It’s quince-picking season in the farmlands near Lake Chapala, a great time to plan day trips to Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos and Atotonilquillo to attend their respective summer harvest town fairs.
Ixtlahuacán takes its extended name from the tangy fruits cultivated in orchards introduced to the region by Franciscan friars as they spread their evangelization missions across Mexico during the Colonial era.
The town will hold its first Festival del Membrillo this weekend, opening with an inaugural parade Friday, July 31, 6 p.m. Visitors will find exhibit stands offering diverse quince-based products and live entertainment going on all around the central plaza. Activities will continue through Sunday, August 2, running from 6 to 11 p.m.
Customarily held on the second weekend of the month, Atotonilquillo’s 22nd annual Expo Membrillo is set for Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9. The fair follows a week of cultural events, scheduled each evening, August 2 through 7, from 6:30 p.m., culminating with Friday’s crowning of Señorita Expo Membrillo 2015.
The fruit expo is centered at the Plaza Centenario town square where local fruit growers and family-operated cottage industries set up stalls to exhibit and market membrillo both in its ripe natural state and as the main ingredient in a vast array of gastronomic goodies.
The two-day agenda also features non-stop live entertainment, with musical groups, singers and dance troupes taking turns on stage from around 11 a.m. until midnight.
Country-fair style contests among the locals will take place on Sunday, 2 p.m., with judging panels scoring in competition categories for the largest and best looking the fresh-picked quince sample, the most delectable cajeta (fruit paste), the tastiest cordial, the most original novelty dish and the best booth decoration.
A special attraction for Sunday visitors will be guided tours to historic points of interest in Atotonilquillo and neighboring Atequiza, along with a stop at a local quince orchard to see fruit growing and processing methods. Go to the information booth at the plaza for precise details about departure times and modest costs for booking seats.
Atotonilquillo is located about 45 kilometers south east of Guadalajara, just off the highway to Ocotlan-La Barca. The left-hand turn-off into the center of town is situated 11 kilometers beyond the Santa Rosa junction, a short distance after Atequiza. Metro-area residents should drive towards Chapala, veering to the left at Santa Rosa. Lakesiders should head out of Chapala in the direction of the airport, branching off in the right-hand lane before crossing the overpass at the same interchange.