We generally recommend folks to fly into Albuquerque ABQ and travel north to Santa Fe. SAF has limited flights and is a regional airport with just 2 gates, where as ABQ will have more flights and less expensive options. If you can get a direct flight to SAF, then maybe its worth doing.
You can always rent a car at the ABQ airport and drive up to Santa Fe. The drive takes about an hour by primarily heading northbound on I-25. However, we realize this can be expensive for some and if you are staying in downtown Santa Fe, a car may not be wanted. The other option is you can Uber/Lyft/Taxi from ABQ to the Railrunner station in downtown Albuquerque. Then, get on the Railrunner train and north the Santa Fe Depot (end station). From there, you can hopefully walk or Uber/Taxi to your accomodations. The Railrunner will take a bit more than an hour, but the views and train experience are spectacular. You can find the Railrunner schedule online https://www.riometro.org/184/Train but do realize the schedule can be somewhat limited. You can also likely Uber or Lyft directly to ABQ to Santa Fe, however this will be expensive (over $100 one way).
Santa Fe sits at about 7000 ft above sea level, and our hourse is at 7200ft. That's over 2000ft higher than Denver and at such altitude, you have almost 25% less oxygen than near the ocean. Light altitude sickness is common for people who aren't acclimated to the altitude, and it can takes a few days to adjust. We recommend folks coming from the coasts to drink LOTS of water. Give yourself a day or two to acclimate before diving into any strenuous activities.
Yes, we're 100% serious. We do not need anything other than your presence. We realize most of you are are coming from far away and traveling can be expensive. So please, just get to Santa Fe and be ready to party with us! We have a house, it's becoming furnished to our liking, and the kids are well outfitted.
The venue does not offer any parking and generally there's very limited parking nearby to the venue. We will be situated in the top of Canyon road's art district which is often walked rather than driven, and we recommend you do the same. There is free street parking on Alameda Drive if you find a spot and prefer a short walk, or a small (expensive) paid lot at 777 Canyon Rd if you must insist. If mobility is limited or you are staying a bit further out, we would suggest getting a Uber or Taxi to the venue. We will be working on offering Uber credit/discount to those interested as we get closer to the party. For our friends coming form Albuquerque, you could take the Railrunner and then Uber the short 2 miles over to the venue. The last train on Saturday evening leaves Santa Fe Depot at 10:14p. Also, have you considered just renting a hotel room for a night in Santa Fe?
As close as you can to the Santa Fe plaza (downtown) is generally a good plan. There are many hotels near downtown ranging from cheapish to very expensive and extravagent. Much more affordable hotel options exist on Cerrillos road but will require a car to get around, and that has its dissadvantages. We personally would recommend looking for a cute little southwestern adobe Airbnb or VRBO rental around the Plaza or near Canyon road.
The weather in late September is going to be very nice, expect to get plenty of sun. Expect highs in the mid 70s and can range into the lower 80s. Lows can easily get down to the mid to low 40s at night. Monsoon season should be over by late September, but it is still possible for a late afternoon thunderstorm to pop up. We recommend to pack and dress in layers and bring a hat and/or sunglasses!
Every year, Albuquerque hosts a hot air ballon fiesta in the first week of October. This year it starts October 5th, a week after our party. Baloon Fiesta is a big event that many people travel from all over the world to participate in and photograph. If you have the time, we would definitely recommend you consider staying a week and catching the Baloon Fiesta in ABQ! Do note that hotels in ABQ do book out, so plan in advance (like now). https://balloonfiesta.com/
There is a TON to do in and around Santa Fe! Ideas include the following: Go to Meow Wolf. Go out to eat at one of Santa Fe's many top notch restaurants. Tour the over 80 art galleries on Canyon Road. Go to the Saturday morning farmers market in the railyards district and buy fresh roasted green chili. Walk to the plaza and shop for new clothes or jewelry. Rent a car and drive an hour to Abiquiu, check out the Ghost Ranch. Check out a museum, we especially recommend the Georgia O'Keefe museum just north of the plaza. Eat all of the green chili you can. Go on a hike. Many good options nearby and just ask. Visit Bandelier National Monuement near Los Alamos. Book a sunset ride on George R.R. Martin's Sky Railway.