The scene is captivating: Santa Fe’s historic downtown Plaza filled with the soft, flickering lights of farolitos – votive candles sequestered inside semi-transparent paper bags filled with sand. The mass illumination takes place Thursday, Nov. 22nd, and marks the start of the holiday season.
In North American terms, Santa Fe’s downtown has been around for a long, long time – some 400 years. It’s the site of some of some of the best shopping in the southwest. Winding, meandering streets harbor fascinating places to find that one-of-a-kind gift. The great thing is this slice of Santa Fe exemplifies the country’s entrepreneurial spirit. Almost all of the shops are independently owned.
Courtesy of the Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau, here’s a handful of those elegant emporiums:
– Want to don a pair of handmade cowboy boots? Check out Back at the Ranch. Celebrities visiting this historic New Mexican city frequent the store.
– Where there are cowboy boots, there are cowboy belt buckles. For three decades James Reid Ltd. has been specializing in beautiful leather belts, bedecked with silver and gold buckles.
– Doodlet’s is more than a store. It’s a nostalgic touchstone, the kind of place stocked with things you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else: fanciful folk art, things for the kids they’ll keep the rest of their lives.
– Artisans of all ilk flock to Santa Fe. Lots of them stay. In a city suffused with galleries, Patina Gallery is known for its selection of clay, wood, fiber and mixed media. It’s also a great place to hunt for artisan-crafted jewelry.
– Wearable art? Locals and visitors alike come to Santa Fe Weaving Gallery to see hand-woven garb that’s been attracting folks for decades.
(Featured image:Paul and Jill)
