Name: Santa Fe Noir Fest
Start: 2025-10-11T14:00:00-06:00
Location: La Fonda on the Plaza

www.santafenoirfest.com
Press Announcement:
Santa Fe Noir Fest
Contact:
Britta Andersson, Director of Marketing, La Fonda Hotel
505 995 2377
[email protected]
Helen K. Garber, Director of Santa Fe Noir Fest
310 344 7883
[email protected]
The inaugural Santa Fe Noir Fest will take place on October 11, 2025, from 2:00 pm - 9:45 pm at La Fonda Hotel Grand Ballroom. Hosted by La Fonda Hotel, the day and evening will incorporate film, fiction, and photography that celebrates the Noir genre incorporating historic and contemporary Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Helen K. Garber, director of Santa Fe Noir Fest, conceived the day around the projection of the historic film noir Ride the Pink Horse that was filmed during an actual fiesta and Zozobra burning in 1947. The idea began as she thought it would be fun for her Santa Fe Noir Photo Workshop (https://santafeworkshops.com/workshop/Santa-fe-noir/students )to see the film projected in the place it was filmed in 1947 and was amazingly surprised when hotel historian Ed Pulsifer thought it would be fun to invite the interested community to join in on the fun. He gave Helen carte blanche to expand the programming so she added local noir fiction authors, noir photography as well as history associated with the book to round out the day’s events.
Helen has paired the projection of the film with a panel discussion on contemporary noir fiction.
The conversation will be based on Santa Fe Noir, an Akashic Book collection of short story noir fiction set in various neighborhoods and cultures of Santa Fe and edited by Ariel Gore. The esteemed local and national authors will read from their stories, followed by a panel discussion and book signing. Authors will include Ariel Gore, Darryl Lorenzo Wellington, Kevin Atkinson, Byron Aspaas, Elizabeth Lee, Candace Walsh and James Reich.
Helen's own Santa Fe Noir photographic images along with her students, will be projected during the panel discussions and readings by the authors.
The historic aspect of the noir festival will include opening remarks by La Fonda Hotel historian, Ed Pulsifer and a presentation of the history of Tio Vivo, the antique carousel that is featured in the story and the inspiration for the title of the book and film, Ride the Pink Horse. Wayne Rutherford, membership director of the Lion’s Club of Taos who now owns the carousel, has been its guardian and archivist for the past thirty years. The pink horse from the carousel will be joining Wayne on stage during his presentation.
The festival will end on a celebratory note with a reception including food and live music. All programming will be presented free to the public as a gift from La Fonda Hotel.