Picuris Pueblo north on NM 68, east NM 75 - 575-587-2519
Pojoaque Pueblo 15 miles north of Santa Fe on US 84/285 - 505-455-2278
San Ildefonso Pueblo north on US 84/285 to NM 502, 6 miles west - 505-455-2273
Santa Clara Pueblo 2 miles south of Española, NM 30 - 505-753-7326
Taos Pueblo 2 miles of north Taos on NM 68 - 575-758-9593
Tesuque Pueblo 9 miles north of Santa Fe on US 84/285 - 505-983-2667

Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Council
The Council offers a free, information-filled Official Visitors Guide available at most lodging places in the Santa Fe/Taos area. Or you may contact the Council at PO Box 969, San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico 87566. Telephone 505-852-4265

Jan 1 Most Pueblos: Various dances, Transfer of Canes of Authority to new Tribal Officers

Jan 1 Taos Pueblo: Turtle Dance, marking the beginning of the new year

Jan 1 Santo Domingo Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan) Pueblo: Corn Dance

Jan 6 Most pueblos: King's Day Celebration in honor of new Tribal Officers, Antelope, Buffalo, Deer dances

Jan 6 Taos Pueblo: Deer or Buffalo Dances

Jan 22 San Ildefonso: Evening Firelight Dances

Jan 23 San Ildefonso: Pueblo Feast Day, Comanche, Buffalo and Deer dances throughout the day

Jan 25 Picuris Pueblo, Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan) Pueblo: St Paul's Feast Day

Feb 2 Picuris Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo: Candelaria Day Celebration

1st weekend of Feb Old Acoma Pueblo: Governor's Feast Day, various dances

2nd week of Feb San Juan Pueblo: Deer dances

Mar 19 Laguna Pueblo: Saint Joseph's Feast Day, Harvest and various other dances

Mar 31 Easter Bow & Arrow dances at Nambé, San Ildefonso, and San Juan Pueblos

April 1 Jemez Pueblo Open Air Market featuring traditional food, arts, crafts, and artist demonstrations

April 8 Easter Weekend Dances at most pueblos

April 26-28 26th Annual Gathering of Nations Powwow UNM Pit Arena

May 3 Taos Pueblo: Santa Cruz Feast Day, Corn dance, blessing of the fields, traditional foot races

May 7 Acoma Pueblo: Santa Maria Feast Day; San Felipe Feast Day

May 8 Jemez Pueblo: Giusewa Powwow

May 26-27 (Memorial Day Weekend) Jemez Pueblo: Weekend Jemez Red Rocks Arts and Crafts Show

June 2 (First Saturday in June) Tesuque Pueblo: Blessing of the Fields

June 13 Picuris, Sandia, San Idlefonso, Ohkay Owingeh/San Juan, Santa Clara and Taos Pueblos: St Anthony's Feast Day / San Antonio Feast Day, Comanche or Corn dance

June 16-17 (Father's Day weekend) Picuris Pueblo: High Country Arts & Crafts Festival

June 23 Ohkay Owingeh (San Juan) Pueblo: San Juan Feast Day, Corn dance. Comanche/Buffalo dance

June 24 Taos Pueblo: Feast of San Juan, Corn dances

June 29 Santa Domingo Pueblo/Santa Ana Pueblo: Corn dances. San Pedro/St. Peter Feast Day

July 4 Nambé Falls Celebration; Mescalero Apache Madien’s Puberty Rites and Mountain Spirits Dance

July 4-5 Penasco Pueblo: Arts & Crafts Fair

July 13-15 (Second weekend in July) Taos Pueblo: Annual Intertribal Powwow

July 14 Cochiti Pueblo: St. Bonaventure Feast Day, Corn dances

July 21-22 (Third weekend in July) 40th Northern pueblo Artist & Craftsman Show at Ohkay Owingeh

July 18-19 (Third weekend in July) Jicxarilla Apache: Little Beaver Celebration and Dances. Includes Pro-Indian/Open Rodeo, Powwow, dances, and more

July 25-26 San Ildefonso, Taos, Laguna, Santa Ana Pueblos: Santiago and Santa Ana Feast Day dances

July 27-29 (Last weekend in July) Zuni Pueblo: Zuni Arts and Cultural Expo

Aug 2 Jemez Pueblo: St. Persingula Feast Day, Corn dances

Aug 4 Santo Domingo Pueblo: Feast Day

Aug 9 Picuris Pueblo: Vespers/Sunset Dances

Aug 10 Acoma Pueblo and Picuris: San Lorenzo Feast Day; various dances, ceremonial foot race and pole climbing

Aug 10-14 Inter-Tribal Indian Ceremonial at Gallup

Aug 12 Santa Clara Feast Day; Buffalo, Harvest, or Corn dance

Aug 15 Assumption of Blessed Mother Feast Day at Laguna Pueblo with Harvest dance; Zia Pueblo Feast Day with Corn dances

Aug 21-22 (Third weekend in August) Zuni Tribal Fair

Aug 28 Isleta Pueblo: St. Augustine Feast Day. Mass in the morning, with a procession following the Mass. Dances in the afternoon

Sep 2 San Estevan Feast Day at Acoma Pueblo

Sep 4 Isleta Pueblo: San Augustine Feast Day, Harvest dance

Sep 5-6 (First weekend in Sept) Santo Domingo Pueblo: Annual Arts & Crafts Market

Sep 8 Nativity of Mary Feast Day, Corn Dances at San Ildefonso, Harvest dances at Laguna Pueblo

Sep 19 Laguna Pueblo: San Joseph's Feast Day

Sep 25 Laguna Pueblo: St Elizabeth Feast Day

Sep 29 Taos Pueblo: San Geronimo Eve, vespers and Sundown dance

Sep 30 Taos Pueblo: San Geronimo Feast Day; Buffalo dance, trade fair, pole climbing and early morning races

Oct 3 Nambe Pueblo: Evening firelight Vespers

Oct 4 Nambe Pueblo: St Francis of Assisi Feast Day, Buffalo and Deer dances

Oct 6-14 ABQ Int'l Balloon Fiesta. Traditional dances, youth pow-wow, crowning of Lil' Miss IPCC at Indian Pueblo Cultural Center in Albuquerque

Oct 6-7 Zuni Harvest Festival and Arts Market

Oct 17 Laguna Pueblo: St Margaret Mary Feast Day

Nov 12 Tesuque Pueblo, Jemez Pueblo: San Diego Feast Day, various dances

Nov 24 (Thanksgiving) Zuni Pueblo Christmas Lights Parade

Dec 12 Pojoaque Pueblo: Guadalupe Feast Day; Jemez Pueblo: Matachines dances

Dec 24 Sundown torchlight Procession of the Virgin, Vespers and Matachines Dances at Taos, Picuris and Ohkay Owingeh/San Juan Pueblos; Acoma Pueblo luminarias and dances; Mass and dances at Laguna, San Felipe, Santa Ana, Tesuque Pueblos

Dec 25 Matachines and various dances at Laguna, Picuris, San Ildefonso, Santa Clara, Santo Domingo, Ohkay Owingeh/San Juan, Tesuque, Taos and Zia Pueblos

Dec 26 Turtle Dance at Ohkay Owingeh/San Juan Pueblo; various dances at Santo Domingo Pueblo

Dec 28 Holy Innocents Day; children's dances at Santa Clara and Picuris Pueblos

To search for other types of events, go to the Online Events Calendar