Merida Events: Festival de la Cultura Maya

13 October 2014 Events 0

This Week... starting October 13, 2014

Festivals in Merida This Fall
Be sure to mark your calendars for the following dates...
International Festival of Mayan Culture 2014: October 17 – 26
This festival will begin with a great performance of “Giselle,” by the National INBA Dance Company. It will be a gala night in the beautiful Teatro Jose Peon Contreras. There will be a different event each night, featuring stars from a different country.
Hanal Pixan or Day of the Dead: October 31- November 02
Day of the Dead in Merida is celebrated both on the Plaza Grande and along Calle 66, between Park Ermita and the Cemetery, called the Corridor of the Souls (on the evening of October 31, starting about sundown). In Yucatan, this day is called Hanal Pixan... check out our articles about Hanal Pixan and Day of the Dead!
X’matkuil State Fair: November 8 – December 1 These events take place at the X’matkuil fairgrounds. Admission is only $15 pesos and parking is $30 pesos. In addition to theater events, there are so many performance shows that it makes this fair the largest center for nightlife in southeast Mexico.
National Día de la Virgen de Guadalupe: December 12
This is one of the biggest fiestas of the year in Mexico. You can see some of the activities in Merida in Yucatan Living’s Virgin of Guadalupe Video.
Christmas and New Year's Eve
The last two weeks of December and the first five days of January are relatively quiet in Yucatan, but the new year of almost non-stop festivals begins again on January 6 (Three Kings’ Day, aka Epiphany). So do keep watch on Yucatan Living’s Events pages to see what there is to do in Merida whenever you are here.

In The City

Monday (Lunes) October 13, 2014

Opening Day at La Casa Azul at U.V.M campus Mérida Oct. 13 - Nov. 7
In the second semester of their nine semester B.A. degree in Hospitality, students get the opportunity to operate a restaurant of their creation. The menu is international themed influenced by Mexican flavors and products. The dining room is small, only 40 seats, but is the perfect size for the students to manage. The service is casual but professional and the restaurant is fully operated by the students. Read the details in our article about it here.
Location: To get to the U.V.M. campus coming from Merida, get onto the Progreso highway heading north. Take the Dzitya exit and head back south. The campus will be on your right. Enter at the guard station and tell them that you are guests of the restaurant. There is a large parking lot straight ahead. The restaurant will be in D building, also called Glion. It is the first building as you enter the at the guard station. Ask any student if confused.
Time: La Casa Azul will open October 13, 2014 and run until November 7, 2014. Monday through Friday, 8 am to 4 pm.

Tuesday (Martes) October 14, 2014

Tuesday of Trova: Trio Trovemia
See the full listing of trova trios performing for the month in our Coming Soon section.
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free

Wednesday (Miercoles) October 15, 2014

Movie: La Camioneta: The Journey of One American School Bus
(USA 2012) Every day dozens of decommissioned school buses leave the United States on a southward migration that carries them to Guatemala, where they are repaired, repainted, and resurrected as the brightly-colored camionetas that bring the vast majority of Guatemalans to work each day. In Spanish, with English and Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Movie: The Substance: Albert Hofmann's LSD
(Germany 2012) In 1943, the year in which the first A-bomb was built, Albert Hofmann discovered LSD, a substance that was to become an A-bomb of the mind. In German with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro, Open Air Cinema
Time: 9:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Thursday (Jueves) October 16, 2014

Movie: Kings of The Wind & Electric Queens
(French 2013) The Sonepur fair in India, with its whirlwinds of dust rising from the ground, is the opportunity for a gigantic carnival where each is going to give itself in representation for the pleasure of day spectators, pilgrims in ecstasy, in search of shivers and signs of good fortune. In French with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Anthology of Silent Films: Hiroshima My Love
(France 1959). A French actress filming an anti-war film in Hiroshima has an affair with a married Japanese architect as they share their differing perspectives on war.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

Movie: Inori
(Japan 2012) Gonzalez Rubio enters an area of mountains and forests in which there are only a few people, all and very old, and it is as if their perception of space and time, in recording that world was crossed by the kawasiano spirit. In Japanese with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Friday (Viernes) October 17 , 2014

Movie: The Act of Killing
(Denmark 2012) A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers. In Indonesian and English.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro,
Time: 5:00 PM Friday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Anthology of Silent Films: The Golem
(Germany 1920). In 16th-century Prague, a Jewish rabbi creates a giant creature from clay, called the Golem, and using sorcery, brings the creature to life in order to protect the Jews of Prague from persecution.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

Ko Olel Nal: Dance Video
This performance is under the direction of Ligia Aguilar. Also plays tomorrow.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

Dance: Solos for Joining Fridays and Saturdays October 17 through November 22
When loneliness provides an opportunity for meeting. This is a performance by the Contemporary Free Dance Company.
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: Fridays: 9:00 PM, Saturdays: 8:00 PM
Admission: $50 pesos, Students and INAPAM: $25 pesos

International Festival of Mayan Culture October 17 – 26
This festival will begin with a great performance of “Giselle,” by the National INBA Dance Company. It will be a gala night in the beautiful Teatro Jose Peon Contreras. There will be a different event each night, featuring stars from a different country.
Location: Teatro Jose Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Friday
Admission: Free, but you'll need to get your tickets ahead of time.

Movie: Cutie and the Boxer
(USA 2013) This candid New York love story explores the chaotic 40-year marriage of famed boxing painter Ushio Shinohara and his wife, Noriko. Anxious to shed her role as her overbearing husband's assistant, Noriko finds an identity of her own. In Englsih and Japanese with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro, Open Air Cinema.
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Movie: The Wicker Man
(UK 1973) A police sergeant is sent to a Scottish island village in search of a missing girl whom the townsfolk claim never existed. Stranger still are the rites that take place there. In English.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

Saturday (Sabado) October 18, 2014

Movie: Two Documentaries by Werner Herzog
(Germany 1984/1989) PASTORS OF THE SUN. From an annual celebration, Werner Herzog documents the tribe that celebrates it. A fascinating study, despite the somewhat sketchy film quality at times.
GASHERBRUM, the Mountains LIGHT: In 1984 two climbers undertook an extraordinary expedition. They set out to achieve in a single outing two peaks of more than 8000 feet, Gasherbrum I and Gasherbrum II. They climbed without oxygen, or specialized material. Herzog accompanies them to the base camp by the glaciers. In German with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Ko Olel Nal: Dance Video
This performance is under the direction of Ligia Aguilar.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Anthology of Silent Films: A Woman in Paris
(USA 1923). A kept woman runs into her one-time fiancé and finds herself torn between love and comfort, a timeless conflict.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Second Annual White City Ball - Saturday, October 18
This is the annual AANY fundraiser. The White City Ball promises to be the most glamorous event of the fall season. Trova music will greet you and a live band will keep you dancing. The price includes botanas from some of the best restaurants and caterers in Merida including Trattoria La Pasta, Bistro Cultural, Merida Home Cooking to Go, V’s Good Eats, and more. Sweets from Café Crème and Yury’s Decadent Brownies will end the night on a sweet note. There will be a cash bar and a silent auction, including pieces by AANY artists.
Location: Villa Verde Merida, Calle 56 x 53 y 55 Merida centro
Time: 8 PM til Midnight
Admission: Tickets are 350 pesos and are on sale now at Hennessey’s, the Merida English Library, Bistro Cultural, and Lizard Joe’s. If you are not in Merida yet, you can buy your tickets at AANY.org or by contacting Cindy@aany.org

Movie: The Optimists
(Norway 2013) Despite their weekly training sessions, The Optimists, girls between 66 and 98 years old, have not played a game in three decades. Now is the time. But against whom? Rumors say that there is a group of handsome Swedes across the border. Goro, 98 years, is the queen of the team with her willpower and purple Converse tennis shoes. Laughter is her strategy to play. In Swedish with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro, Open Air Cinema.
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students

Movie: Akira
(Japan 1988) A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop. In Japanese with Spanish Subtitles.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Sunday (Domingo) October 19, 2014

Documentary: Deserts
Learn about the habitats that make up the ecosystem of the desert, and the survival strategies of the animals.
Location: Museum of Natural History, Calle 59 next to the Zoo.
Time: 12:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free

Chamber Orchestra of Merida
This performance is under the direction of Russel Montanez Coronado. This small orchestra is one of the best of its size that we have ever heard.
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: Fridays: 9:00 PM, Saturdays: 8:00 PM
Admission: $50 pesos, Students and INAPAM: $25 pesos

Movie: The Man Who Wasn't There
(USA 2001) A laconic, chain-smoking barber blackmails his wife's boss and lover for money to invest in dry cleaning, but his plan goes terribly wrong. In English.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free

Monday (Lunes) October 20, 2014

Gypsy Market Bazaar
Good food, great art, and superb company. What more could anyone ask? Visit the Gypsy Market Bazaar on Facebook.
Location: On the main road Chelem-Chuburna. Crystal Tropical is Graciela’s garden between entrada Sol and Aruba.
Time: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Admission: Free but do plan on shopping and supporting the artists and artisans who show their work here.

Coming Soon

October’s Tuesday of Trova
October 14: Trio Trovemia
October 28: Grupo Cafe Canela

Merida / Valladolid Combined Chorale Concert Wednesday, October 29
You are cordially invited to attend this combined Merida / Valladolid chorale concert of Latin American music. A complementary reception will follow so that you will have an opportunity to meet the members of the choirs.
Location: Casa de los Venados, Valladolid, Yucatan
Time: 9:00 PM
Admission: Free

Popular Mexican Art and Yalat: October 23, 2014
Maruja Barbachano's interest in Mexican folk art began at age ten, when she would accompany her grandmother on buying trips throughout Mexico. The pieces they would acquire were sold in the gift shops of her family's hotels (Hacienda Chichen, Casa del Balam, Mayaland). Over the years, guided by a great appreciation for the work, Maruja began her education on the materials, techniques and designs that shape each work of art, while at the same time establishing relationships with the master artists and craftsmen of Mexico and their families. In January 2005, Maruja and her husband Jim relocated to Valladolid and opened Yalat, a popular folk art gallery. Come tonite for a video presentation, a small gallery exhibit and a great evening.
Location: Valladolid Public Library, Casa Hamaca, Valladolid
Time: 7:45 PM
Admission: $50 pesos donation suggested

Halloween Chili Cook Off, Cake Bake Off and Costume Party: October 31, 2014
This is a benefit for No Mas Perritos spay and neuter community program. There will be prizes for the best chili, best costume and best cake.
Location: At the Bull Pen in Chelem
Time: 6:30 PM
Admission: $100 pesos for everyone

Second Annual Seaside Rotary Golf Classic Saturday, November 1
This is Seaside Rotary’s major fundraiser with all event proceeds going to support charitable programs and initiatives in the Playa del Carmen community. The tournament will be a non-handicap scramble” with a luncheon and Gala Prize ceremony following. Do visit their website to see some of the amazing prizes that have been donated by the sponsors.
Location: Grand Coral Rivera Maya Golf Club in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo: carretera federal cancun tulum, 77712 Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
Time: 8:00 AM in UTC-06
Registration Fee: $1500 pesos/ Golfer, $1200 pesos/ FMG Member, 20% Discount for Foursomes. You may pay with your PayPal, debit or credit card.
Register Online at Seaside Rotary Golf Classic.

Merida Gallery Tour 2014, Sundays: November 2 and December 7
Design your own tour of 12 participating art galleries in Centro, Merida. Begin anywhere on the following list. The participating galleries include:
1. Galeria Merida, Calle 59 #452A x 52 y 54, Centro (Mejorada)
2. Juan Pablo Bavio: Estudio-Galeria, Calle 59 # 536 x 66 y 68, Centro (Santiago)
3. Anonimo: Venta de Arte, Calle 57 # 552 x 66 y 68, Centro (Santiago)
4. Centro Cultural y Artistico La Bodega, Calle 70 # 470 x 55 y 55A, Centro (Santiago)
5. Galeria Le Cirque, Calle 55A # 538 x 68 y 70, Centro (Santiago)
6. Galeria La Eskalera, Calle 70 # 474B x 57 y 59, Centro (Santiago)
7. Luis Coral: Estudio-Galeria, Calle 72 # 555 Depto. 2 x 57 y 55, Centro (Santiago)
8. Posada Ecochic La Pantera Negra, Calle 67 # 547B x 68 y 70, Centro (San Juan)
9. Galeria Amapola, Calle 66 # 604 x 75 y 77, Centro (Ermita)
10. Tendejon del Arte, Calle 62 # 570 x 71 y 73, Centro (San Juan)
11. Galeria in La Kech, Calle 60 # 595A x 73 y 75, Centro (San Juan)
12. Calle Estampa, Calle 60 # 582A x 73 y 75, Centro (San Juan)
This tour is supported by the City Council of Merida.
Location: Self-guided tour of art galleries in Centro
Time: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. First Sundays: Nov. 2 and Dec. 7.
Admission: Free + complimentary refreshments provided by gallery owners

VI Annual Merida Showcase of Homes Sunday, November 9
This event is a major fundraiser for Fundacion BAI A.C. (Brazos Abiertos Yucatan). It is a self-guided tour of seven of the most beautiful homes in Merida’s Historical Centro. These restored colonial homes represent the work of seven of the best architects in Yucatan and each is a “must see” treasure. Brazos Abiertos works to provide education and be a catalyst for change in order to prevent HIV/AIDS, and to help stop the stigma that the virus still carries in many circles. They provide free classes and free counseling. All proceeds will be used for their programs in Yucatan. Yucatan Living is one of the sponsors of this very worthy and well-run event.
Location: Starting point: Hennessy’s Irish Pub on Paseo de Montejo x Calle 41 y 43, Centro.
Time: 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Admission: Tickets: General: $300 pesos, Students: $150 pesos. Tickets include a complimentary drink at the end at either Hennesseys or Casa de las Torres, and a complimentary drink at Cantina La Negrita during the tour. Tickets are currently on sale at Hennessy’s Irish Pub, Cantina La Negrita, Restaurante Unico, Robert Abuda Salon, or by phone at (999) 292-8436. For more information, visit Fundacion BAI A.C. online.

ARTE a MANO AANY Expo - November 14, 15, & 16
This year’s exciting show represents over 70 masters of the finest in Yucatecan art and handcrafted treasures.
Location: CONACO, Av. Itzaes # 273 x 31 y 33, Three blocks from Clinica de Merida
Time: Preview on Nov. 14 at 5 PM, Saturday and Sunday, 10 AM to 7 PM
Admission: TBA

Chamber Orchestra of Merida - October 19, November 23
This performance is under the direction of Russel Montanez Coronado. This small orchestra is one of the best of its size that we have ever heard.
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo
Time: 6:00 PM
Admission: Free

Yucadanz: Monthly Contra Dance in Merida - First Dance: Saturday, November 22
When is a square dance not square? You're just going to love this new dance in town. Contra dance is a community “barn dance”, where everyone socializes and dances with everyone else. We love their energy and hope that everyone will give contra dance a whirl. Everyone is welcome!
Location: Tumaka't Dance Studio, Calle 51 #475-A x 52 y 54 (blue building, middle of block), Centro
Time: Beginner Class in Spanish: 7:00 PM, Beginner Class in English: 7:30 PM, Contra dance: 8:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Admission: Bring your own refreshments and water, no alcohol at the dance. $50-$100 pesos donation requested. Proceeds benefit Tumaka't, a nonprofit arts group, and to establish a fund for live music. Read this great page on the Yucadanz website!
Additional Dates:
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Saturday, January 17, 2015
Saturday, February 14, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015

Miraculous Medal Race - November 23
This running event is open to the general public and is being held as a benefit for the Chelem Chapel. The course is approximately 14 miles long. Prizes to be announced. Categories include: free, master, submaster, male and female veterans, and veterans plus wheel chair. There will also be additional events, such as 5K hikes, walks. This event is under the direction of the Institute of Sport (IDEY).
Location: Chelem, Progreso, Yucatan (start and finish at the church)
Time: TBA
Admission: $100 pesos

Fourth National and International Jose Jacinto Cuevas Piano Competition: November 21-29
Competition is tough here, but the best of the best come to Merida and they are all winners in our book! You can find out more at their website here.
Location: Teatro Felipe Carrillo Puerto
Time: Opening Ceremony: Friday, Nov. 21, 2014, 8:00 PM.
First stage of competition: Saturday, Nov. 22, 10:00 AM. Additional competitions will be announced throughout the week, with the awards ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2014. No times have been announced, as yet, for any of the events except the opening ceremony and first stage of competition.
Admission: Free

Bird-a-thon Xocch’ich: November 21 through 23
The biggest birdwatching competition on the Yucatan Peninsula. More Information as it becomes available. Mark your calendars!

Live, Love, Laugh
A full day of fun, interactive presentations, demonstrations and workshops by several holistic health practitioners. The universe is energy. You live in and use energy in everything you do from your thoughts, your movements and in your emotional and spiritual life. Our goal is to help you use this energy to get the best out of your life. Presenters will include Barbara Harris, Astrea Geertsema, Elizabeth Arnott, Julie Chickadel-Cardena and Nancy Hokenson.
Date: November 23
Location: Flow Holistic Center, Calle 79 #191 A, Montes de Ame, Merida
Tickets : $350 pesos. You can purchase your tickets at Flow Center or contact Barb Harris 999 193 4669 or email Barbarajoanharris@gmail.com or from one of the facilitators.

Benefit: The Oasis Red Ribbon Charity Ball - Nov. 29, 2014
This lavish event will open the festive season on the terrace of one of Merida’s most spectacular homes. The event will be a be a fundraiser for Oasis San Juan de Dios AC, a shelter for people affected by HIV/AIDS who have no resources and no family to care for them. Live music and dancing will follow the scrumptious dessert bar. A raffle and live auction will add to the merry-making.
Location: At a private residence in Merida, TBA
Time: TBA
Admission: $1,000 pesos per person. Limit 150 people. A buffet dinner and a full open bar (all drinks are included in the ticket price).

VI Full Moon Jazz Festival February 6
This event is the major fundraiser for Telchac Education. This program continues to sponsor children in school in the Telchac area and they are thriving. Three fabulous bands, dancing, the food court and full bar await you on the beach Many thanks to all of the sponsors and to everyone who participates in this Jazz Festival.
Location: Villas Wayak, km 25.5 Progreso - Telchac Road
Time: This is an all day and into the night event
Admission: Free but please come prepared to purchase food and drinks, and - we hope - to make a donation and/or sponsor a child in the Telchac Education Program.

Have an event you want to promote? Email us at info@yucatanliving.com and we'll be happy to list it in our Events listing and our Month-at-a-Glance Calendar!