PLACITAS AND BERNALILLO
PLACITAS
When you ask people what they like best about living in Placitas, most talk about the peacefulness, big mountain views and proximity to hiking trails while still being minutes away from shopping and dining. Others love the perfect weather (four distinct seasons without harsh extremes), the amazing sunsets, and the stunning starry nights.
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Placitas is a small town with historic charm that’s home to around 5000 people. Similar to Santa Fe, there are artists and artwork everywhere you turn. It has more artists, designers and people working in media than 90% of the communities in America. This concentration of artists helps shape Placitas’s unique character.
Placitas borders the 1.6 million-acre Cibola National Forest which ranges in elevation from 2,700 to over 11,300 feet. People come from all around to enjoy this area’s extensive trail system offering stunning natural beauty and diversity that can be enjoyed by hikers, runners, equestrians, and mountain bikers. And, if you like winter sports, Sandia Peak Ski Resort and Ski Santa Fe are in close proximity.
You’ll find the warmest weather May through September where the average highs range from 70 – 82 and lows range from 50-63. December through February offer colder temps. It may snow a few times each winter but melts quickly and is limited to about 33 days a year amounting to less than 10 inches.
Placitas has an active community and a year-round event schedule. There is the well-known Placitas Artist Series, Artists’ Studio Tours, musical series, and the 4th of July parade. You can also enjoy the modern Community Library, Signpost newspaper, volunteer recycling facility, modern Community Library, Volunteer Fire Brigade, philanthropic club, and a Community Center.
THE TOWN OF BERNALILLO
The Town of Bernalillo is set at the northwest slope of the Sandia Mountains and hugs the banks of the state’s major river, the Rio Grande. The Rio Grande splits the town from north to south and it is not unusual to watch enterprising folks rafting in the slow-motion waters. This community boasts being the historical center of the State of New Mexico with occupation reaching back almost a thousand years. Bernalillo progressed from a string of haciendas along the river in the 1600’s to a commercial center of trade among the pueblos and the Mexican settlers in the 1800’s. Founded by Don Diego de Vargas in 1695, the Town of Bernalillo remains a retail trade and service center for this part of the Rio Grande basin.
This community has much to offer in recreation, commerce, and social amenities. It has the advantages of larger cities and access to large-city services without the strain of urban living. The Town of Bernalillo, borders the state’s fastest growing metropolitan area, Rio Rancho.
Bernalillo’s location provides direct access to the Jemez Mountains to the north-west and the Sandia Mountain range to the south-east, guarantees opportunities for unique and plentiful outdoor activities. Numerous city parks, ball fields, playgrounds, and picnic areas including historical, social, and cultural events are mainstays of community life.
Consistent with the commitment to provide the best in quality of life and family value opportunities, this community of friendly, warm and caring people has seen a steady rise in population growth over the past few years.
There are many activities and events in Bernalillo each year including:
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Bernalillo celebrates the wine industry and the local heritage each Labor Day with the premier event in the state: The New Mexico Wine Festival at Bernalillo.
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One of the Town’s oldest traditional celebrations and dating over 310 years, Las Fiestas de San Lorenzo is held annually on August 9, 10 and 11. In that drama and recognition of historical religious influence, dance performers of Los Matachines progress through the Town of Bernalillo in a spectacular event which dates to the 1600’s.
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Annual Mountain West Brew Fest that is held every summer
https://www.americantowns.com/place/town-of-bernalillo-bernalillo-nm.html
