Tonalá’s Paseo de los Guardianes de la Reina became a corridor of ceremony and artisanry this weekend as dancers, healers and families gathered for the Primera Expo de Espiritualidad Te Deum—a new festival blending Catholic and Indigenous traditions in a celebration of community identity and spiritual renewal.

Much has been written about “Dr. Atl,” the influential and Leonardo-esque artist born Gerardo Murillo in Guadalajara in 1875. John Pint wrote an excellent article in this newspaper in 2022, celebrating Dr. Atl’s birthday on October 3, and using good sources. 

Community leaders, academics, activists and legislators met last week in the Jalisco State Congress to challenge Mexico’s proposed reform to its National Water Law, warning that it would deepen rather than dismantle privatization of the nation’s water.

The huge bronze snake head displayed under trees near the soaring “Imolacion de Quetzalcoatl” in Guadalajara’s Plaza Tapatia actually belongs on top of the imposing, twisted snake sculpture that sits in the center of a nearby fountain. “It represents a failure,” says my guide, Alexandra Duncan.

The applause echoed through the vaulted halls of the Centro Cultural El Refugio in Tlaquepaque as 18 women stepped onto the stage, one by one, to receive their plaques of recognition. Each name carried its own story — of perseverance, innovation, and care — together forming a living portrait of the theme chosen by the Instituto Electoral y de Participación Ciudadana (IEPC) de Jalisco for this year’s Reconocimiento al Affidamento: “Confianza que transforma, redes que sostienen” — Trust that transforms, networks that sustain.

Go for a meal, stay for a tempting romp through minimalist home decor. That may be the marketing slogan at Guadalajara’s IKEA, the Swedish-based furniture giant that arrived here in November last year—the largest of three stores in Mexico.