Taos Real Estate

Photo by Geraint Smith

Calendar

Now thru December 19
Taos Ski Valley–First Full Season for Snowboarders!
Discounted Tickets
Lift tickets are discounted, as are many lodges in the Ski Valley and Town of Taos.
Click here for info.

Adult lift tickets $40, teens $30 and children $25. Children’s Ski School, Kinderkare, is also discounted at $62 per day.
Click here for info.

December 05 – 07 and 13 – 14
Snowboard and Ski Academy
Afterwards make sure you come down the mountain après ski on Friday and Saturday nights using the Chile Line Shuttle for only $1.Click here for the schedule. Partake of Taos’ in-town eclectic dining, entertainment, shopping, lectures, readings, gallery events, and more. Check out the Taos Chamber of Commerce website for a specific list of shops that are open Friday and Saturday evenings and lists of events.
Location: Taos Ski Valley and Surrounding Town of Taos

December 06, 2008
Celebrate the 11th Annual Holiday Fiesta with diverse arts and cultures of Northern New Mexico. Children can make holiday presents and visit with Santa. Noon – 3 pm
A free community day event.
Location: The Millicent Rogers Museum

December 13, 2008
Lighting of Ledoux
Join the museums, galleries, studios and merchants of Ledoux Street to usher in the holiday season. The historic street is lined with luminarias and homes/businesses boast farolitos (outdoor bonfires), music and refreshments. Just one big fabulous Northern NM holiday block party. 
FREE.  5 – 7:30 pm
Location: Ledoux Street
(just off of South Taos Plaza)

December 13, 2008
Christmas Carnival & Holiday Skating Exhibition
Location: Taos Youth & Family Center

December 20, 2008
Winter Wonderland at John Dunn Shops. Luminarias, farolitos, gift wrapping, caroling, Santa Claus and refreshments.
Location: The John Dunn Shops

December 20, 2008
Brewmaster’s Festival
Sample beers from 25 breweries from across the Southwest region. In Tenderfoot Katie’s and the Martini Tree Bar.
4:30 – 7 pm. 
Location: Taos Ski Valley

December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve Procession
A magical event of bonfires and the Procession of the Virgin only in Taos. A pagaent of beauty, heritage and awe inspiring imagery. Sundown.
Location: Taos Pueblo (Only UNESCO Living World Heritage Site in the U. S.)

December 24, 2008
Torchlight Parade and Festival of IlluminationChristmas Eve celebrations at the Ski Valley start at 6 pm. A luminaria and farolito lit route from Amizette to the Resort Center and Torchlight Parade.
Location: On slope, Taos Ski Valley

December 25, 2008
Taos Pueblo Deer or Matachines DanceTraditional Christmas Day dances. Dances begin at 2 pm. No cameras or cell phones.
Location: The Plaza at Taos Pueblo

December 31, 2008
New Year’s Eve Torchlight Parade & Fireworks Taos Ski Valley
Celebrate the last day of the year in style. Event 6 pm – 2 am
Call 575-776-2291 for more info.
Location: Taos Ski Valley

December 31, 2008
New Year’s Eve Party at Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort –Talent show and karaoke to end 2008. 6 pm – 2 am
Location: Sipapu Ski & Summer Resort

For more events, click here.

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Learn more about all of the wonders of New Mexico. Check out New Mexico Tourism Deputy Cabinet Secretary, Jen Hoffman’s bloghere.

Yuletide in Taos

All through December and into the first week of January, the Yuletide Season in Taos is a must see. The season kicks off with farolito lightings the first week of December and continues with caroling, tree lightings and other seasonal events.

The lighting of Ledoux on Saturday, December 13 gets the whole town out to Historic Ledoux Street, just off the Taos Plaza. The Town makes it especially easy for holiday shoppers with extended hours for many of Taos' can't miss stores. Click here for a list of shops.

If great skiing and snowboarding are more your speed, the Town of Taos offers the Chile Line shuttle service. The shuttle takes skiers and snowboarders to and from Taos Ski Valley, including evening service on Fridays and Saturdays. Click here for a full schedule.

Check out Taos’ Winter Visitor Guide for more great information, including themed self-guided tours, little known gems, events calendar and more.  Click here for info.

Las Posadas, A Northern New Mexico Tradition

Las Posadas represents the troubles that Joseph and Mary faced in finding a room when traveling to Bethlehem. In it, groups of children and adults go from house to house singing a traditional song requesting lodging (posada). In each house, the owner responds with refusal (also in song), until they reach the designated site for the party, where the owner recognizes Mary and Joseph and allows them to come in.

Typically, each family in a neighborhood will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home, starting on the 16th of December and finishing on the 24th.

This year Taos will celebrate the event starting on Tuesday, December 16 at San Francisco de Asis Church in Ranchos de Taos. Each evening at 6 p.m. the event will take place at a different location throughout Taos and the surrounding area. For more information call San Francisco de Asis Church at (575) 758-2754.

Santa Paws is Coming to Town

Have your pet’s picture taken with Santa Paws and make a difference with the local animal shelter at the John Dunn Shoppes, Bent St., December 13th, from 12 to 2 p.m. There will be a pet adoption by Stray Hearts Animal Shelter, as well as animal-related gifts to buy.

Climb Aboard the North Pole Express

Take a magical trip on a special winter night. Sing carols, hear story-time readings, eat cookies and hot chocolate as you tell Santa your holiday wish and receive a silver sleigh bell. While onboard, visit our box car gift shop for unique Christmas gifts. The fun begins on December 20, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults and $10 for children.
	For more information.

Taos–The Writer’s Colony

By R. Scott Gerdes
Reprinted courtesy of www.taosnews.com

Like any other artist, the writer strives to entertain and connect with — and sometimes teach — his or her audience on an intimate, lasting level. The writer’s pages start as a blank canvas, an un-carved piece of wood or un-chiseled stone. Life experiences, folklore, fantasies… anything can become a novel. And like the visual artist, writers who come to work on their craft say they are drawn to the history, the light, the scenery and the non-intrusiveness of Taos.

Is there a rise of writers in Taos these days? Is Taos becoming “The Writer’s Colony” as opposed to “An Artist’s Colony?” And if so, is the future of the handheld book solvent? Click here to review the entire article from the Taos News!