Taos Pueblo Ceremonies

All events listed below are religious ceremonies. We ask that you offer the same respect you would in your church at home. No photography is allowed. But you won’t need pictures to remember your Pueblo visit. It will remain in your heart and soul forever.

Taos Pueblo Feast Days

Jan. 1 Turtle Dance– Taos Pueblo will open to the public by 9 am to all visitors. No visitors are allowed prior to this time, dances may last all day dependent on weather. No cellphones and/or recording devices allowed. Thank you for respecting our home. (FREE ADMISSION)

Jan. 6 Deer or Buffalo Dance– Dependent on which dance, this is the tentative schedule: Deer dance will start 1 pm (approximately), lasting all afternoon. Buffalo dance will start 11 am (approximately), lasting 2 hours or so.

May 3 Santa Cruz Feast Day
June 13 San Antonio Feast Day
June 24 San Juan Feast Day

Second Weekend of July — Annual Taos Pueblo Pow-Wow
July 25 Santiago Feast Day
July 26 Santa Ana Feast Day
Sept. 29 San Geronimo Eve Vespers

Sept. 30 San Geronimo Day- The Annual San Geronimo Feast Day is September 30th. Visitors are welcome to come and share in the day of family, friends, and feast. Traditionally, a trade fair for visitors near and far. As part of our traditions and customs we have our footraces in the morning, open to the public at 8 am, your more than welcome to observe the morning festivities. Through out the day an open market will be accessible to take home wares from an array of visiting vendors.

The afternoon will be filled with laughter as the Koshare (for lack of written term in the Tiwa or Sacred clowns for lack of term in English) greet the community for the remainder of the day (1 pm – 5 pm, approximately). Please be mindful this day is a sacred day and all elements of the Taos Pueblo community are to be respected. Due to the sacredness of the day there are NO RECORDING DEVICES of any kind are allowed. Cell phones, cameras, drones, etc. are not allowed and will be confiscated.

Thank you for your respect and we hope you leave with the memory of the day and share experience through your words with family and friends.

Dec. 24 Procession of the Virgin Mary– Mass will start at 5 pm (approximately), procession proceeds after mass, as well as the burning of the bonfires, lasting 2 hours or so. Parking is limited, showing up early would be ideal, dress warm! (FREE ADMISSION after a designated time) Please keep in mind there is no guaranteed handicap parking.

Dec. 25 Deer or Matachina Dance– Dependent on which dance here is the tentative schedule: Deer dance will start at 1 pm (approximately), lasting all afternoon. Matachina dance will start at 11 am (approximately), lasting all day. (FREE ADMISSION)

Again, no cellphones or recording devices allowed during this time. Taos Pueblo has a strict confiscation NO RETURN policy with these devices, please do not chance bringing these items. Thank you for respecting our home.

Feast days were introduced by the Spanish colonization and represent the celebration of the Patron Saints of the Catholic religion (see our Event Calendar) Feast Days also coincide with our Traditional Pueblo religion which allows the people of our community to practice both the Catholic and Pueblo Religion. A typical Feast Day is a day of eating, visiting with family, friends and enjoying the traditional dances that are allowed to public spectators. Feast days are an integral part of the Pueblo culture and we enjoy sharing these days with our visitors
and friends.

Although our feast days are open to the public, one must be invited to a home to visit and/or share a feast day meal. Please use common courtesy etiquette and do not walk into a home uninvited. Other common courtesies include; after a dance is over please do not applaud for these are not performances. Our dances are part of a ceremony and it is an honor to see these dances. Please while watching the dances do not question community members as to what’s the significance of the dance, remember you are witnessing a ceremony therefore please exercise appropriate behavior.

Thank you for visiting Taos Pueblo during these special events.