The 2023 Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts will be Saturday-Sunday, Sept. 2-3, at Holy Cross Retreat Center, 600 Holy Cross Road in Mesilla Park.
Hours on 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 3, with visitors invited to Sunday mass at 9 a.m. Raffle winners will be announced at 4 p.m. Sunday.
The entrance fee each day is by donation.
The event will include more than 65 artists and food vendors, said center Director Father Tom Smith.
Most vendors will be indoors in air-conditioned rooms.
There is also an enchilada dinner and a paella dinner, with a beer and wine garden outside. A silent auction will be held in the center atrium, and there are two stages outside with live music.
“Last year we had our best festival ever and we are planning to do just as well this year,” Smith said. “You can enjoy not only the festival, but also spend a little time in our bright, appealing chapel, walk the labyrinth, and wander the peaceful grounds.
"Historically Franciscans have supported the arts and the Art Festival at Holy Cross Retreat Center continues to help us appreciate the beauty around us in God's creation and creativity," Smith said.
“We enjoy coming to the Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts because the setting is so pleasing, and most of it can be enjoyed inside," a festival attendee told Smith.
"Being able to talk with the artists is so helpful, and gives us a sense of their efforts in preparing the art works," another attendee said.
HCRC was built by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Monaghan in 1913 with 14 rooms and a central patio. It was purchased by the OFM Franciscan Friars of the Province of St. Barbara in Oakland, California in 1954. The first retreat at the site was held in 1957. The Franciscan Festival of Fine Arts was revived after several years in September 2004.
To reach HCRC, take Main Street south of Las Cruces and turn left on Holy Cross Road, about three miles south of the intersection of Main Street and University Avenue. For Goggle maps, enter the address 4889 South Main St., which will take you to the gates of the retreat center.
Call HCRC at 575-524-3688.
Visit https://holycrossretreat.org/.
