Bernalillo Indian Arts Festival draws more than 150 Native artists today
Rotary Park hosted more than 150 Native artists, with free admission, free parking and Native food turning Bernalillo into a one-day market.
Rotary Park in Bernalillo turned into a one-day market for Native art, drawing more than 150 juried artists and giving Sandoval County a free-admission event built around sales, food and cultural performance. The Bernalillo Indian Arts Festival ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 370 Rotary Park Drive, with free parking and an open-air setup meant to keep visitors moving through booths and displays.
Authentic Native Arts Association, Inc., or ANAA, presented the festival as a traditional, juried Native American art market with classification standards of excellence. The nonprofit says it was founded in 2017 and works to provide exposure and marketability for authentic Native arts while inspiring appreciation of Native history and cultures. That mission is central to the festival’s pitch: it is not just a craft fair, but a market built to help Native artists sell work under standards organizers say protect quality and authenticity.
The 2026 event was the festival’s ninth annual edition, reflecting steady growth from the market that helped launch it. According to a founder bio, Sara Chadwick started the effort with a 2017 outdoor market called Teepee Celebration in Bernalillo, which featured 76 Native artists. ANAA says it has since worked with more than 600 Native American artists from across North America over more than eight years, and festival materials say many artists return year after year.
This year’s lineup also added live programming designed to keep the park active throughout the day. The Northern-Southern Dance Group from Ohkay Owingeh and Jemez Pueblos performed, and music by Adrian Wall was part of the entertainment schedule. Native food and other food options were also available, giving visitors a reason to stay on site longer and spend the day in Bernalillo rather than making the festival a quick stop.
For Bernalillo, that mix matters. A free, all-day market with more than 150 Native artists concentrates visitor traffic in town and creates a visible sales window for artists who depend on direct purchases. It also gives local businesses a built-in audience of shoppers and families looking for food, parking and a reason to linger in Sandoval County.
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