Find out more about the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Festival

Created over 24 years ago, the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Festival is a multigenerational, family-owned ode to local artisans during Thanksgiving weekend .

Featuring more than 185 artists and craftspeople from New Mexico and across the country, the holiday festival gathers artisans together to show all the handmade offerings visitors can purchase for the holidays.

Feeling festive: Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Festival returns Thanksgiving weekend

“Not only can shoppers find fine artwork and home decor, they can also find handmade gifts for the holidays like ornaments, jewelry, woodwork and leatherwork as well,” said Liz King, director of the festival. “The entire event just has a very festive environment.”

Between shopping for the perfect gift, visitors at the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Holiday Festival have the opportunity to tour the culinary row, a section of the festival that offers gourmet food items and other wares like handmade body products. Guests can sample items like tea, honey, salsa and chocolate while looking for the perfect stocking stuffer.

Near culinary row, adult guests can have a bite and take a sip at the Rio Grande Cantina, which offers specialty food samplings and a variety of festive holiday drinks.

Children can channel their inner artist at the Kids’ Creation Station, a complimentary art space filled with activities. Kids can create handmade gifts to show off their artisanal skills. Children will also have the chance to enjoy face painting with Giggles, the face painting elf, and show off their passion for art to everyone.

Guests can take a load off and enjoy performances by the New Mexico Ballet Company, Mariachi Fiesta, Fanfare Victorian Carolers, Larry Freedman Piano and others.

“Shopping isn’t where the fun ends,” King said. “We have entertainment in both halls of the event. We have the New Mexico Ballet Company coming through in their full ‘Nutcracker’ attire to promote some of their upcoming performances. It’s just such a very beautiful, effective way to start holiday shopping.”

The festival gives visitors the chance to get ahead on holiday shopping while showing support for local artists.

“It’s a great way to embrace handmade holidays and foster connections with the creative community,” King said. “Attendees won’t find big box commercially produced items anywhere at this event; each participant is selling something that they make that is completely unique and something you really can’t find shopping online or anywhere else.”