Andares award
The International Shopping Center Council of Latin America (ICSC) has awarded Guadalajara’s stylish Plaza Andares with their Marketing Award. The prize is in recognition of its Farmer’s Market program, held every Saturday, where visitors can taste and purchase natural, regional products.
This is the seventh major prize that the shopping center has picked up since opening in 2008. It has also received numerous awards for design and sustainable development. The farmer’s market is open every Saturday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the food court area. It offers visitors an opportunity to see and taste the products, many of then organic, offered by more than 80 vendors. For more information visit andares.com/farmers.
Learn the tango
Also at the Plaza Andares, dance aficionados have an opportunity to learn some of the steps of the classic Argentinian dance, the tango. Classes are held each Thursday at 7:30 p.m. and cost 80 pesos per class. Meet by the Fuente de Gotas. For more information call 3616-5885, or visit www.juanrosa.com.
Naked bikers
Guadalajara protestors will join the ranks of thousands of cyclists across the globe, when they strip and down and pedal up for the World Naked Bike Ride. The event, to be held on Saturday, June 6, will be the fifth consecutive ride of its kind. Event organizers are expecting 500 naked attendees, and hope to draw attention to the pollution problem and the vulnerability of cyclists.
In the past six years, more than 165 people have been killed cycling in the streets of Guadalajara. Experts have signaled that the city’s transport infrastructure puts cyclists at danger.
“The goal of this event is that participants protest and raise awareness to promote the use of bicycles as a sustainable method of transport,” said event organizers. “The bicycle is a means of transport that is free from pollutants and is beneficial to the body. It offers short, medium and long term benefits to public health.”
The World Naked Bike Ride has been replicated in at least 146 cities around the world since it first began seven years ago in Vancouver, Canada.
Guadalajara’s ride starts at 9 a.m. on June 6 at the Glorieta Niños Heroes (Niños Heroes and Chapultepec).
New art exhibitions
The Jalisco Culture Secretariat has opened two new exhibitions at the Ex Convento del Carmen.
“Caras vemos” (“We See Faces”) by Carlos Torres is an exhibition of 13 portraits and drawings. The artist says he focuses on subjects with “a strong visual character, such as tattooed people, people with piercings or with a style outside of the norm.” The attraction of the portrait, Torres says, is that “it does not just speak to the appearance of the person but can give information on ideologies or lifestyle.”
The second exhibition is “Ensayo inquieto” (“Restless Essay”) by Miguel Mesa. The work is composed of ten video projections and brings to life the internal state of the artist.
The exhibitions are open from Tuesdays to Saturdays, from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. The exhibition will run until Saturday, June 20.
Chivas lose in semi-final
The city’s favorite soccer team, the Chivas, were defeated 3-0 by Santos Laguna in the second semifinal playoff game of the Liga MX on Sunday, May 24. Having held Santos Laguna to a 0-0 tie in Torreon in the first leg, the Guadalajara side was comprehensively overwhelmed by its attack-minded opponent.
Djaniny Tavares gave Santos the lead in the 38th minute, destroying Chivas’ home advantage and meaning they needed two goals to get through to the final. Carlos Izquierdoz netted a header after a corner kick in the second half and Nestor Calderon scored from 48 meters, in what will surely be remembered as the goal of the season.
It was a disappointing end to the season for Chivas, yet the team will take comfort from their performance this year. At the start of the season, they were gearing up for a bitter relegation fight, yet they managed to finish fifth in the league, qualify for the playoffs and reach the semi-final.
Santos Laguna host Queretaro on Thursday, May 28, in the first leg of the Clausura (Closing) 2015 championship game. Queretaro has never won the championship, while Santos Laguna is going for its fourth title. The second leg will be played in Queretaro on Sunday, May 31, 9:30 p.m.