Opera Extravaganza: The Santa Fe Opera Festival Season

Program Registration: 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. After you check in and have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. This is a Road Scholar Large Group program. The number of participants in this program may be as high as 70; the whole group will be together for most lectures and meals. For some activities and field trips participants will be separated into groups of no more than 35 participants. Each group will have a dedicated Group Leader. The schedule for your group may vary from the published itinerary, but each group will have an opportunity to experience all program elements. Orientation: 5:00 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Transportation for program-related activities will be via motorcoach unless specified otherwise. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. It is recommended to book dinners on your own in advance. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. If you are traveling with someone and wish to be grouped with them, please be sure to identify each other on your participant information and preferences. You will not be able to change groups after arriving at the program.

At the hotel.

At leisure. Take the rest of the evening to continue getting to know your fellow participants, relax, and get a good night’s sleep for the full day ahead.

At the hotel.

We’ll be joined by our expert instructor in the hotel meeting room who will lead a discussion about tonight’s opera. Each day, we’ll have the opportunity to dive deep into each production, examining the story, composer, music, and performers with our opera expert.

At the hotel.

Our Group Leader will lead us on an exploration of Santa Fe’s Plaza area, the historic heart of the city. We’ll visit the impressive Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, the lovely Loretto Chapel with its intriguing spiral staircase, and other sites as time permits. We’ll return to the hotel with time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the hotel.

As we will before each performance, we’ll board our motorcoach and depart from the hotel at 7:15 p.m. for the Santa Fe Opera house. Tonight's performance will be Walküre. We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, our expert will debrief last night’s performance and discuss tonight's opera.

At a popular local restaurant.

Next, we’ll ride to the Santa Fe Opera House for a docent-led backstage exploration. As we go behind the scenes to see the production areas, we'll gain a better understanding of all of the parts and processes involved in producing the beautiful performances we'll see this week. We’ll return to the hotel for some downtime before dinner.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost so that you can enjoy what you wish or sample the local fare. Santa Fe is known for the breadth and depth of its culinary offerings. Not to be confused with "Tex-Mex," New Mexican cuisine is a fusion of Native American and Spanish influences. There are a number of fine restaurants within walking distance of the Santa Fe Plaza. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and directions. (Advance reservations recommended.)

We will depart at 7:15 p.m. for tonight's performance of La Bohème at the Santa Fe Opera. We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, our expert will debrief last night’s performance and discuss tonight's opera.

At a local restaurant.

After lunch, we’ll board our coach and depart for Museum Hill for self-directed visits at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture and the Museum of International Folk Art. The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture offers a huge collection of pottery, basketry, rugs, jewelry, and artifacts, mostly from tribes of the southwest region. The exhibits are beautifully displayed and documented. The Museum of International Folk Art’s holdings constitute the largest collection of international folk art in the world, including wings featuring some of the 106,000 pieces donated by collectors Alexander and Susan Girard and Lloyd Cotsen’s Neutrogena collection. Returning to the hotel, we’ll have some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

At the hotel.

We will depart at 7:15 p.m. for tonight's performance of Rigoletto at the Santa Fe Opera. We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, our expert will debrief last night’s performance and discuss tonight's opera.

On your own.

Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. This weekend is the Santa Fe Indian Market, the largest juried Indian Arts and Crafts show in the world, with events and artisans all around downtown Santa Fe. You may be interested in attending some of the Indian Market events during your free time; we recommend checking the Indian Market website for the latest: www.swaia.org/schedule-of-events/

On your own.

We will depart at 7:15 p.m. for tonight's performance of The Marriage of Figaro at the Santa Fe Opera. We expect to return to the hotel by approximately 12:00 Midnight.

At the hotel.

At the hotel, our expert instructor will present a final wrap-up of last night’s opera and will debrief our week of performances.

On your own.

Free time.

At the hotel. Share favorite experiences and enjoy camaraderie with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

We will wrap up the program in the meeting room and say farewell to new friends. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

At the hotel. This concludes our program.

If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!