Color fest
Friday to Sunday, May 17-19, the Ajijic Malecon will host the Festival de Colores, featuring live music, dance and a show of powdered color. An exposition of regional products, including art, crafts, food, drink, gourmet items, clothing and more, will be part of the event.
Tree planting
San Antonio Tlayacapan is holding a tree-planting event Saturday, May 18, 5 p.m. on its Malecon. The group Sembradores de Vida (Planters for Life) will be supporting the event with ahuehuete and sabino trees in order to restore destroyed wetlands and protect this area.
Open Circle
Kim Valentini presents “Smile Network” at the next gathering of Open Circle, Sunday, May 19, 10:30 a.m. in the garden of the Lake Chapala Society.
In 2003, Valentini stepped away from a career as a high-powered corporate sales and marketing executive to evaluate what was missing in her life. Fueled by the desire to find meaning and to be a voice for people who didn’t have one, she launched Smile Network International, which quickly became a global force in the nonprofit world. Two decades and hundreds of passport stamps later, her “project” has resulted in nearly 100 surgical missions in 13 countries on five continents and more than 4,500 children have received the gift of a life-altering surgery.
Valentini has received many honors for her work with Smile Network, including the KARE-11 Eleven Who KARE award. The Minneapolis Business Journal’s Women in Business and Inkandescent Women Magazine named Kim one of “100 Amazing Women” who are changing the world.
In addition to her charitable work, Valentini travels the world speaking to corporate and civic organizations, as well as educational institutions and conferences. She tells stories of her life experiences and inspires audiences to dream big, take risks and listen to that little voice inside of yourself to identify your purpose.
Reserve your seats at opencircleajijic.org.
Voter assistance
Need help requesting—and returning—your ballots for 2024 U.S. elections?
Come to the Lake Chapala Society Monday, May 20 from 10 a.m.–1 p.m. The Vote From Abroad team can help. Strongly recommended: Get your ballot request in by May 31 at latest and avoid complications. If there are challenges, you will have plenty of time to fix.
Questions? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Bucerias trip planned
American Legion Post 7 Chapala, along with Lakeside Travel Agency, is sponsoring an all-inclusive stay at the Royal Decameron Hotel in Bucerias, Nayarit. Five days and four nights, transportation included. The cost is 18,000 pesos per couple and 14,500 pesos per single. Full payment due by July 31. Lakeside Travel: 3323150732 or WhatsApp at 3333933423.
Dems to celebrate Spring
The Lake Chapala chapter of Democrats Abroad will hold a Spring celebration and mixer for fun and conversation Monday, May 20, 4 to 6 p.m. at La Bodega, 16 de Septiembre 124 in Ajijic. No agenda, just fun and good company!
Of course, you can also request your ballots for the 2024 U.S. elections on the spot.
RSVP and for details, visit bit.ly/44!ajN9.
Chapala Birders
Friday May 24, the Lake Chapala Birders will meet at 8 a.m. at the Sculpture at the traffic light in La Floresta, leaving immediately for the Sierra de Tapalpa (a 90-minute drive). The group will bird from 9:30 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. Expect to see higher altitude birds such as acorn woodpecker and slate-throated redstart and if lucky trans-volcanic jay. Bring your own refreshments for the morning.
At 1 p.m. the birders will end up in Tapalpa to have lunch at a restaurant overlooking the square. Expect to be back in Ajijic about 4 p.m. You must reserve by emailing John Keeling at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. at least two days ahead indicating if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or you would like to be a passenger. (There aren’t always have enough cars.)
LCS goes to Mazamitla
Experience an unforgettable trip to Mazamitla, a mountain town that blends natural beauty and cultural heritage, and is renowned for its pine forest setting, traditional architecture and temperate climate, among many other features.
This tour will include a visit to the Sierra del Tigre, “La Casa del Queso” (the cheese house), where 100-percent handmade cheese is produced, the viewpoint of the Juarez dam, the Tiger Hill and the Cola Blanca canning factory, which makes the traditional drink of rompope and typical sweets and preserves (includes tasting).
The trip is Tuesday, May 28, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cost is 1,850 pesos (LCS members get a 30-percent discount). Register at lakechapalasociety.com.
LCS class
Victor Camarena will give a class on Legends and Traditions of Mexico at the Lake Chapala Society, Wednesday, May 29, 10 a.m. to noon.
Enjoy some of the most popular Mexican folktales, from the legend of Quetzalcoatl to the world-renowned story of La Llorona and the extraordinary Day of the Dead celebrations, and many more tales.
The cost is 485 pesos (LCS members get a 30-percent discount). Register and pay at lakechapalasociety.com.
Golf tourney
The Chula Vista Country Club is holding the 8th annual Golf Tournament benefiting the Niños San Juan de Dios Children’s home. Friday, June 7. The all-inclusive cost is 1,500 pesos. Contact the club at 376-766-2515 for more information.
Chili Cookoff
American Legion Post 7 Auxiliary is holding its first annual Bring the Heat! Chili Cookoff fundraiser, scheduled for Father’s Day, Sunday, June 16 from 12:30 to 4 p.m. Entry sheets and rules are available at the Legion. Payment is due at time of registration. All entries due by June 9. Each chili entry costs 200 pesos. Chili tasting bowls are 50 pesos per person. Tasting begins at 1 p.m. All proceeds to benefit the Little Blue School in Chapala. Questions: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..