Merida Events: Last of Cultural Festival
This Week... starting October 06, 2014
Festivals in Merida This Fall
Be sure to mark your calendars for the following dates...
Fall Arts Festival 2014: September 20 – October 12
This year, there will be over 1,400 artists (music, dance, theater, etc.) participating in 95 events. This festival includes a performance of Coppelia by the National Ballet of Cuba, and the legendary Sergio Esquivel performed on opening night.
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. 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 06, 2014
Popular Music: Eduardo Rodriguez
Another evening of romantic music. This show is entitled “You, My Only Passion.”
Location: Teatro Fantasio, Inside Parque Hidalgo on Calle 60 x 59
Time: 8:00 PM Monday
Admission: Free
Concert: Maricarmen Perez: “With the Music in Your Hands”
There are very few people who have contributed both their talent and their organizational skills to the music scene in Yucatan. This lady is one of them. She has a beautiful show. Do try to see it.
Location: Teatro Jose Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Monday
Admission: Free
Coral Music: Carlos Tello, with Coro Voces sin Fronteras
Yucatan - With Songs of Yesterday, Today and Always.
Location: Teatro Armando Manzanero, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Monday
Admission: Free
Tuesday (Martes) October 07, 2014
Movie: The Ruination of Men (La perdición de los hombres)
(Mexico 2000). Director: Arturo Ripstein. Two women share their life with one man. When he dies, they argue over who will bury him. Probably in Spanish, probably not with English subtitles.
Location: Centro Cultural Jose Marti / Parque de Las Americas, Av. Colon x Calle 20
Time: 8:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Jazz Music: Alberto Palomo
Come out and see Jazz Fusion 4TET.
Location: Teatro Fantasio, Inside Parque Hidalgo on Calle 60 x 59
Time: 8:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Music: Maria Teresa in Concert
Billed as the Return of the Trova, this promises to be a wonderful concert.
Location: Teatro Jose Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Tuesday of Trova: Los Nobles
This trio is one of the group of trios that has defined trova for Yucatan for the 20th and 21st centuries.
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Wednesday (Miercoles) October 08, 2014
Movie: Parts of a Family
(Mexico 2014) This film shows how a great love between two people, after several years of marriage, can become like a stifling prison. The child of a couple observes and tells his story. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Popular Music: Gilberto Cab "Gil Gil"
This event will also include a performance by the Guitarra Sin Fronteras. This is a special event by one of the biggest musical names in Yucatan.
Location: Teatro Fantasio, inside Parque Hidalgo on Calle 60 x 59
Time: 8:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free
Concert: Jesus Armando
The title of this performance is "A Very Mexican Yucatan." The voice is a "must hear."
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free
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.
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 09, 2014
Movie: Nenek
(Mexico 2014) Here generations of people gather in the Huasteca. Grandparents pass down their legacy to parents, and they do the same to children who have moved away. Here no time passes. In Spanish.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Classical Music by the Baroque Music Company and the Ars Musicum Ensemble
There will be several of these performances throughout October, November and December.
Location: Yucatan Regional Museum (Palacio Canton), Paseo de Montejo x 41
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Anthology of Silent Films: La Dolce Vita (The Sweet Life)
(Italy 1961). Director: Federico Fellini. Starring Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg. This film is famous! Enjoy the fabulous actors, director and Italy in the Sixties.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Gala Concert: Sergio Esquivel
If you have to choose one event this entire month, this is it. Sergio Esquivel is a legend in his own time. Do not miss this performance.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Contemporary Dance: Reyna Candelaria Cruz "Candy Cruz"
Latinoamerica, Flower of the Spirit. Includes performances by Lia Campos, Tania Linares, Nazaret Flota, Sergio Borges, Esteban Leon, Jorge Tamayo, Jade Castro, Ambar Castro, Wendy Cruz and Fernando de Regil.
Location: Teatro Armando Manzanero, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Movie: Walesa
(Poland 2013) The depiction of the life of the Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of Poland's Solidarity movement, Lech Walesa, as events in the 1970's lead to a peaceful revolution. In Polish with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: In The Mood for Love
(Hong Kong 2000) Two neighbors, a woman and a man, form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs. In Cantonese with Spanish subtitles.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Friday (Viernes) October 10 , 2014
Movie: Halley
(Mexico 2012) Alberto is dead and can no longer hide it. Make-up and perfume can no longer conceal his quickly decomposing body. Dismayed, he decides to withdraw from the world. But before surrendering to his living death, Alberto forms an unusual friendship with Luly, the manager of the 24-hour gym where he works as a night guard. In Spanish.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro,
Time: 5:00 PM Friday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Anthology of Silent Films: El Ultimo (The Last)
(Germany 1924). Director: F.W. Murnau. Starring: Emil Jannings, Kurt Hiller, Emelie Kurtz and Hans Unterkirchen. This is the first film in which the camera moved. It tells how the doorman of a luxury hotel, a proud old man who is respected by all, is sharply degraded when he loses his job to a young boy. He has lost his identity and this is the story of his attempts to regain his self respect as his life slowly falls apart.
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
Inauguration of the Exposition: El Arte del Polo (Photography)
Opening of an exhibit of the work of Maestro Mark Swain, local photographer who has been photographing polo for a few years now. Felicidades, Mark!
Location: Centro Cultural Jose Marti / Parque de Las Americas, Av Colon x Calle 20
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Popular Music: Wendy Argaez
Merida, I am to be your present for tonight.
Location: Teatro Fantasio, inside Parque Hidalgo on Calle 60 x 59
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Concert: Felipe Serrano
Spain and Yucatan as seen through the music of Zarzuela (light opera).
Location: Teatro Daniel Ayala, Calle 60 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Tribute to Cacho Medina
Please do come and share this 30th anniversary with Cacho Medina. He is truly one of Yucatan's treasured performers.
Location: Teatro Jose Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Opening of Art Exhibits
Sala 1: Evolution of Ruben Calderiuz
Sala 2: Ichthys, the sign of the fisherman by Enrique Trava
Sala 3: My Foreign Destination by Ralf Walter
Location: at the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Movie: Searching for Sugar Man
(Sweden/ UK 2013) Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez. In Englsih with Spanish subtitles. Award winning documentary.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro, Open Air Cinema.
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: Clerks
(USA 1994) A day in the lives of two convenience clerks named Dante and Randal as they annoy customers, discuss movies, and play hockey on the store roof. In English.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Saturday (Sabado) October 11, 2014
Movie: Fata Morgana
(Germany 1970) Footage shot in and around the Sahara Desert, accompanied only by a spoken creation myth and the songs of Leonard Cohen. In German with Spanish subtitles. Cool, man...
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: Diary of a Lost Girl
(Germany 1929). Director: G.W. Pabst. Starring Louise Brooks, Andre Roanne, Josef Ravensky, Fritz Rasp, Vera Pawlowa, Franziska Kinz and Arnold Korff. Thymiane Henning, an innocent young girl, is raped by the clerk of her father's pharmacy. She becomes pregnant, is rejected by her family, and must fend for herself in a harsh, cruel world. Louise Brooks was a big star in the 20's... watch this and find out why.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Concert: Yanina y Rachel
When Yanina y Rachel sing in Merida, we know the holidays cannot be far away. This duo has long had one of the most popular shows in Yucatan.
Location: Teatro Fantasio, inside Parque Hidalgo on Calle 60 x 59
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Popular Music: Victor Martinez
A tribute to 30 years in entertainment: Sounds of Soul.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Movie: Fervor Infantilista
(Mexico 2013) For 20 years, the director recorded what happened at the tomb of Pedro Infante on the day commemorating his death. The myths continue. Some would swear to have seen him or seen his double, all Mexicans have fond memories of Pedro Infante, a Mexican movie star who died in a plane crash in Merida. In Spanish.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro, Open Air Cinema.
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: Incendies
(Canada 2010) Twins journey to the Middle East to discover their family history, and fulfill their mother's last wishes. In French 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 12, 2014
Documentary About Nature
Location: Museum of Natural History, Calle 59 next to the Zoo.
Time: 12:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Classical Ballet: Peter and the Wolf
Featured Performer: Alma Rosa Cota. Yes, the holidays have officially begun and we can look for more of these great performances throughout the next few months.
Location: Teatro Armando Manzanero, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 6:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Jazz: Mauricio Bonfiglio
Jazzeando 1990 This will be a performance by the best of the best Jazz musicians in Yucatan.
Location: Teatro Fantasio, Inside Parque Hidalgo on Calle 60 x 59
Time: 8:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Closing Concert: Orquestra Tipica Yukalpeten
Mexico Forever. Please do come and see this concert. There is no other orchestra like this one and the voices that accompany them are phenomenal.
Location: Teatro Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57
Time: 8:30 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Movie: No Country for Old Men
(USA 2007) Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande. In English with a bad haircut.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Monday (Lunes) October 13, 2014
No Events Planned for Today (so far, that we know of...)
Coming Soon
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
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
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
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).
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!
