BRAVO! Christmas concert

Not a creature was stirring …

Come celebrate the holidays with BRAVO Theatre and enjoy a fabulous show December 10, 13 and 17 at 4 p.m. and December 12 at 7 p.m.

Timothy G. Ruff Welch has put together an amazing program of music and some incredible singers.

Tonantzin Aragon— our 12 year old “diva in training,” Janeene Williams our “darling diva,” Tim Johnson the “Diva with a capital D,” Wanda White our “cool diva,” Oscar Addiel—the “delightful diva,” Amy Stackhouse—the “smoky diva” and Jayme Littlejohn—the “quirky diva”.

Dana Douin has outdone himself on the set, Rebeca Contreras, Rob Stupple and Rich Koch have made some fantastical costumes and props.

Some shows are already selling out, so get your tickets, 350 pesos, at It’s Kinda Bazaar, Mia’s Boutique, and the BRAVO box office. Reserve at 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..

Indie Film Fest

Lake Chapala landscapes and local talent will be the focus of the first Chapala Indie Film Festival (CIFF), running Friday, December 8 through Sunday, December 10.

An Opening Gala for CIFF will be held Friday, December 8, 5 to 9 p.m., at Chapala’s Centro Cultural González Gallo. Meet the festival’s participants and enjoy entertainment featuring the Black Sapphire and Triálogo jazz bands and the AnimaMundi theater troupe’s performance of “The Incantation of Michicihualli.”

Admission to the event is free with prior registration sent by WhatsApp to 33-2169-8944 or inbox to chapalaindiefilmfestival CIFF on Facebook.

“Cuete,” a 22-minute fiction film in Spanish with English subtitles, followed by two film shorts, the 43-minute English fiction flick “I Know,” subtitled in Spanish, and two more shorts, will be shown Saturday, December 9, 5 to 7:30 p.m., at the Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera auditorium. Admission is free.

The English-language documentary “This Freedom Rider: Welcome to my Prison Cell” will be screened Sunday, December 10, 10 a.m., at the Lake Chapala Society.

All the films will be shown again Sunday, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Ajijic Malecón.

The festival closes on Sunday, December 10, with an 8 p.m. ceremony scheduled at the Centro Cultural Ajijic on the plaza.

CCAR 1st anniversary

The Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera (CCAR) celebrates its first anniversary, Sunday, December 17, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with traditional games (loteria and bebeleche), food and crafts. A circus workshop is on from 10 to 11:30 a.m., as is a workshop on Tricky Winds. A drawing workshop takes place from 11 to 11:40 a.m. and a workshop on Monsters as books from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. A reading of Maria Baranda’s book, “Querido Pajaro, will take place from 12:30 to 1 p.m.; a circus presentation will take place at noon and the Chapala Municipal Ballet Folklorico will  perform at 1 p.m. All events are free.

Exhibits

• A retrospective of the sculptures, paintings, drawings and reproductions of early work by Gloria Elies opens Sunday, December 10, 6 p.m. at the Ajijic Museo de Arte, Privada Flores Magon 3, in Ajijic. Contribution: 40 pesos.

• Colorful work by local artist Rick Present is up at the new Garden of Dreams Art Gallery. Constitucion 105 in Ajijic.

• FigureArte, new works by Luci Williams and Claudia Nery, are on view at Galeria Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo 10-A in Ajijic.

• Espejos del Subconsciente, an exhibit of lithographs and grease pencil art by dozens of artists, is up at the Centro Cultural Antigua Presidencia in Chapala.

• Kahuil Vega opens an exhibition Saturday, December 2, at 5 p.m. at the Centro Cultural Ajijic.

Christmas stuff

• The LCS annual Christmas Fair is on Friday and Saturday, December 8 and 9 from noon to 5 p.m. Some 100 local vendors will be selling gifts, art, crafts, food and more. Admission 50 pesos.

• The Artist’s Alliance of Lake Chapala will hold an Art Market, Saturday, December 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Garden of Dreams Boutique Hotel, Constitucion 105, Ajijic. Some 50 local artists will sell their creations. Live music, food and drinks in a garden setting make this a perfect Christmas event.

Live Music

• The Noteworthy Trio performs Saturday, December 9, 4 p.m. at Christ Church Lakeside and Sunday, December 10, 4 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Riberas del Pilar. They will also perform Friday, December 15, 5 p.m. at Viva Mexico Restaurant in San Juan Cosala.

• Soul Sacrifice, a Carlos Santana tribute band, will perform at The Iron Horse Bar and Grill Saturday, December 9, 5:30 p.m. as a fundraiser for the Tiopa Banextli Health Clinic. 250 pesos cover.

• The Lake Chapala Orchestra performs Vive La France for its next two concerts, both held on Saturday December 9, 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. Composers such as Ravel, Gounod and Faure are complemented by Haydn’s Paris symphony no. 85, titled “La Reine.”

Tickets, 350 pesos, can be reserved at 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..

• Kristine Leigh and Christty Caldwell perform with Brian Mathers on piano Saturday, December 9, 6 to 9 p.m. at La Estacion Restaurant. No cover.

• The Romeos play Saturday, December 9, 3 to 6 p.m. at El Barco. 100 pesos cover.

• Sunday, December 10, 12:30 p.m., renowned guitarist, composer and arranger Israel Olea performs a program of his own compositions and arrangements at the Centro Cultural González Gallo. Free entrance.

• Billed as the last jazz evening of the year, La Cochera Cultural hosts Arne Wernink on trumpet, Chuco Soto on sax, Ross Hubbell on guitar, Rodrigo Barbosa on drums and Gilberto Rios on double bass, Sunday, December 17, 6 p.m. Tickets are 350 pesos. Reservations: 331-978-0196.

Winter CREM gala

The Centro Regional de Estudios Musicales (CREM) music academy chamber orchestra, choir and children’s choir present a winter  gala, Saturday, December 23, 6 p.m. at the Centro para la Cultura y las Artes de la Ribera. Tickets, 200 pesos, are available at the CCAR box office or via voyalteatrco.com.

Art auctions

• Semanario Laguna, in conjunction with La Cochera Cultural, will hold an art auction featuring the work of more than 30 local artists, Friday, December 15, 4 p.m. at La Cochera Cultural, Javier Mina 49 in Ajijic. Find paintings, sculpture and photographs.

• Efrren Gonzalez will hold an art auction Thursday, December 28, 3 p.m. on the north side of the Ajiijic Plaza. Oils, watercolors, pastels and more will be on the docket. Refreshing tequila will be served.