A sampling of these events is detailed below, but first, take a look at some unique artwork gracing the city at two related venues through the end of the month.

The Namuh furniture galleries in Centro and on Camino a Alcocer past the Liverpool department store are featuring, through the end of this month, portraits by Greg Mayer built with painted LEGO and other plastic bricks.

Portraits by Greg Mayer

Mayer buys these plastic pieces by the kilo and paints them in shades of grey and a few other colors to create portraits that resemble optical illusions that are clear from a distance but pixelated up close.

Mayer, who lives in San Miguel and Arizona, said he chose to show his work here to honor “the beauty and dignity of the Mexican people” he observes in his daily life.

“The people at the bus stop, in the mercado and throughout the countryside,” he explained. “I have a deep respect for the quiet strength and grace present in everyday moments, and the work began as a way to honor that in my own home.”

Mayer said he’s drawn to faces that tell a story, and that his favorite is the one he’s currently working on.

“Some of the larger works take months to create, so by the time I’m finished, that piece had better be my favorite,” he said.

One of his favorite portraits, “La Sanadora” (“The Healer”), was prominently featured and quickly sold at the exhibit, which opened Oct. 31, 2025. Namuh owner Cecilio Garza described a “huge turnout” that evening, which he called “very unusual for an unknown artist in San Miguel.”

Mayer, humbled by the enthusiastic response to his work, hopes to have another exhibit here after he returns this spring. For now, you can see his work until the end of January at Namuh’s two locations: at Cuna de Allende 15 and at Camino a Alcocer, Km. 2.2. 

Water-related murals unveiled

“Dialogues with Mother Earth,” an environmental art collaboration between San Miguel artist Erica Daborn and the nonprofit clean-drinking-water organization Caminos de Agua, is coming to the Camino al Arte artists’ colony outside San Miguel in the town of Atotonilco on Jan. 15 and 16.

On Jan. 15 from 5–7 p.m., Camino al Arte will host an opening presentation, an artist talk and an exhibition of two of Daborn’s large-scale charcoal murals inspired by prehistoric cave drawings and socially engaged art. The murals will also be on display there on Jan. 16 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The two events are free and open to the public. Daborn’s new book, “Dialogues with Mother Earth,” will be available to purchase and can be signed by the artist. All proceeds go to support Caminos de Agua’s mission to provide access to safe water in Central Mexico.

Camino al Arte is located at Antigua Via S/N in Atontonilco, Guanajuato. 

Winter orchid workshop

A winter orchid workshop will be held Jan. 16 and 17 at the Casamada Hotel Boutique. Information on the care and uses of the Cymbidium orchid in landscaping and gardens will be presented. Each workshop costs 1,750 pesos and includes a brunch, study materials and a Cymbidium orchid to take home. Reservations are required.

The Jan. 16 workshop takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the Jan. 17 workshop takes place from 10 a.m. to noon. Space is limited. Reserve your spot by calling +52 (415) 125-4050.

Casamada Hotel Boutique is located at Potranca 16 in the Guadiana neighborhood.

Plays and staged readings this month

Two one-act plays by local playwright Roger M. Williams are coming to the Teatro Santa Ana theatre in San Miguel’s La Biblioteca in Centro on Jan. 16 and 17. 

“Gone!” is a humorous look at a U.S. tourist who gets lost in a Spanish city, and the other is entitled, “Me? A Traitor?! Iconic Gen. Robert E. Lee Confronts His Life and Deeds.” Marjorie Burren directs both and the local cast includes Burren, Frank Simons, Rick Franz and Josefina Valentini.

Admission is a 275-peso donation. Tickets are available at the theater box office. The Santa Ana Theater and its box office are located inside La Biblioteca at Insurgentes 25 in Centro.

At the Jewish Cultural & Community Center, veteran actors Fil Formicola and Alan Jacobson will be featured in a staged reading of Harold Pinter’s one-act play, “The Dumb Waiter,” on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. The community center is located at Calle de Las Moras 47 in the Allende neighborhood. 

Doors open at 7 p.m. Donation information is available here.

Andrew Paxman at PEN

British biographer and historian Andrew Paxman, author of the recently published “Mexican Watchdogs: The Rise of a Critical Press Since the 1980s,” will discuss “Who’s Really Murdering Mexican Journalists?” on Jan. 20, at the Jewish Cultural & Community Center, Calle de Las Moras 47 in the Allende neighborhood. 

Tickets for the event, taking place at 6 p.m., are 350 pesos. It is part of San Miguel PEN’s winter lecture series, which supports threatened journalists and local literary projects.

Robert Burns Supper

The fifth annual Robert Burns Supper, held to honor Scotland’s most famous poet, returns to The Restaurant in Centro at 6 p.m. on Jan. 21. In keeping with Burns’ heritage, the meal will include haggis, roast beef with all the trimmings (vegetarian and gluten-free options upon request), wine and whisky. Entertainment will include bagpipes and a Scottish sing-along. 

Tickets are US $125 and benefit the EEESMA School for the Deaf in San Miguel. More information is available via email here.

Two art walks 

Visit local artists’ home studios during the free Guadalupe Art Walk on Jan. 24 and 25 in the neighborhood, which is home to galleries and San Miguel’s mural art district. Paintings, printmaking, sculpture and mixed media will be on hand for browsing and purchase. 

The art walk takes place on both days from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Email here for more information.

Meanwhile, dates for the annual San Antonio Art Walk have been announced. It will be happening this year on Feb. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the San Antonio Art Walk is free.

More information will be available in the February community roundup.

Candelaria Horticultural Fair

Parque Zeferino, on the northern edge of the city, will be packed with regional growers and vendors selling flowers and plants during this year’s annual Feria de la Candelaria, which opens Jan. 30.

As always, the fair will feature a huge variety of trees, plants and cacti for sale, as well as pots and gardening tools. There will also be free music, dancing and other performances going on each day.

The Feria de la Candelaria runs through Feb. 13. Admission is free.

Live blues at Cent’anni

Local favorites the Craig Caffall Blues Band is playing at Cent’anni Restaurant in Centro on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. The show is part of the year-long series of performances associated with the San Miguel International Jazz and Blues Festival.

Tickets for the Cent’anni show are 600 pesos in advance at the restaurant or 660 pesos online here. Cent’anni is located at Canal 23.

Tickets going fast for the Writers’ Conference

Premium all-events passes to the internationally known San Miguel Writers’ Conference in February are nearly sold out. So don’t wait if you have plans to attend this week-long conference for writers, aspiring writers and book lovers alike.

The 21st annual conference kicks off Feb. 11 and runs through Feb. 15 at the Hotel Real de Minas. This year’s conference features keynote addresses from authors Abraham Verghese, Maira Kalman, Rebecca Kuang, Yásnaya Elena Aguilar Gil and Emily St. John Mandel and poet Andrés Neuman.

Panel discussions, workshops, readings and receptions play a major role in the conference, which expects thousands of attendees, including writers, editors, agents and, of course, readers. 

More information can be found here.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

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Speaking of travel, there is news on a prospective airport for SMA, an access modernization plan for the airport in Querétaro, bus service from SMA to the newer airport in Mexico City and a controversial golf course proposal. We also have some other timely local items to help keep you informed.

Will San Miguel get its own airport?

As readers of Mexico News Daily may be aware, San Miguel is one of five potential sites under consideration for new regional airports. The new airports are proposed for Guanajuato, Jalisco, Quintana Roo and Baja California, and, because of its increasing tourism economy and international profile, San Miguel made the list.

These airports are still in the planning and study stage, which could take several years due to all the preparation that needs to be done to find appropriate sites and make sure they will work for a large commercial facility. One potential location east of San Miguel known as the San Julián aerodrome has been suggested, although it is said to have land constraints. Other sites to the west and southwest of the city could be under consideration in the meantime.

The infrastructure plan to modernize and expand 62 airports by 2030 carries a price tag of 134 billion pesos (about US $7.5 billion) — a major chunk of change when the federal government is paying for new social initiatives, transfers to states and municipalities, debt servicing and energy and other infrastructure investments. The 2026 federal budget exceeds 10 trillion pesos (more than US $566 billion), so it remains to be seen where new regional airports will rank on the priority list in the next few years. 

A major source of new money could be the just-passed Mexican tariffs of between 5% and 50% on more than 1,400 products from China, India, Brazil and a host of other countries. Government estimates put the potential annual revenue at 70 billion pesos (US $3.8 billion) after the tariffs kick in on Jan. 1, 2026. (Imported Chinese cars will be hit with a 50% tariff, which will impact the BYD electric/hybrid distributor site under construction at Salida a Celaya 95A in San Miguel.)

Modernization projects proposed for QRO 

Querétaro Governor Mauricio Kuri González proposed several access changes to the Aeropuerto Internacional de Querétaro (QRO) at a meeting earlier this month with federal government officials in Mexico City.

Among other proposals, Kuri informed Secretary of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport Jesús Antonio Esteva Medina that tunnels for left turns and greater mobility and access to the airport are needed.

The current Querétaro airport opened in late 2004 to deal with expanding air traffic. It replaced an airport facility that had started operating in 1955 and was officially designated as international in 1997.

Direct bus service offered from San Miguel de Allende to AIFA

ETN Turistar is offering limited direct bus service from San Miguel to the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), about 52 miles north of Mexico City. One bus is scheduled to leave at 9:40 a.m. daily from the central bus station on Calzada de la Estación, make two stops (one in Querétaro and one in Tepotzotlán) and arrive at AIFA at 1:55 p.m.

In October, the U.S. Department of Transportation revoked approval for 13 commercial routes on Mexican airlines from both AIFA (NLU airport code) and Benito Juárez International Airport (MEX) to major U.S. hubs. However, AIFA passengers can fly to other international destinations, such as Cuba, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Venezuela, or, more likely, take domestic flights to a variety of destinations via Aeroméxico, Volaris, Viva Aerobus, Mexicana or Aerus.

AIFA is reportedly running at about one-third of its installed capacity, although it was designed to serve up to 20 million passengers annually. In 2024, it handled just 6.3 million passengers, compared to 45.4 million at MEX that year. AIFA also does a significant amount of air cargo business.

Residency financial requirements hiked for 2026

In January, the Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) will again raise the financial requirements to qualify for a permanent or temporary residency visa. For temporary residency, the monthly income required will be US $5,250 and CAD $6,750, or investments worth US $87,500 or CAD $112,500, or home ownership in Mexico worth 12,520,000 pesos (about US $695,000).

For permanent residency, the monthly income required in 2026 will be US $8,750 or CAD $11,250, or investments worth US $350,000 or CAD $450,000.

INM will be closed for the holidays from Dec. 22 through Jan. 1, 2026, and reopen on Jan. 2. Reports are its offices will soon be relocating a couple miles beyond the current location on Calzada de la Estación.

Local opposition surfaces to proposed golf course 

Due to concerns about water supply from the Independence Aquifer and other environmental risks, the El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden is opposing the development of a golf course proposed for San Miguel by golfer Lorena Ochoa.

“… [W]e publicly reject the development of this golf course and call for restraint and common sense so that the competent authorities prevent this attack and take actions in favor of life and in accordance with the suitability of our territory,” El Charco stated in its December newsletter.

Ochoa, described as Mexico’s most accomplished golfer and a World Golf Hall of Fame member, said in a September social media post that she was working with partners to develop a fourth golf course here. Following immediate pushback from local citizens and environmentalists, she reportedly removed the post within days. No permits had been applied for or granted at that point, according to municipal officials.

San Miguel currently has three golf courses: two 18-hole courses (Malanquin and Las Ventanas) and one nine-hole option (Zirandaro).

Restaurant changes coming in January

Local legend Café MuRo is closing next month after 15 years of operation. After launching in 2010 on Callejón Loreto in Centro, the restaurant moved about six years later to its current space at San Gabriel 1 in the Obraje neighborhood. Café MuRo built a dedicated following over the years, but after co-owner Gerardo Arteaga passed away in May, partner Carlos MuRo found it necessary to close the doors.

In a Dec. 8 farewell Facebook post, MuRo thanked all of those who had been a part of the restaurant “for enjoying our food, our MuRo salad, our guava jam, our chilaquiles …” and said he would see them down the road.

Word is that Rústica, the popular breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant at Salida a Celaya 34, plans to start serving dinner sometime next month. Details are few so far, but it sounds like Rústica plans to expand operations from Monday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., by adding on several evening hours and possibly some dinner menu items. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

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Before we get into those, let’s take a look at what’s going on with three of San Miguel’s longtime nonprofit organizations, starting with Audubon de México.

Looking out (and up) for birds 

Established here in 1967, Audubon de México offers monthly birdwalks from January through November, cleanups at the Presa Allende — and weekly kayak outings there through Amigos de la Presa — and nature programs for area public school kids.

It’s migratory season, so birds are arriving around San Miguel, said April Gaydos, the group’s president. Those with a sharp eye, or good binoculars, might see orioles, vermilion flycatchers, blue grosbeaks, warblers, blue-grey gnatcatchers, hawks and the crested caracara, which Gaydos said is her favorite bird.

Audubon de México has participated in the annual international Christmas Bird Count for at least the past decade, she noted, and has three sites for local volunteers to visit. This year, the bird count is taking place on Dec. 20 from 7:45 a.m. until noon.

“We always count birds and report them to eBird at the Cornell (University) Ornithology Lab,” Gaydos said. “You can learn a lot just by visiting there to see what kind of birds are in the region.”

Want to participate in the bird count? You don’t need any experience, Gaydos said, and Audubon de México can provide binoculars. For contact information, see the group’s website.

A cultural center’s anniversary celebrations

El Sindicato, an independent, alternative community cultural center located at Recreo 4, just observed its 30th anniversary and closed out the celebrations with a Nov. 30 concert of classical and opera music, plus a Cuban music concert. More information can be found here.

The center has two main rooms, an auditorium with room for 120, a literary café and other offerings. Events at El Sindicato include plays, music and dance performances, conferences and workshops. There is also a variety of art and dance classes available. 

El Sindicato was founded in 1995, following the closure of the textile factory where the Fábrica la Aurora art gallery complex is now located. Families from the textile workers’ union and members of the public subsequently brought the ties formed there to El Sindicato to provide a social and cultural space for all.

A plant conservatory’s renovation 

The El Charco del Ingenio Botanical Garden and Protected Natural Area on the northeast edge of San Miguel reopened its Conservatory of Mexican Plants on Nov. 21 to show the public some recent renovation work. There were guided tours of the renovated areas, along with the herbarium, and a presentation of the botanical species discovered at El Charco.

That discovered species is Viridantha minuscula, now known as the Charco bromeliad. It was sighted on the cliffs at El Charco by biologist José Viccon and later found to be a rare example of a plant with no previous record.

The conservatory greenhouse was built in 2000 and contains cacti and other succulent plant specimens, including some that are rare or endangered. There are also native fish and aquatic plants there.

El Charco is open daily 9 a.m.–5 p.m., and general admission is 100 pesos. Annual memberships and renewals are 2,000 pesos but are reduced to 1,800 pesos until Dec. 15. Membership allows free access for the member and two guests for one year and discounted access to special tours and events. 

A thank-you party is also coming on Dec. 3, from 4-6 p.m. at Posada Corazón, Aldama 9, with memberships available there or at El Charco.

Christmas is coming to town

San Miguel is getting ready to honor this very special season. Christmas decorations are starting to show up across the city, and we’re seeing ads and posters for art performances, holiday-themed mercados, pop-up craft sales, neighborhood special events, menu specials and much more.

Just a sample of what’s coming up:

• Paprika Restaurant and Music House, Ancha de San Antonio 9, will hold a Christmas Bazaar on Dec. 6 from noon to 5 p.m., featuring music, art, food, jewelry, crafts and gifts.
• A two-day Heart to Heart Charity Bazaar to benefit Patronato Pro Niños is coming Dec. 6 and 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Reforma 75c in Ignacio Ramirez.
• The Biblioteca Pública, Insurgentes 25, has at least four Christmas-related events on its calendar: a Nativity play on Dec. 18; a Nativity posada and also a performance of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 19; and a concert of Christmas carols and seasonal songs on Dec. 22.
• The International Festival of Jazz & Blues is presenting a Christmas Jazz Concert featuring singer Tenoch Niño de Rivera on Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. at Cent’anni Restaurant, Canal 34.

A cross-cultural art pilgrimage 

Mexico News Daily (MND) Co-owner Tamanna Bembenek, who has shared her art through previous MND articles, invites the public to her art show, “Between Worlds,” on Dec. 20, Jan. 24 and Feb. 7. More information is available here or by contacting info@sanmiguelartloft.com.

“After years of focusing on optimizing my schedule and career, I reconnected with art when I moved to Mexico,” Bembenek said. “Life slowed down, and my mind found space to reflect, get bored and find inspiration. 

“I rediscovered color and began painting again, exploring themes like anxiety, healing, solitude and growth. Over the past five years, my art has become a bridge between two ancient cultures: Mexico and India. It reflects a journey toward stillness, intention and healing.”

The show is not commercial but a work in progress, and nothing is for sale, she said, adding, “If you’ve ever felt ‘between worlds’ in your life — career, culture, identity or adulthood — this show may resonate with you.”

Learn something new

In-person and online registration is open at the Instituto Allende’s Lifelong Learning Program, Ancha de San Antonio 9. Courses are offered from January through March, and the cost ranges from free to 400 pesos.

Subjects vary widely from the political to the literary, with a generous dose of history and culture. It doesn’t pay to delay since three of the courses are already sold out or full. For specifics on the courses and how to register, visit the program’s website.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

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City officials noted that the Jardín and other public spaces had been planted with marigolds, and that municipal cemeteries (except for San Juan de Dios, which is closed for conservation work) had been cleaned, painted, pruned and prepared for families to visit and decorate the graves of their departed loved ones.

Capping the weekend of celebration was Sunday night’s parade along a jam-packed route from El Cardo to the Jardin via Zacateros. Catrinas and catrines of all ages and descriptions were on hand, along with decorated horses, marching bands and even police officers with painted faces. It would be hard to imagine a more festive and well-attended event.

A long-awaited hotel opening

After eight years of construction, the Marriott Cleviá hotel/residences near Luna de Queso on Josefina Orozco finally opened more of its doors in September after a limited soft opening in April. So far, 30% of the 74 total rooms are available, and 42 residences behind them are expected to be ready later on.

There is currently one restaurant and bar, a pool, meeting and event space and other amenities. Plans call for an additional restaurant to be added. The lobby is quite large and shows numerous designer touches, and it overlooks the bar and restaurant, courtyard pool and the building behind that where the residences are located.

According to an employee, the project had two separate owners during the long construction period, which considerably delayed development. The current owners are a Mexico-based group operating under a licensing arrangement with Marriott’s Cleviá Autograph Collection, which has certain guidelines about what must be offered on-site.

Rates range from around US $250 per night, using points through Marriott’s Bonvoy membership program, to $1,000 per night if the stay is during holidays and special occasions, such as Día de Muertos.

Reviews so far on the Marriott site are limited but nearly all positive about the design, layout, staff and food, although one called it a poor value and another noted potential once a few kinks are worked out.

Hotels are plentiful in San Miguel, but major projects keep coming. A very visible case in point is the Waldorf Astoria on El Cardo, which has pushed back its opening from spring of this year to sometime in 2027. It plans to offer 120 rooms and 24 residences and is being developed by Mexico City-based Skyplus Developments Corp.

Is a downtown restaurant closing?

The popular Italian restaurant Vivali on Hernández Macías across from Bellas Artes has been closed for about a month for no ascertainable reason. There’s a padlock on the door, and someone at a nearby restaurant said she had no idea what’s going on. Nothing about a closure is posted on the door or the Facebook page, and the phone wasn’t being answered.

Since Vivali seemed to have a devoted and diverse clientele (and often live music), the situation has prompted questions. Speculation centers on lack of business, permit problems and/or the catch-all scapegoat of politics.

Whatever the case in this particular instance, restaurants come and go here all the time, while some simply relocate or decide to switch to only catering. Chances are Vivali is simply the latest in a line of ongoing business adjustments, but Mexico News Daily will update the situation if it changes.

National protest delays local bus

Readers may have seen the recent MND story about farmers setting up roadblocks in Guanajuato and other states and demanding government price supports and subsidies to augment inadequate market prices for their corn. Inflation, drought, extortion and violence have added to the tenuous situation.

While that’s a national story, there were localized impacts involving transportation disruptions and other inconveniences. At least one bus from San Miguel to Guanajuato never arrived in the state’s capital on Oct. 27 — the first day of the roadblocks — because it was said to be “stuck” on the highway in between. 

Finally, after the afternoon wore on with no explanation to those waiting, the company borrowed another bus from a different company, and passengers were able to depart for San Miguel about an hour-and-a-half later than scheduled. It was a small reminder that no locality is completely exempt from what happens on the national stage.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

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Top names included Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas, who performed with the University of Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra; Nathy Peluso, a Spain-based Argentine rapper; Damon Albarn, a UK singer-songwriter and record producer who performed with Africa Express; Kid Koala, a Canadian scratch DJ and record and theater producer; and Javier Camerena, an operatic tenor from Xalapa who has performed in Europe and the U.S. Many of the performances required paid tickets via Ticketmaster, but several offered free admission.

Origins of the festival

Named for Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, Cervantino has been regularly held in Guanajuato since 1972. However, it was inspired by playwright and professor Enrique Ruelas, who adapted short, comic plays by Cervantes and presented them in the Plaza de San Roque in the 1950s.

One of the many highlights from last week’s loaded Cervantino schedule was Channel One Sound System, a UK-based dub reggae sound system featuring Mikey Dread and three MCs performing with turntables, microphones, amplifiers and loudspeakers to an enthusiastic crowd Oct. 21 at the Alhóndiga de Granaditas esplanade.

The University of Guanajuato hosted a series of films from U.K. and Mexican directors, which, on Oct. 22, included “Mujer de Tierra,” a 2021 short documentary from Evelyn Muñoz Marroquín, and “Chicharras,” a 90-minute feature from Luna Marán released in 2024. Films from U.K. directors Stephen Frears, Ken Loach, Danny Boyle, Mike Newell and others were also spotlighted as part of this year’s festival.

Los Bitchos, a London-based “cumbia-rock” band, took the stage at the Alhóndiga on Oct. 22 and presented an energetic and mainly instrumental set that had the crowd up front on their feet and dancing throughout. Members are pan-continental and consist of lead guitarist Serra Petale from Australia, Uruguayan Agustina Ruiz on synthesizer and keytar, bass player Josefine Jonsson from Sweden and drummer Nic Crawshaw from the U.K.

Scotland and Mexico meet musically

Celtic Fandango, a blend of 14 Mexican and Scottish musicians, enthralled a packed audience at the Alhóndiga on Oct. 24 with a lively and emotive fusion of Veracruz fandango and traditional Gaelic tunes, interspersed with dance steps from both cultures.

On the Mexican side of the stage were Juan José Duarte, Nabani Aguilar Vázquez, Mariel Henry, Sergio Medrano, Julio Aguilar Caletti, Adrián Carrillo and Luis Huerta demonstrating versatility on a variety of traditional and modern instruments. On the Scottish side were Donald Shaw, Ross Ainslie, Kathleen Macinnes, John Sikorsky, Ciorstaidh Beaton, Patsy Reid and Sorren Maclean doing the same.

The creative combination of accordions, harps, violins, guitars, upright bass, bagpipes, whistles, flutes, keyboards, drums, dance and voice proved so exhilarating that the crowd stood as one after the finale and called for an encore, which they happily received.

Bagpipes draw a crowd

For anyone needing another dose of bagpipes, the San Patricio Battalion Bagpipe Band marched to the rescue on Oct. 25 with a one-hour mobile performance that started at Plaza Allende and ended at Teatro Juárez. A big crowd walked along with the pipers and drummers, stopping when the band did and taking cell phone videos of each tune they played.

The Mexico City-based band formed in 1997 to honor the St. Patrick’s Battalion, Irish soldiers who left the U.S. Army during the Mexican-American War to fight with the Mexican Army. It’s considered the first Scottish pipe band in the country and is known for combining Mexican music and bagpipes, which the audience clearly appreciated.

A cosmic send-off

The Sun Ra Arkestra of Philadelphia took an Alhóndiga crowd on an interplanetary musical trip Oct. 25 with a two-hour extravaganza of avant-garde jazz, blues, bebop and big band swing. More than a dozen Arkestra members, some band veterans since the 1970s and 1980s, came to Guanajuato for the show, and all sported the colorful, spangled outfits and creative headgear for which they’re known.

Bandleader and saxophone player Knoel Scott stepped in for longtime Arkestra bandleader Marshall Allen, who is 101 years old and no longer tours. Scott simultaneously directed the horn and reed sections, signaled to piano player Farid Abdul-Bari Barron, singer Tara Middleton and drummer George Gray, played the sax and occasionally sang. Later, he even performed some impromptu cartwheels at the front of the stage to loud applause.

The audience refused to let the band go after their hour-and-a-half set and repeatedly shouted for more until they returned to the stage for a long jazzy number during which half the band played their way single-file through the delighted audience. It was a cosmic send-off for the festival’s final Saturday night.

Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.

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