Gourmet coffee expo
Coffee lovers are in for a treat. The Gourmet Coffee Festival will take place at the Expo Guadalajara for the second year running from Thursday, February 23 to Saturday, February 25.
The festival has run for 15 years in Mexico City, but the Guadalajara version remains in its infancy. With 4,356 attendees last year, the organizers are hoping to draw 6,000 visitors this time around.
There will be 110 coffee producers showing off their finest blends – 16 more than last year. Of the invited exhibitors, 81 percent are from Jalisco, with the remainder hailing from neighboring states such as Aguascalientes, Colima and Michoacan.
Study abroad
Canadian higher education is holding a fair across Mexico to attract students thinking of taking their studies abroad next year. More than 60 schools from elementary to university level from British Columbia to Quebec will present their cases at the Guadalajara leg of the fair this weekend. There will also be sessions imparting visa information. Entrance is free. Saturday, February 18 from 2 to 9 p.m. and Sunday, February 19 from 1:30 to 7 p.m. at the Hotel Riu Plaza on Lopez Mateos and Guadalupe.
Animals of Color
The First Madonnari Festival is coming to the Guadalajara Zoo. More than 50 spaces are ready to receive chalk and pastel art from more than 70 street artists competing for 35,000 pesos in prizes. The colorful scenes, mostly depicting animals, will be completed between February 24 and 26, and remain for 15 days (unless rain washes them away first). There is no extra charge for the exhibit.
Blue Heart in Mexico
Tapatia model and Miss Universe 2010, Ximena Navarrete, is lending her public support to the Blue Heart Campaign Against Human Trafficking. Along with federal, state and municipal authorities, Navarrete put her signature on a pact against the sexual commercial exploitation that runs rampant in many parts of the world. The first step, according to the government and the United Nations, will be to study and get a clearer picture of the problem in Mexico. Navarrete will serve as a celebrity spokesperson for the initiative, encouraging awareness of the problem. For information, go to www.unodc.org/blueheart.
Youth Olympics
Guadalajara could end up being the site of another multinational, multi-athletic event. The city is putting in a bid against Monterrey with the Mexican Olympic Committee (COM) to try for the country’s nomination for the 2018 Youth Olympic Games. After a successful Pan American Games last fall, Guadalajara already has the facilities and infrastructure in place to host such an event. COM will decide between the two cities at the beginning of March. After that, Mexico will submit its choice to the International Olympic Committee for a final selection in 2013.
The Youth Olympic Games pit athletes ages 14-18 against each another. The first Youth Olympic Games were held in Singapore in 2010, with the next summer games scheduled for 2014 in Nanjing, China.
Half marathon
A few thousand people will gather Sunday morning to engage in a 13.1-mile (21.1-kilometer) race around the city. Guadalajara’s half marathon is back this year, and expecting many prestigious entrants such as Alejandro Suarez, Mexico’s highest ranked long distance runner, and many elite foreign racers. Suarez hopes to qualify for the London Olympics. Roads will be closed off for the race, which runs from the Cathedral west down Vallarta, up through Providencia to Plaza Patria, across the north to Avenida Normalistas and back downtown. Staggered starts begin at 7:15 a.m. The course record is 1:02:31 for men and 1:11:23 for women.
Pro soccer games
Estudiantes Tecos vs. Atlante (Tres de Marzo) Friday, February 17, 8.10 p.m.
Guadalajara Chivas vs. San Luis (Estadio Omnilife) Saturday, February 18, 7 p.m.
Guadalajara Chivas vs. Santos Laguna (Estadio Omnilife) Sunday, February 26, 4 p.m.