Santa Fe Steeze: 58th Annual Spanish Market

Last weekend was the 58th annual Spanish Market in Santa Fe on the Plaza. It is always an event that I enjoy. It seems like Spanish Market is geared a little more for locals although there are many people who visit Santa Fe for the event.

Spanish Market features traditional hand-made art by approximately 200 local Hispanic artists. There is also live music, dance, demonstrations and of course food.

Some of my favorite art forms are the Santos. Santos can be retablos which are paintings on wood panels (as in the photo on the left), or bultos which are carvings in the round.

Although I am not Catholic, I attended Catholic school as a child and received a healthy dose of the saints, martyrs, stigmata, fire and brimstone. Therefore, I obviously like my religious effigies bloody and in pain and the Spanish Market rarely fails to offer a few truly grotesque images to burn the horrific side of Christianity deeper into my already troubled brain.

Thorn-pierced bloody hearts, Saint Michael writhing in agony from the multitude of lacerations covering his arrow-riddled slightly effeminate body, and my favorite Lucy presenting her gouged-out eyes on a plate like little cookies in need of a glass of milk. Ah, such vivid and fun childhood memories—brought back to life simply by strolling along the Plaza during Spanish Market.

I also like the straw appliqué, (pictured on the right). Although it isn't as emotionally damaging, as the Santos, I have to admire the intricate designs and the skill it must take to place all of the little pieces of straw.

After walking the market for a couple of hours we decided to get breakfast—yes I said breakfast. I forgot to mention that I got to the Plaza at about 9:00 am for the event (my friends arrived at 7:30—something is very wrong with them). If you know me then you understand that I am not a morning person, I typically don't even get to work until about 10:30 am, so it was an interesting experience going to a restaurant for breakfast.

We chose Tia Sophia's which is a kind of locals favorite downtown on San Francisco Street. My friend Seezy and I shared a breakfast burrito with red and green chile and I have to say that it was, as usual, very good. I will have to remember how much I like Tia Sophia's when the next early morning adventure arises which will probably be Indian Market in August.

This was actually a very busy weekend for me so I will leave the remainder of the activities for future posts. I finish with a photo of a very friendly looking bultos from the kinder, gentler side of Catholicism.