The New York Times recently covered three colonial cities in Guanajuato and the trail to Mexico’s Independence — San Miguel de Allende, Guanajauto and Dolores Hildago.  These cities represent the cradle of Mexican Independence, which is celebrated on September 16th each year.  This year’s festivities and celebrations will be the largest ever in San Miguel de Allende.

More: Read the article here or watch the multimedia presentation on the New York Times site.

Other sites:

• This Week in San Miguel de Allende for a calendar of events in San Miguel de Allende
• www.vamosaguanajuato for events and info for the state of Guanajuato

by Gregory Gunter

If the scent of lavender sends you into Peter Mayle’s dreamland, San Miguel de Allende offers the remedy for your lavandula withdrawals.  This August 5^th, The Lavender Project hosts their second annual fundraiser, offering lavender-infused margaritas and delectable bites atop San Miguel’s rooftop Sunset Bar, viewing distance from the historic Parroquia.  Following last year’s inaugural event, a sold-out crowd is expected, so plan ahead!

Your $250 peso ticket—advance tickets are now on sale—includes drink tickets, appetizers, live music, raffle prizes, and an exciting silent auction, from 4:00 to 7:00, Thursday, August 5^th.  Night owls needn’t worry: the party continues after 7 p.m., with the Sunset Bar offering discounts on drinks for as long as lavender scents the night breeze.  Silent auction offerings can be viewed at Sunset Bar from July 1^st through the night of the benefit and range from a week’s lodging in Paris, to hot air ballooning above the lavender fields, to a plethora of local art, accommodations, and lavender products.

The U.S.-based non-profit, St. Anthony’s Alliance, originated The Lavender Project as a means for allowing residents of tiny Rancho la Colorada—minutes, but worlds, away from San Miguel’s tony boutiques—the opportunity to create a self-sustaining income by growing, harvesting, and marketing lavender-based products. 

Four Mexican businesses are now blooming under the umbrella of The Lavender Project, employing over 30 residents and drawing husbands back to a sustainable income in their own hometown.

For more information, or to purchase advance tickets, contact The Lavender Project’s Lori Richardson at loririchardson@hotmail.com, or Event Co-Chair Dianna Hutts Aston at dianna_aston@yahoo.com.

The biggest chamber music festival in Mexico draws aficionados each August from the United States, Europe and Latin America to experience performers who bring the highest level of talent in the world to San Miguel de Allende for all to enjoy.

Theaters, churches and the town square are alive with music from the concerts by professional musicians to the festival’s ‘rising star’ young musicians enrolled in the  “Emerging Professional Musician Program” — all happening this summer in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, taking place July 29th to August 15th, 2010.

There will be eleven concerts in the Premier Concert Series featuring internationally famous ensembles, five concerts by Mexican and international musicians in the Bellas Artes Series, six Award-Winners Series free concerts by the winners of previous Advanced Music Student programs, and twelve free daily Rising-Star Recitals in multiple public locations, plus a free final concert featuring the 2010 award-winners and the young composer’s program the last day of the Festival, August 15th.

Music will be ‘everywhere’.  You can see that there will be many opportunities for you to enjoy the Festival’s diverse offerings from tried and true favorites to exciting contemporary works.

Festival Information:

• www.festivalsanmiguel.com
• www.exploreandgomexico.com: Hotel, restaurant and San Miguel de Allende vacation information

Puerto Vallarta, May 15 to 31
Puerto Vallarta surrounds Banderas Bay and offers beautiful beaches, lush jungles and sparkling waterfalls with five star resorts, world-class shopping and gourmet restaurants. The rich cultural diversity of Puerto Vallarta is reflected in the cuisine that its many restaurants have to offer. From the most casual taco stands, to tropical beachfront palapas, to upscale rooftop restaurants with panoramic views, there are literally hundreds of restaurants serving exactly what you are hungry for. During Restaurant Week, many of Puerto Vallarta’s best restaurants offer spectacular three-course menus discounted by up to 50%! This idyllic seaside resort town comes alive and offers the best in Mexican cuisine and hospitality.

A brief sample of some of the dishes include; Huachinango Sarandeado, red snapper marinated in a birria paste (roast peppers, garlic and spices) and grilled. Grilled Marlin – skewered and cooked over coals then served with hot sauce and lime. Or one of the local favorites, Ceviche – raw fish, scallops, or shrimp, with onions, serrano or jalapeño chili’s, and lime juice, which cures the fish, turning the flesh opaque and giving it a chewy texture. After you’ve gorged on the mouth-watering offerings, stroll along the beach or indulge in some of the fabulous nightlife. Whether is sunset margaritas at a quiet cliffside terrace, a twilight sailboat cruise with cocktails, or cold cervezas at a boisterous bar, there are a wide variety of choices before, during and after Restaurant Week.

Get the guide to Restaurant Week here…

Where: Aguascalientes
When: April 17- May 9

A stone’s throw from San Miguel de Allende, Aguascalientes hosts Feria Nacional de San Marcos or “Feast Day of San Marcos”. People of all ages flock to the internationally renowned festival with bullfights, concerts, rodeos, art displays, music and more.

This year’s line-up includes performances by the Aguascalientes Symphony, Joan Sebastian, one of the best-known voices in contemporary regional Mexican music, and Vincente Fernández, known as “The King” throughout the Latin world. Tickets are available through TicketMaster Mexico.

For information and schedule, visit the website: www.feriadesanmarcos.gob.mx

While in only its 7th year, the Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival is quickly becoming a must- do for lovers of music and Mexico. Join the young, hip, musically-inclined as they gather at classic concerts, hot beach jams and cool bistro nights. Encompassing a number of scenic, historic venues around Zihuatanejo Bay, the musical offerings range from flamenco to classical to blues, folk, and jazz.

All takes place in one of the most beautiful and unspoiled bays in Mexico — Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, a world-class resort and sleepy fishing village rolled into one. Of course, the stylish riffs aren’t the only reason for this adventure — beautiful beaches, warm ocean breezes, sport fishing, golf, tennis, strolling, shopping, body-watching, partying, world class dining and incredible local hospitality and culture.

If you’re a music-lover, this a great way to fall in love with Mexico for the first time, or all over again, and help support the local Music School and other community projects. Whether you bring a harmonica for a jam on the beach, your surfboard for epic surf breaks or a camera for jaunts through the historic surroundings…whatever you do, make sure you come and experience The 7th Annual Zihuatanejo International Guitar Festival — March 17-20, 2010. www.zihuafest.info

More Information
Visit Explore & Go Mexco to learn more about Zihuatanejo — where to stay, where to eat and what to do while you’re there!

Photographer Lander Rodriguez captures the beauty and spirit of Semana Santa (Holy Week) in San Miguel de Allende.

Email Lander:  landerro@mac.com

Preparations have begun. Statues are being removed from their nichos, angels are coming out of storerooms, flowers are arriving by the truckloads, palm weavers are traveling from Michoacan, papelarias are stocking up on purple and white decorations, lace mantias are being removed from boxes, black suits are being pressed: it’s time for Semana Santa. Holy Week, is the largest, longest, and most elaborate series of events in the entire year. During this time San Miguel is inundated with visitors from around the world. Images of the Easter story are everywhere. Statues of the tortured Christ and the grieving Mary are carried through the streets, displayed in churches and in windows of homes. Some streets will be closed for hours in preparation for a procession; fireworks at 5:00 AM will accompany others. For the visitor it can seem strange, confusing and sometimes irritating.

When I first came to San Miguel fifteen years ago, I was amazed at the visuals of the processions and particularly the angels. Being a photographer by trade, I was taking photos like crazy and when I developed them I was mesmerized by what I saw. These images led me on a quest that eventually brought me to the dusty back rooms of churches and introduced me to some of San Miguel’s most revered citizens, like Don Genaro Almanza, the local saint maker. He and others carry the stories of old San Miguel and the history of the processions going back hundreds of years, each woven together with local culture and creativity. I recorded my findings and photographs in the book “Tears from the Crown of Thorns”. After the book came out I was bombarded with questions: “What procession should I be sure to see? What time does it start? Where should I stand?” And perhaps the most important question: “What is the meaning?” Since I was already leading historic tours of San Miguel with Patronatos por ninos, I decided to create a venue for the public in the form of a slide show lecture, The Guide to Semana Santa. As it turns out, both tourist and long-term residents, find it useful. There is a saying in Spanish: “El que no sabe es como el que no ve.” Basically this means unless we understand what we are seeing it’s like we are blind.

I have watched the processions for so many years that I recognize some of the people carrying the statues. They are aging just like me, however the women now wear sensible shoes. Except the young ones, who wear spike heels as they carry the heavy statues for hours on the cobblestone streets, their penitence I suppose. The highlight for me is to see the angels in the procession of Santo Entero on Good Friday. They are brought out of storage for this night only. Inside my head I say to them, “Hello again”, I haven’t seen them all year. When you start talking to statues you know that Mexico has gotten into your blood.

To learn how to navigate Semana Santa, please join Charlotte Bell  March 25 or 29 at 2:30, Recreo #4, El Sindicato, San Miguel de Allende.  More information: www.tearsfromthecrownorthorns.com.

Ignacio Allende’s birthday is January 21st. Allende is a national hero of Mexico and many places and streets including San Miguel de Allende were named for him.

Allende was a captain of the Spanish Army in Mexico who came to sympathize with the Mexican independence movement. He attended the secret meetings organized by Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, where the possibility of an independent New Spain was discussed. He fought along with Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla in the first stage of the struggle, eventually succeeding him in leadership of the rebellion. Allende was captured by Spanish colonial authorities while he was in Chihuahua and executed for treason.

On January 6th Kings Day Bread or Rosca de Reyes is a sweet bread traditionally served during family gatherings. This colorful bread has a baby Jesus doll baked inside. The person who gets the doll in their piece of bread provides the food and drink for the next celebration, La Candeleria on February 2.

In 2009, the world’s largest Rosca de Reyes was served in Mexico City.   To read the article in Spanish, click here…