One of the major contributors to Santa Fe's fame is the large number of American Indian pueblos (towns) nearby. Several are important centers for folk art; most permit visitors at dances and other tribal ceremonial events; and from a more contemporary perspective, several host casinos with gambling, night life, etc. There are also, however, some pueblos that jealously guard the privacy of their residents and admit visitors only grudgingly, if at all. Nearly all pueblos charge a fee for photography, video, sketching, etc., as an attempt to mitigate the impact of tourism on the private life of the inhabitants. For more detailed info on each pueblo, see New Mexico Pueblos.
Some of the nearby pueblos that are accessible to the public, at least on occasion, are ("A" denotes a primary folk-art center, "C" means casino, "D" means dances or other ceremonials open to the public):
San Ildefonso Pueblo pottery
Cochiti Pueblo -- southwest of town, A/D
Nambe Pueblo -- north, D, pleasant campground and waterfall
Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo (formerly San Juan Pueblo, and still so listed on many maps) -- north, A/C/D
Pojoaque Pueblo -- north, C/D, not much there but an interesting museum and gaudy casino
San Ildefonso Pueblo -- northwest, A/D, a major pottery center
Santa Clara Pueblo -- northwest, A/D, another major pottery center
Santo Domingo Pueblo -- southwest, A/D(?), excellent for pottery and jewelry
Tesuque Pueblo -- north, C (note: pueblo itself is closed to the public)
Dances and ceremonials take place throughout the year, but one not-to-be-missed special event is the Eight Northern Indian Pueblos Annual Arts and Crafts Show, held in mid-July at one of the pueblos, frequently Ohkay Owingeh. Many of the artisans use this event as a "tune-up" for the Santa Fe Indian Market the following month, so that both quality and quantity of the available work are quite high, yet the prices are often considerably better than for comparable (sometimes the exact same) work at the Indian Market. The 2008 version will be at Ohkay Owingeh on July 19-20; be prepared for heat and dust, wear comfortable shoes, and feel entirely free to avoid the noisome casino just outside the parking lot.
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