Merida Events: Christmas Approaches
This Week... starting December 15, 2014
NEW: Free Light Show at Chichen Itza: December 11 – 19
These Nights of Kukulcan light and sound shows will feature a huge ceiba on the side of the pyramid, and will artificially bring the Feathered Serpent down the side of the staircase. There will also be a representation of the ball game, as well as the underworld filled with skulls. The show is free without passes from December 11 – 19, and will continue to be free with passes from Ticketmaster after that.
Location: The Castle of Chichen Itza
Time: 7:00 PM and 9:00 PM
Admission: Free
Christmas in “La Plancha” December 12 – January 6
This is a wonderful, “Viva la Navidad!” celebration for the family and kids. It includes mechanical games, live shows and a Christmas Village.
Location: In the Old Train Station in Merida, Calle 43 x 48 y 46, Centro
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM, with special circus shows on December 25, January 1, and January 6 at 5:00 PM, 7:00 PM, and 9:00 PM.
Admission: Free
Merida Fest: The 473rd Anniversary of the City of Merida (January 6 – 27)
Every year, three weeks in January mark a huge celebration in honor of the birthday of the City of Merida. This event is called Merida Fest and is designed to bring together all of the people and cultures in Merida. We are blessed to enjoy one of the most peaceful big cities in the world, with one of the most complex populations. No matter the topic: food, music, ethnicity, age and even religion, Merida has it all and manages, without discrimination, to continue to celebrate our complex society as one of our greatest strengths. What that translates to, for visitors and residents alike, is three weeks of cultural events and entertainment that is found nowhere else. Stay with us here at Yucatan Living as we bring you the dazzling array of events that will take place during Merida Fest.
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 2015.
In The City
Monday (Lunes) December 15, 2014
Violin Recital: Students of Edwin Schrip of Centro Cultural Wallis
This is one of the best schools, we think, in the world! This should be a great performance.
Location: Centro Cultural Jose Marti / Parque de las Americas, Garcia Gineres
Time: 7:00 PM Monday
Admission: Free
Tuesday (Martes) December 16, 2014
Tuesday of Trova
This week the trio will keep traditional trova alive and fresh for yet another audience.
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:30 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Movie: Much Ado About Nothing
(USA 2012) A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words. In English.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free
Wednesday (Miercoles) December 17, 2014
Movie: The Last Movie
(USA 2013) A famous American filmmaker travels to the Yucatán to scout locations for his last movie. The Mayan Apocalypse intercedes. In Italian with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, centro of Merida
Time: 5:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: Upstream Color
(2013 USA) A man and woman are drawn together, entangled in the life cycle of an ageless organism. Identity becomes an illusion as they struggle to assemble the loose fragments of wrecked lives. This movie premiered at Sundance, and was shown at South by Southwest. And now you can see it here! In English
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) December 18, 2014
Movie: Twenty Feet From Stardom
(USA 2013) This is a tribute to the background singers, who are on stage, but are secondary compared to the famous singers they support. Their voices provide harmony to the best bands in popular music. In English.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: Suspected
(UK 2010) A young man awakes to find himself facing a real life nightmare. Accused of murder, he must fight to prove his innocence. In English with Spanish subtitles.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
An Evening with Christopher Collins Lee and His Violin
Tonight, you will have the opportunity to hear one of the great violinists of our time perform and talk about his life, his violin, and the music he will perform. The evening begins in the restaurant and continues in the small hall where the ISQY normally performs. Christopher travels around the world performing, but he always returns to Merida. A great opportunity... don't miss it!
Location: Hacienda Xcanatun, on the road to Progreso
Time: 7:30 PM Thursday
Admission: $850 pesos per person: includes wine, meal and concert.
Valladolid English Library: Los Cholombianos - Mexican Street Style from Monterrey
Amanda Watkins spent four years traveling between London and Monterrey to document this cultural subgroup. Now, this London designer's work has been published in a book (Cholombianos). This should be a very interesting lecture.
Location: Xoco Loco in Casa Hamaca, Valladolid
Time: 7:45 PM Thursday
Admission: $50 peso donation, with both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available for purchase at Xoco Loco in Casa Hamaca.
Classical Music by the Baroque Music Company and the Ars Musicum Ensemble
This is the last performance of this wonderful event.
Location: Cathedral of Merida
Time: 8:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Movie: Party Girl
(France 2014) An aging nightclub hostess decides to settle down and get married. In French with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: Festen
(Germany 1998) At Helge's 60th birthday party, some unpleasant family truths are revealed. In English with Spanish subtitles.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free
Friday (Viernes) December 19, 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
Lizard Joe’s Christmas Party
From Lizard Joe: “Join us for a night of glamour and dancing at Lizard Joes. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us this year. Please join us for an evening of romantic music, think Frank Sinatra and the Big Band Sound. There will be a special guest appearence from Naomi Murphy who will sing some wonderful songs from back in the day. So put on your glad rags, break out the bling and get ready to be razzled and dazzled at our special Christmas dance. Snacks provided, also Lizard Joes will be offering a special menu for the evening. This is a ticket only event. Tickets just 50 pesos each. They will be on sale from Casa Rosa, Lizard Joes, Denise Wittman Hanson Cindy Morrissey and Dany Hibner Ream also from Paws on the Beach Vet Center. Tickets on sale from 6th December. There will also be a silent auction and a raffle.”
Location: Calle 17-I 24 y 26 Chelem, Yucatan Gulf Coast
Phone: 999 18 18 756
Time: 6:00 PM Friday
Admission: $50 pesos
Christmas Party at La Barca in Chelem
La Barca’s official Christmas Party is on December 19, featuring Los Twangs. They will also have a night of Jazz with the one and only Cony Ancona on December 26.
Location: Calle 21 # 1049, 97233 Chelem, YUC, Mexico
Time: 6:00 PM Friday
Admission: No Cover
Phone: +52 999 199 5314
International String Quartet of Yucatan
This wonderful quartet continues its fourth season with music by Corelli, Purcell, Albinoni, Britten and Mozart.
Location: Hacienda Xcanatun, on the road to Progreso
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Please call Hacienda Xcanatun to make a reservation: 930-2140.
Movie: Remember
(UK 1993) Directed by John Herzfeld. In English.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Movie: The Priest's Children
(Serbia 2012) A young priest gets an idea to pierce condoms before they are sold in order to increase the birth rate of his island. In Serbian 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 Big Lebowski
(USA 1998) "The Dude" Lebowski, mistaken for a millionaire Lebowski, seeks restitution for his ruined rug and enlists his bowling buddies to help get it. In English.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free
Saturday (Sabado) December 20, 2014
Merida English Library - Saturday Lecture Series
• December 20 (Winter Solstice): What are labyrinths, how are they used? Offsite; attendance limited to 15 persons. Make your reservations by calling the library.
• December 27: Christmas weekend. No program.
• January 3: New Year’s weekend. No program.
Location: Merida English Library, Calle 53 x 66 y 68
Time: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM Saturday
Admission: free
Movie: Cutie and the Boxer
(SA 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 English and Japanese with Spanish subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: Tormented
(USA 2011) Plagued by a series of apocalyptic visions, a young husband and father questions whether to shelter his family from a coming storm, or from himself. In English with Spanish subtitles.
Location: Videosala of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
International String Quartet of Yucatan
This wonderful quartet continues its fourth season with music by Corelli, Purcell, Albinoni, Britten and Mozart.
Location: Hacienda Xcanatun, on the road to Progreso
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Please call Xcanatun to make a reservation: 930-2140.
Spectacular Folkloric Dance Event
This performance includes both the adult and youth folkloric ballet companies of the Ayuntamiento de Merida, as well as two groups from Estampas Mexicanas: Nuevo Leon and Chihuahua. It is the purpose of Estampas Mexicanas to make certain that every state in Mexico is able to enjoy the folkloric traditions of every other state. So look for a wonderful performance here tonight.
Location: Esplanade of the Cathedral
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Movie: Bad Hair
A nine-year-old boy's preening obsession with straightening his hair elicits a tidal wave of homophobic panic in his hard-working mother. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $35 pesos, $15 pesos students
Movie: Pulp Fiction
(USA 1994) The lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption. In English.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free
Sunday (Domingo), December 21, 2014
Documentary about Nature
Great documentaries, specially for children. In Spanish.
Location: Museo de Historia Natural, Next to the Zoo on Calle 59.
Time: 12:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Note: BiciRuta Montejo Route Temporarily Suspended. December 7 – January 11
All other BiciRuta routes will function as usual. Check here for more information.
December Gypsy Market
This could be the biggest Gypsy Market yet. It is being held in conjunction with Natural Thangs Garden Center, just 100 meters further west. Food will be served at either venue, Anita’s German sausage and Pablo’s famous breakfast burritos to name but two. Artists and artisans from everywhere will be there, as well as bazaar items to be sold to aid local charities.
Location: Graciela’s Secret Garden, midway between Chelem and Chuburna.
Time: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Movie: Masculine-Femenine
(France 1966) Paul is young, just demobbed from national service in the French Army, and dishillusioned with civilian life. As his girlfriend builds herself a career as a pop singer, Paul becomes more isolated from his friends and peers ('the children of Marx and Coca Cola', as the credits announce) and their social and emotional politics. In English.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Sunday
Admission: Free
Monday (Lunes) December 22, 2014
International Women’s Club: Gorro Girls Knitting & Crocheting “bee”
Dates: Second and Fourth Mondays
This group makes caps for the Cancer Kids of Hospital O’Horan. Knitting and crocheting instruction is available from members.
Location: Merida English Library (MEL) patio
Time: 10:00 AM Mondays
Admission: Free
Coming Soon
Yucadanz: Monthly Contra Dance in Merida - First Dance: Saturday, January 10
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, February 14, 2015
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Saturday, April 11, 2015
International Open Chess Tournament "GM Carlos Torre Repetto" In Memoriam XXVI edition
This big chess tournament will be held from 18 to 22 December 2014, with the support of various institutions, including the Board of Carlos Torre Repetto GM Chess, Chess Players Association of the State, the State Government of Yucatan, Municipal Government of Merida, the National Chess Federation of Mexico, AC and various private companies. Not sure yet about location. More at their website here.
“My Sister’s Closet” 5th Annual Fashion Show: At the Hop - January 29
The Fashion Show Committee needs your gently used summer clothing for the Boutique. Even one outfit will help! Little by little we "fill the closet" from which we choose the 36 model outfits, selling the rest to the 180 women who attend. If you have clothing to donate, please contact these wonderful volunteers: Chelem: Frances Cummings cummings_fh@yahoo.ca, Chuburna: Chris Parkin ucatanchris@gmail.com, Progreso: Diane Clinton dminerdc@gmail.com, Chicxulub: Karen Cloutier klcloutier@hotmail.com. Without this clothing, the event, in support of El Programa de Apoyo Escolar de Chuburná Puerto, would not happen. Thanks on behalf of the students and their families!
Location: TBA
Time: TBA
Admission: TBA
Merida English Library Saturday Lecture Series: October – March
• January 10: Popol Vuh – the Maya creation story and more. Miguel Angel Vergara.
• January 17: Writers’ Workshop. John Gray.
• January 24: The history of the Yucatan-Cuba connection. Peter Johnson.
• January 31: Mexican history: A hero and a villain: Juarez and Diaz. George Ashley.
• February 7: Eldercare Choices in the US. Catherine Hawes & Charles Phillips.
• February 14: Valentine’s Day & Carnival weekend. No program.
• February 21: MEL Artist Studio Tour. No lecture.
• February 28: Mexican wines – discussion and limited tasting. Elliot Diaz. Attendance limited. Admission 100 pesos.
• March 7: TBA
• March 14: TBA
Location: Merida English Library
Time: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Admission: Most lectures are free, some have a nominal fee
CHILI COOK OFF UPDATE Date: January 25
Invitation from MEL: Dust off your greatest Chili Recipe and sign up for the Premier Event of the Year when the competition is on for the Chili Cooking Crown at MEL’s Annual Chili Cook Off – 2015 Edition.
The event will take place on January 25, Sunday, 1 – 4 PM. Lots more details to come but don’t delay, Chili Chefs should register now to ensure your spot in the cook off. Competition is brisk! If you have a big pot and a good recipe, please sign up at the library or contact us at: MELchilicookoff@gmail.com. Now’s your chance to show off your chefability. Also, HELP NEEDED! They also need about 15 people to be general volunteers the day of the event -- setting up tables, selling beverages and helping keep things tidy. Go to www.meridaenglishlibrary.com to volunteer.
Benefit Concert for educate Yucatan, A.C.: Steve Katz - January 29
Steve Katz is a founding member of Blood, Sweat & Tears, and a member of the original Blues Project. We hope you will be there for an acoustic evening of story and song.
Location: Teatro Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Calle 60 x 59 y 57, Merida
Time: 7:00 PM
Admission: Donation of $250 pesos
Tickets: Available at www.educateyucatan.org and at cells: 999 995-3769 & 999 260-1922
VI Full Moon Jazz Festival - February 15
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: 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Admission: Free but please come prepared to purchase food and drinks, and to maybe 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!
