Gourmet fest
Ajijic’s second annual Festival del Café, Chocolate y Vino is slated to return to the waterfront Malecón on Saturday and Sunday, January 14-15.
More than 80 exhibitors from different parts of Mexico are lined up to showcase an array flavorful products and artisan goods. Admission to the venue is free to the public from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on both dates.
Entry to the event’s guided wine-pairing tasting experiences offered each day cost 280 pesos per person, including three samples plus a commemorative wine glass. The 45-minute sessions are scheduled as follows: Wine and Chocolate, 2 p.m.; Wine and Cheese, 3:30 p.m.; Wine and Ice Cream, 4:45 p.m. Make reservations at 443-135-7932.
Ajijic Quilt Guild
The Guild is partnering with Hello Cottons, an organization in Utah that collects quilts from around the U.S., Canada and Mexico They are then able to ship the quilts to a distribution center in Europe where they are sent to various refugee centers and given to families who have fled Ukraine since the beginning of the war.
Guild members believe these quilts will help warm folks who will be exposed to brutal winter temperatures in Europe. The Ajijic Quilt Guild meets the second Tuesday of every month at 10 a.m. in the clubhouse of the Chapala Country Club. Membership is free and is open to anyone with an interest in sewing of any kind, but especially quilting.
For more information, contact 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..
Million Accomplished!
Thanks to scores of new donors and continuing ones who upped their support, FoodBank Lakeside has attained its goal of raising one million pesos during 100 days by its end-of-2022 deadline.
Final figures tabulated this past week show that 1.07 million pesos were contributed toward the One Million Peso Challenge that began September 23, after a careful forecast of revenue and reserves revealed concerns about running out of money by December 31.
“This is a wondrous holiday gift from our community to local residents in dire need,” said Steve Taylor, One Million Peso Challenge co-chair. “Giving at this scale means FoodBank Lakeside now is prepared to continue its good work going into 2023. We cannot thank donors enough for their assistance and generosity.”
One of Lakeside’s most vital charities, FoodBank will continue to fund weekday lunches to 700 to 800 impoverished children via Kids Kitchens and deliver monthly despensas of basic grocery items (beans, rice, oats, milk, eggs, soap, toilet paper, etc.) to about 700 needy families, the elderly and disabled. FoodBank Lakeside needs about three million pesos annually just to fully fund these programs. More 2023 fundraising activity will be scheduled throughout the year so that, hopefully, large fundraising projects such as the One Million Peso Challenge will not be needed later this year.
FoodBank Lakeside serves Ajijic, San Antonio Tlayacapan, Riberas del Pilar, Chapala, Santa Cruz, San Nicolás and San Pedro Itzican. Further, it gives bags of dog and cat food to pet-owning families via Pet Food Bank Lakeside for pooches and felines who would otherwise go hungry.
FoodBank Lakeside is recognized by the Foundation for Lake Chapala Charities, a 501(c)3 organization, allowing U.S. donors to make year-end, tax-deductible donations and receive tax receipts.
To donate, go to www.foodbanklakeside.org and click the “Donate” button. To volunteer, click the “Volunteer” button.
Behind the Walls
The School for Special Children is holding its Behind the Walls Home Tours once again this season. See some of Lakeside’s most luxurious homes. Tour dates are January 26, February 23 and March 23. Tickets, 300 pesos per tour or 1,300 for all the tours, are available at Charter Club Tours, La Bella Vida, Mia’s Boutique.
The tours meet at the Ajijic Pier, second parking lot, west of Calle Colon at 10:15 a.m. Masks are required. Information: Jessie, 376-766-1438.
Chapala Birders
Monday January 9, the Lake Chapala Birders will meet at 8:15 a.m. at the Old Train Station in Chapala, leaving immediately to bird the Pumping Station area, east of Chapala.
Expect to see a good variety of land and shore birds in a variety of habitats. The group will bird until 10:15 a.m. and then go for breakfast to La Palapa de Don Juan in Chapala. To attend, you must reserve by emailing John Keeling (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) at least two days ahead of time and indicate if you can bring a vehicle and can take others, or if you would like to be a passenger (there are not always enough vehicles). The old train station is on the Lakeshore Road just east of Cristiania Park in Chapala.
Bird-walks are open to all those interested in birds, both beginners and experienced birders. Just bring binoculars. There are always have knowledgeable birders on hand to identify the species.
Car trips are limited to four vehicles because larger convoys are hard to manage when trying to stop on country roads to look at the birds.