A day of bold conversations, creativity, connection and collective imagination celebrating the women of New Mexico
DESERT BLOOM NEWS RELEASE
What happens when women from across generations, communities and lived experiences come together to imagine what’s possible?
Something starts to grow.
On Saturday, Nov. 21, 2026, Desert Bloom: An Intergenerational Feminist Fiesta will bring women from across New Mexico together for a day of conversation, creativity, connection and collective imagination at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center.
Created by Ripple Catalyst Studio, Desert Bloom is part festival, part gathering, part call to action—a joyful collision of bold conversations, poetry, art, music, ideas and experiences exploring the issues shaping women’s lives and New Mexico’s future.
And it’s intentionally in real life.
In a world of screens, feeds and algorithms, Desert Bloom makes space for something increasingly precious: being in a room together. For the unexpected conversation, the new connection, the laugh you can’t scroll past, and the ideas that emerge when people are actually present with one another.
“A feminist future doesn’t bloom on its own—it’s something we cultivate together,” says Cecile Lipworth, founder of Ripple Catalyst Studio and creator of Desert Bloom. “There is so much brilliance, creativity and leadership among women in New Mexico. We want to bring that energy together, across generations, and see what grows.”
The day will feature main-stage conversations and smaller gatherings with women working across activism, politics, business, science, culture, healing, the arts and community organizing. The program will also include poetry, creative experiences and opportunities to connect with organizations and causes doing work throughout New Mexico.
At the heart of Desert Bloom is intergenerational exchange: creating space for women who have been doing this work for decades to meet and share wisdom with a new generation of thinkers, makers and changemakers. The gathering welcomes women of all ages and identities, as well as allies who believe in a more equitable and expansive future.
“Times are once again challenging us. We’re gathering not because everything is okay,
but because we know that connection matters,” says Lipworth. “We need spaces where we
can tell the truth about what’s happening while still making room for imagination,
laughter, creativity, hard conversations, and possibility. We want people to encounter one
another. To be surprised. To be inspired. To have a conversation that might change
something”
Desert Bloom takes place Saturday, Nov. 21,2026, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Santa Fe Community Convention Center. Tickets are $125. We’re developing additional access opportunities, including sliding-scale tickets and donor-supported participation, so cost isn’t a barrier to joining the gathering. Because a fiesta is better when everyone is invited to the party.
For tickets, programming and updates: DesertBloomSF.com
To view the agenda, go to https://www.desertbloomsf.com/full-agenda