Dear Friends, 

If you are in Santa Fe Thursday, May 11th, swing by the Lumpkins Ballroom to catch our Centennial Documentary NMPBS Watch Party with me. Doors open at 6PM and the show airs at 7PM! Or watch the broadcast on NMPBS.org. A labor of love, we started lining up interviews for the project pre-covid and finally finished recording Santa Fe luminaries in time to edit and debut the film during our Party of the Century held last March. It was such an honor to have NMPBS pick it up to show it publicly and to be included in this amazing film by Hutton Broadcasting. Highlighting the dynamic 100-year- history of Santa Fe’s landmark hotel, I hope you enjoy the film as much as I enjoyed interviewing everyone who “stars” in it! 

At an altitude of 7,000 feet, the light in Santa Fe is magical – especially when witnessed from the highest outdoor patio bar in town! With unhindered views of the Jemez mountains to the west and the Sangre de Cristos to the northeast, it’s the perfect place to drink in the sunset. 

Our team of genius mixologists have concocted special cocktails to match the sky’s brilliant hues shifting from orangish pink to glowing violet, purple to red. Try our signature Ethel’s Blue Margarita recipe by my predecessor and former La Fonda owner, the late Ethel Ballen, served frozen and of course, with love – or try the Mango Margarita that combines the perfect blend of silver tequila with fruity tropical purée. There’s no shortage of quality nosh either! From charcuterie boards filled to the brim to fresh and flavorful watermelon salads, there’s every reason to ditch lower elevation dinner reservations and stay awhile to enjoy mother nature’s sunset show. 

The Bell Tower at La Fonda seamlessly incorporates important cultural design elements of the southwest to create an authentic haven to escape the bustle of town. Based on one of the Bell Towers at the Mission Church at Acoma Pueblo, architect John Gaw Meem successfully brought one of the most iconic architectural features of the southwest to the City Different. If you haven’t yet made the trek up to our 5th floor, make sure it’s on your itinerary this season! The Bell Tower is open for the season! Plan to visit weekdays 3pm to Sunset or noon to sunset on the weekends.  

Also in May, we celebrate the power of story during Santa Fe’s Literary Festival. Stories lift us out of the ordinary and have the power to transport our hearts and minds to planes beyond the ordinary. The festival brings authors from across the globe to our City Different – a community rich in cultural diversity and creativity – it’s the perfect place to celebrate a love of language and ideas. Check out the festival itinerary here. 

And don’t forget— May kicks off the Santa Fe Reporter “Best of Santa Fe” contest! We’re in the running for Best Lodging, Best Hotel Bar (La Fiesta Lounge), Best Cocktails, Best Chef (Lane Warner) and Best Business Downtown. We’d sure appreciate your vote! 

 

See you on the rooftop! 
Jenny