Staff Pick's: Santa Fe, NM
Music Roadtrip
Certified: 🌟 Certified
Description: Santa Fe moves to its own rhythm—an intoxicating blend of desert light, artistic vision, and a music scene that bridges centuries of culture. From flamenco and folk to psych-rock and cosmic country, this route traces the city’s creative pulse across its most soulful stages and gathering spots. Start downtown at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center, where festivals, concerts, and art markets keep the city’s creative calendar packed year-round. Then head to the Lensic Performing Arts Center, a restored 1930s gem that hosts everything from symphonies and jazz to touring icons under its glowing adobe arches. When hunger strikes, drift toward Cowgirl BBQ, a beloved local roadhouse serving Southwestern comfort food with a side of live honky-tonk. For a laid-back evening drink, La Reina at the El Rey Court offers craft cocktails and desert-cool ambiance wrapped in vintage motel charm. For the surreal side of Santa Fe, step into Meow Wolf’s House of Eternal Return—an immersive art-meets-music universe that defies explanation. Then close out your journey at The Bridge at Santa Fe Brewing Co., where mountain sunsets and local bands turn a brewery lawn into one of New Mexico’s best outdoor stages. This itinerary captures the city’s magic: rooted in tradition, alive with experimentation, and always humming with creative possibility.