While the third Monday of November is set on Mexico’s holiday calendar as the official day-off to commemorate the 1910 outbreak of the Mexican Revolution, Lake Chapala’s principal north shore communities are sticking with the historical date of November 20 to put on traditional parades and sporting events.
Civic parades running along central thoroughfares showcase school kids dressed as rabble troops marching to battle, motorized floats depicting scenes and political figures of the era, and platoons of students outfitted in sports uniforms performing synchronized routines and athletic stunts at different points along the route. Marching bands, community organizations and charro equestrians round out the patriotic cavalcades that provide spectators with a bounty of colorful photo ops.
Chapala will mark the civic holiday with a flag ceremony outside City Hall, 8:45 a.m., immediately followed by the annual Desfile de la Revolucíon, running a full loop along Avenida Francisco Madero, starting from the south end at the corner of Paseo Ramón Corona.
In Ajijic the parade route begins at the east end of Constitución-Ocampo, 9.a.m, heading west to Seis Esquinas and doubling back to the plaza via Hidalgo.
Jocotepec’s full day of celebration kicks off with a flag ceremony at the town square, 9 a.m., immediately followed by the parade snaking through the center of town.
San Antonio Tlayacapan and other small satellite villages customarily postpone Revolution parades and festivities until the following weekend.
Motorists are advised that traffic along main arteries will be blocked for most of the morning while the parades are under way.
As mandated under federal labor laws, full and part time domestic workers and other salaried employees are entitled to a day of rest with regular pay on November 18. Government offices and banks close for the occasion, reopening for normal business the following day. Many Mexican families will take advantage of the puente (long weekend) to enjoy vacation breaks at popular tourist destinations, including the lakeshore region.