It’s Show Time!
The Galeria has posted this year’s artist line-up. Dates for annual fundraisers have been set. There’s talk of turkey dinner and the holiday tree fiesta. The bookstore is open seven days a week, and it’s rodeo season. Not that you’d know it from our feels-like-August temperatures, but The Season seems to be upon us, ready or not.
Las Fiestas Taurinas
One of the earlier rodeos on the circuit, the Los Ingenios event, is an authentic trip back in time to a simpler Mexico, before the glitz and the gringos arrived. This year’s fiesta is scheduled Friday to Monday, December 2-5, with a marathon 12-hours of activity planned each day. Lunch and refreshments start at 2 p.m., followed by the bull competitions at 4, and a dance from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The word about Los Ingenios used to be “two miles and 200 years back.” The village has come into the 20th Century, at least, but the surround of towering ancient-growth trees and hardly a sound except what nature intended always transports me to a place far away from Now. I suppose this, too, will change as more people discover this hidden treasure.
To get to the rodeo grounds, first you have to find Los Ingenios. Blink and you’ll miss the entrance. I think they planned it that way. Los Ingenios does mean “the ingenuous,” i.e. clever ones, after all. Barely a meter north of where the La Manzanilla entrance ramp crosses Highway 200 northbound, a dirt road cuts east into the trees. Follow that into the village and all the way back to the base of the mountains. The action is at the end of the road.
The bulls in the ring generally aren’t the only bull going around at this fiesta de toros. Here’s a bunch of back-slapping good old boys drinking ice-cold beers and telling tall tales. The food is good, and the bulls can be ornery. It’s fun.
Galeria season opens
City-folk fans of Efren Gonzalez might want to consider a road trip to the beach the weekend of Friday, December 2, when he kicks off Galeria La Manzanilla’s 8th season of Meet the Artist receptions. Not that Efren doesn’t pack the house with Costalegre followers. We love him. The reception starts at 4 p.m. and lasts until 8 p.m.
We don’t know yet how many new pieces Efren’s bringing with him, but they’re sure to fly off the walls. The Galeria is now open Monday through Saturday 10 to 6, and Sunday 11 to 3, with an exciting new selection of jewelry and ceramics. Galeria La Manzanilla is located on Calle Perula Sur, a block and a half behind Palapa Joe’s restaurant.
Local market goes Tonala
Joaquin Raquenna has been threatening to close his popular corner grocery store for years. “The electric bills are killing me,” he said, regarding his several cold-storage units and walk-in freezer, “and there’s too much competition anymore. We won’t be carrying anything that requires refrigeration.” The transition from everybody’s favorite place to shop on their way into town to a home décor center is underway.
While the front half of Joaquin and Esther’s Abarrotes Renaciamento, aka Raquenna’s, is phasing out their inventory of dry and canned goods, fresh fruit and vegetables, the back half reflects the new name, Articulos de Tonalá. The store features an eclectic array of “stuff” for your house, from glassware and candles to wall hangings and tchotchkes (teliches in Spanish), ‘with new merchandise from Tonalá arriving every week,’ according to Joaquin. They also have an impressive selection of household plastic items.
Joaquin won’t commit to when the complete change-over from food to articulos will happen. So far, business is good at both ends of the store. Located on the entrance road at Calle Maria Elva and with plenty of parking, it’s still a convenient stop to pick up ice and groceries before turning the corner into town. At the other end, when I was in there the other day, a soon-to-open new restaurant was buying all its glassware, and another local restaurant had placed a large order for napkin holders.
Having shopped at Raquenna’s store for many years, it’ll probably take me a while to remember I can’t stop there anymore for food or cigarettes. I´ll go in for a pack of Marlboro’s and come out with a candle. On the other hand, Joaquin may just decide to keep his candle lit at both ends.
Save the dates
Café de Flores set the date of its fifth annual Holiday Tree silent auction and fiesta for Friday, December 9. Details haven´t been announced yet, but already the creatives are being proprietarily private about their entries for this year.
Cisco’s Amigos annual animal health and neuter clinic will take place in Melaque between December 2nd and 6th, at the San Patricio Ejido building. La Manzanilla dates are February 10 through 14, in the Ejido hall on Maria Asuncion. If clinic dates are set, dates for Cisco’s popular fund raisers, Music Night and Doggie Bingo, can’t be far behind.
Clinics are staffed entirely by volunteers, and all animal health services are provided free of charge by local veterinarians, as well as specialists from as far away as Mexico City. Transportation may be available. Anyone interested in volunteering for the upcoming Melaque clinic, please email coordinator Julie Wagner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Since I won’t get another chance before the holiday, here’s wishing all my fellow expat USAers a Happy Thanksgiving on November 24.
What better way to show how thankful I am to live in Mexico than to overindulge on turkey and other American comfort foods? Buen provecho and may you not gain an ounce.