A full day of colorful activities, all wrapped around the slogan “Mexico and its roots,” are in store for lakesiders who turn up for the Festival de Charreria on Saturday, December 7 at Ajijic’s Lienzo Charro bullring.
The program put together by Chapala’s tourism and culture offices begins with a horsemen’s parade around Ajijic, starting from the bullring at 10 a.m. to run along Guadalupe Victoria to the central plaza and double back to the starting point via Colon and Constitucion.
Gates at the bullring open at 11 a.m. as a forum for varied happenings. A variety of exhibitions of Mexican equestrian arts start at noon with presentations by two female escaramuza drill teams, Perla de Occidente from Guadalajara and the hometown squad Las Xiriacahuas.
Following at 1 p.m. will be a demonstration of four different suertes charras: the Cala de Caballo (horsemanship and reining skills), La Terna (team roping and bulldogging), Manganas (lariat work and horse roping) and the heart-stopping Paso de la Muerte (the charro’s leap of death from his bareback mount to galloping unbridled, untamed mare).Next up is a judged contest of Alta Escuela Mexican-style dressage exercises. The final equestrian event will be an exhibition of champion dancing horses, 7 p.m.
The grand finale on the festival’s entertainment schedule is a gala show featuring the famed Mariachi Juvenil Real de Oro and dances by the Ballet Folklorico Chapala, kicking off at 8:30 p.m.
Additional activities going on all-day at the arena grounds will include a display of local charro memorabilia, an art exhibit by local artists with an auction of selected works set for 5 p.m., and a gastronomic fair offering all sorts of typical cuisine.
Admission to the festival will cost a mere 30 pesos a head, with free entry for children.