A Santa Fe summer is downright operatic - travelling to Santa Fe, New Mexico

Sunset, June, 1999 by John Villani

Most of the year, Santa Fe formal attire is polished cowboy boots and scads of silver jewelry. When summer hits, life gets more dangerous. At restaurants and at gala openings, you can be blinded by the glimmer of sequined gowns and risk cuts from the knife-edged creases of tailored tuxes.

What's the cause of the transformation? From June through Labor Day, Santa Fe is a music and art center unmatched anywhere in the world.

Most heralded of the city's seasonal performing arts organizations is the Santa Fe Opera, running from July 2 through August. Founded by John Crosby in 1957, this world-class company makes its home on a bluff north of town. Dramatically remodeled last year, the opera house now features dual, overlapping roofs to protect audiences from summer storms. And - no small improvement - all of the opera's 2,128 seats are upholstered. Each seat has been equipped with an electronic libretto system that displays an English translation of the songs sung onstage.

Equally compelling are the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival and the Santa Fe Desert Chorale; both run in July and August, and performances are often in the city's historic churches. Nor are Santa Fe's musical offerings limited to the classical: you can hear the clatter of castanets at a flamenco cabaret or get into an earthier groove at late-night venues for jazz, Western swing, or blues.

"The only frustration with Santa Fe's summer music scene is that there's so much going on," says Erich Vollmer, executive director of the Chamber Music Festival. It is true that the influx of musicians and the fans who love them makes the town a little frenetic. Friday evenings - when gallery openings start at 5 P.M. and dinner reservations fall at 6, followed by concerts at 8 and operas at 9 - are especially challenging.

That said, even at its most manic, Santa Fe still isn't Manhattan. You don't have to dress to the nines. With the exception of perennially sold-out Indian Market weekend (August 21-22), reserving hotels, restaurants, and concerts shouldn't be a headache.

And during daylight hours, the city relaxes. Santa Fe's 7,000-foot altitude means that even in midsummer, temperatures seldom rise above the 80s - perfect for exploring. Just be sure to return before curtain time: there are arias to be sung, and an upholstered seat is waiting for you.

Area code is 505 unless noted.

friday

Downtown breakfast. Cafe Pasqual's (121 Don Gaspar Ave.; 983-9340) is perfect for huevos rancheros.

Museum-hop. You can spend a day - at least - exploring downtown's museums. Start at the Palace of the Governors (105 W. Palace Ave.; 476-5100) for history, then take on the Museum of Fine Arts (107 W. Palace; 827-4468) and the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum (217 Johnson St.; 995-0785). Best value is the $10, four-day, five-museum pass that includes all the above museums (as well as the Indian Art & Culture and the International Folk Art museums). For a nearby lunch, Jack's (135 W. Palace; 983-7220) offers a sophisticated take on Southwest cuisine.

Savoring Nuevo Mexico. After a day of culture, dive into green chilies and bluecorn tortillas - and a mind-bending array of margaritas - at Maria's New Mexican Kitchen (555 W. Cordova Rd.; 983-7929). Or consider a pre-opera buffet on the landscaped grounds of the Santa Fe Opera ($36; 986-5900).

A night at the opera. This season's fare at the Santa Fe Opera (U.S. 84/285, 7 miles north of the Plaza; seats $20-$122, standing room $8 and $10; 9865900) includes Carmen and Dialogues of the Carmelites. The season runs July 2 through August 28. Wear your glamorous best but try for seats away from the open sides, where noise from the nearby highway - as well as occasional rainstorms - presents a problem.

Late-night toe twinkle. The New West gets boisterous at the Cowgirl Hall of Fame (319 S. Guadalupe St.; 982-2565). Or two-step at La Fonda hotel's lounge (100 E. San Francisco St.; 982-5511).

saturday

Breakfast at the flea. Early birds snag the best bargains at Pueblo of Tesuque Flea Market (U.S. 84/285, 6 miles north of the Plaza; 7-5 Fri-Sun; 983-2667). Grab a breakfast burrito at the concession stand - then prowl the aisles for roasted chilies and cowboy hats.

Canyon Road gallery gallop. Nearly 100 galleries line chic Canyon Road, its side streets, and alleyways. Lunch at Geronimo (724 Canyon; 982-1500) for Southwestern cuisine, or sneak a caffeine fix at the funky and art-filled Off the Wall (616 Canyon; 983-8337).

Culture clash. Tonight's tough choice: the searing Spanish music and dance of Maria Benitez Teatro Flamenco (705 N. St. Francis Dr.; June 30-Sept. 5; tickets $16-$36; 982-1237); the international theater, dance, and music of Santa Fe Stages (1600 St. Michael's Dr.; June 5-August 1; tickets $20-$37; 982-6683); the choir concerts of the Santa Fe Desert Chorale (207 Old Santa Fe Trail; June 27-August 16; tickets $28-$30; 988-7505); or the classical, jazz, and world music of the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival (St. Francis Auditorium, 107 W. Palace; July 17-August 23; tickets $15-$40; 983-2075). Late dinner. While you're still looking great from the show, dine at Mark Miller's Coyote Care (132 W. Water St.; 983-1615), or enjoy chef Kelly Rogers's superb creations at La Casa Sena (125 E. Palace; 988-9232).