December 31: Chapala ushers in 2024 with a free New Year’s Eve celebration at the waterfront Malecón, starting at 9 p.m., with live musical entertainment staged at the Fuente de Pescadores and fireworks lighting up the sky at midnight.
The public may bring tables, chairs, food and liquid refreshments to enjoy the festivities.
January 1: Neighbors of Ajijic’s west end kick off the New Year with the madcap Tecoluta Bowl Parade of floats and marching contingencies amusing spectators with hand-crafted decorations, whimsical costumes and wild antics. The cavalcade sets off from Seis Esquinas between noon and 1 p.m., heading east along Ocampo, snaking through the center of town, and looping back to the waterfront for loose-knit soccer competitions.
January 6: Día de Reyes (Epiphany) is celebrated locally with diverse festivities, including a procession and neighborhood street party in Ajijic’s Barrio de San Gaspar, piñata bashing and treats for kids around sunset at the Ajijic Plaza, a parade of gift-bearing Magi impersonators in downtown Chapala, followed by sharing crown-shaped Rosca de Reyes bread at the San Francisco parish.
January 9-21: Señor del Monte fiestas patronales, Jocotepec. The town pays tribute to the Lord of the Mount with 13 days of religious festivities, capped off with a procession of fervent faith on the final day. Massive dance concerts and gigantic castillo firework displays draw huge crowds every night. A bustling temporary marketplace fills up streets radiating from the plaza and parish church.
January 17: Fiesta de San Antonio Abad is marked with ceremonies for the blessing of domestic pets and farm animals held at various locations.
January 20: Upper Ajijic’s barrio de San Sebastián honors its neighborhood patron saint with a full day of devotions, communal feasting, an afternoon procession through town and a raucous block party featuring a simulated battle using confetti-filled egg shells as weaponry.