Expat Living

Art Fest

An institution at the American School since 1978, the annual Art Fest offers professional artists a space to showcase and sell their work. The festivities begin with a formal auction on Friday evening November 11, from 7 p.m. to midnight, while on Saturday from midday until 4 p.m. the booths will be brimming with the works of local and international artists, accompanied by music, food, children’s art workshops, and students’ artwork exhibitions. The art fest takes place at the American School on Colomos 2100. For more information visit  www.asfg.mx/artfest

AMSOC

The American Society of Jalisco (AMSOC) enjoyed a successful Halloween bash on Saturday October 29. About 50 people attended the social event, which was held jointly with the English-speaking NECC Toastmasters group that holds its weekly meeting at the AMSOC clubhouse each Saturday. Toastmaster member Dagmar Ford won the prize for the best costume – she came dressed as the crocodile that ate Hewlett Packard. Partiers stayed up until the wee hours playing dominos, poker and boxing on a Wii video game console. A pot luck buffet was enjoyed by all.

Altares de Muertos

Many cultural spaces in Guadalajara will be erecting altars in honor of dead souls next week. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the best.

Catrinas

Day of the Dead is just around the corner and city hall has given its blessing to another public display of catrinas in the downtown area. These are skeleton figures, often dressed in uptown attire, which reflect Mexico’s tongue-in-cheek, undaunted close relationship with death.

Tequila bound

The Tequila Express tourist train will add extra days to its regular schedule during the Pan American Games to cater to the large number of visitors expected for the event. The all-day train ride to Amatitan and Casa Herradura’s Hacienda San Jose del Refugio tequila distillery will run five days a week (Wednesday through Sunday) from October 14 through the end of the month.

New linear park

Cybernauts can take advantage of free wifi access in the new lineal park that opened this week in the central divider on Avenida Lazaro Cardenas, between Niño Obrero and San Ignacio.

Telmex is providing the service in the so-named Paseo San Ignacio, which runs above the new tunnel on the busy thoroughfare.  The park measures more than one kilometer in length and includes some 50 benches, walkways, trees, two basketball courts, a children’s play area and a space for cultural activities.