COUNTY News:
Los Alamos, New Mexico—known as the gateway to three National Parks and the home of groundbreaking scientific discovery—invites locals and visitors to experience the wonder of the holidays in Northern New Mexico Dec. 2–4 at the three-day WinterFest Weekend celebration.
Featuring a holiday light parade, arts and crafts fairs, visits with Santa Claus and Santa Paws, and holiday fun for all ages, WinterFest showcases the friendly charm of Los Alamos, as well as the vibrant community spirit and thriving local arts scene.
“Each year, Los Alamos MainStreet works to bring the magic, cheer and joy of the holiday season to life through our WinterFest celebration, and we encourage all to save the date and plan to attend,” Los Alamos MainStreet Director, Jacquelyn Connolly said.
Presented by Los Alamos MainStreet and Los Alamos County, WinterFest will kick off from 7–8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 2 with a look at the December Night Sky at the Los Alamos Nature Center Planetarium. Also 7 p.m., Friday catch the opening night of Sugar Plum on “The Hill,” an original ballet presented by Dance Arts Los Alamos at the Duane Smith Auditorium. Tickets are $20 per person, $15 for seniors and $10 for students aged 4–18. Admission for children 3 and under is free. Additional showings take place at 2 p.m., Saturday and Sunday each day.
The Winter Arts & Crafts Fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 3 at Los Alamos Middle School Gym, featuring artists, live music, face painting, and food vendors.
The festivities continue from 3:30–5:30 p.m., Dec. 3 when Fuller Lodge transforms into Santa’s Workshop. Participants can decorate cookies, make crafts, write letters to Santa, and take photos with Santa, before heading to Central Avenue at 6 p.m. for the 2022 Holiday Lights Parade with a theme of “There’s Gnome Place Like Home.”
Enjoy a visit with Santa Paws from 12–4 p.m., Sunday, Dec. 4, at Pet Pangaea, and capture a photo of your pets with Santa.
“Throughout the holiday season, people choose to visit Los Alamos for our unique, welcoming atmosphere and our festive events,” said Kelly Stewart, with Los Alamos County’s Economic Development Division. “From our quintessential winter weather to our vast array of family-fun activities and opportunities to shop for handmade holiday gifts, Los Alamos is the place to get into the holiday spirit this winter.”
As additional events are still being added to the schedule, be sure to visit https://www.losalamosmainstreet.com/winterfest for updates. For more information on visiting Los Alamos, go to https://visitlosalamos.org.