Celebrating Cultures of New Mexico

Northeast of Old Town, the  Indian Pueblo Cultural Center entertains and educates with a hands-on children’s facility, museum, and guided tours. Drummers and dancers from New Mexico’s 19 Indian Pueblos give performances of traditional dances in the enclosed courtyard. Museum displays trace the development of each Pueblo’s culture and showcases arts and crafts distinctive to each group – a good primer before hitting the gift shops where a wide selection of authentic artwork, jewelry and pottery await selection. Breakfast and lunch menu items at the Pueblo Harvest Cafe reflect Native American and Southwestern influences. Highly recommended are the blue corn pancakes, Tiwa Taco or stone ground corn fries.

Special programming during the annual Balloon Fiesta include daily Native dance performances and demonstrations by noted Pueblo artists, Native film screenings and a frybread stand. More than 50 artists participate in the Indian Art Market October 3-4, 2009.

The National Hispanic Cultural Center celebrates the visual, literary, media and performing arts of the deep Hispanic roots and influences on the Southwest. The Art Museum exhibits works from the expanding permanent collection as well as themed temporary shows of traditional and contemporary art. Programming at the Roy E. Disney Center for the Performing Arts features  dance, music, theatre, storytelling, puppet shows and film. Annual fiestas and festivals in the center’s Plaza Mayor honors Hispanic holidays and cultural traditions.

The center’s La Fonda del Bosque Restaurant has been  cited as one of the country’s 50 best Hispanic restaurants. Breakfast, lunch or Sunday Brunch with live music delights diners seeking authentic regional cuisine. Weather permitting, the tree-shaded courtyard provides the perfect setting to partake of the daily buffet or order traditional favorites from the full menu.