Yucatan Living

Merida Events: Valladolid & Merida

20 January 2014 Events 2

This Week... starting January 20, 2014

Merida Fest Fiesta: January 5 through 31
For the 472nd Anniversary of the City of Merida, there will be 220 shows (virtually all of them free!), featuring 2,000 artists, and cultural offerings from 13 countries. Here in our regular weekly events column. For more information, the full program for MeridaFest is online.

Temax Fiesta: Last week in January
This fiesta is in honor of Virgen de la Purisima Concepción. This year, it begins on Saturday, January 24th. Temax is located a couple of small municipalities inland from the beach, at about the center of our coastline. They are close enough to the beach that turtles are listed as part of the wildlife found there. Of the 3,231 folks who live in Temax, 2,392 are Mayans and Mayan is the principal language spoken there. Temax has some of the most exciting recent (20th century) history in all of Yucatan. Read about it here.

Valladolid: Candelaria Fiesta: January 24 through February 9
This fiesta is one of the most important fiestas in the state. It is held in honor of Mary, mother of Jesus, to confirm that, for Catholics, Jesus is the Light of the World, and it also marks the time when the chicle workers returned from months of hard work in the forests. And it honors the beekeepers and other farmers. All events focus on the community and the family unit. The fiesta eventually grew so large that it began causing damage to the city itself, so it was moved to a commercial area, Los Gavilanes, which is in the outlying suburbs of Valladolid. Candles are still lit to the Virgin in the annex of the Church of the Candlemas. While no one was paying attention, this sleepy little rodeo town grew into a commercial and industrial giant and, with the elevation of Chichen Itza to the status of One of the Seven New Wonders of the World, Valladolid has become a tourist mecca. Visit Valladolid’s website in Valladolid. For more, visit Valladolid’s wiki page and click on the great links at the bottom.

Ongoing Exhibits in the City This Season

Exhibition by Vicente Razo: December 7 – Febuary 28
This is an exhibition brought to Merida by the Palacio Nacional in Mexico City. This artist includes rewritten or transported texts from the Palacio Nacional murals and texts by a number of well known writers.
Location: Galeria Manolo Rivero / Muro 51, Calle 51 x 60, Centro (Santa Lucia)
Time: 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Admission: Free

Visual Arts: Immortality and Passion
This exhibition is of the sculpture of Humberto Peraza. This is a great day to walk down Paseo de Montejo and enjoy these pieces along the way.
Location: Paseo de Montejo
Time: All Day during the Birthday Celebration
Admission: Free

In The City

Monday (Lunes) January 20, 2014

Martin Luther King Day: U.S. National Holiday

Exposition: Yanba’axtáan u jumwaye’
This title translates to “Something is Ringing Here”. The description says that it is a panorama of sound expressions.
Location: Centro Cultural del Niño Yucateco, Calle 59 x 50
Time: 10:00 AM
Admission: Free

Movie: Othello
This is part of the series called Shakespeare on Film.
Location: Videosala del Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61 Centro
Time: 8:00 PM Monday
Admission: Free

Tuesday (Martes) January 21, 2014

No events today that we can see! Take a breather...

 

Wednesday (Miercoles) January 22, 2014

Movie: TBD
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

Concert: Suigenerislab 2013
This performance is under the direction of Elijah Puc, 2012 founder of Suigenerislab. If any program exemplifies the serious love and dedication of Yucatan to the care and nurturing of young composers, this is it. This program is an incubator for talented young Mexican composers, where they are also are able to work with composers of international renown. It is the existence of programs like this that are the foundation for Yucatan’s long history of producing composers that are beloved around the world.
Location: Auditorium of the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61 Col. Centro
Time: 8:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Concert: The Colors of My Soul: Nancy Mas
This lady has one of Merida’s favorite voices. Go for an evening of great song!
Location: Centro Cultural Obrero, Col. Cordemex
Time: 8:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Movie: Henry V
This is part of the series called Shakespeare on Film.
Location: Videosala del Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61 Centro
Time: 8:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Dance: Nature
This performance is by the Al Sur Danza Company.
Location: Teatro Armando Manzanero, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Music: Báaxal Jazz
This performance is under the direction of Christian Morales Venegas. This band plays a variety of Jazz styles, all favorites throughout Yucatan.
Location: Calle 60 x 51, Centro (Santa Lucia)
Time: 8:30 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Music: Sui Géneris. Mérida Bossa Lounge & Chillout Fussion, María Teresa Gómez in Conciert
This performance will be just what it says it is… the best lounge music you have ever heard, with a mix of flavors from Yucatan and Argentina. This performance would be high on our list of performances to see this week.
Location: Central Patio del Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 9:00 PM Tuesday
Admission: Free

Movie: TBD

Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

 

Thursday (Jueves) January 23, 2014

Movie: Armadillo
(Denmark 2010) In February 2009 a group of Danish soldiers accompanied by documentary filmmaker Janus Metz arrived at Armadillo, an army base in the southern Afghan province of Helmand.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

Movie: Forbidden Planet.
This movie is part of a series entitled Shakespeare in the Movies. No version, date, or country of origin is given.
Location: Videosala del Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

Music: The Goldberg Variations
This is a performance by Ensamble Quo Vadis, under the direction of Pavel Blaszkowski.
Location: Teatro Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Calle 60 x 57 Col. Centro
Time: 8:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

Music: Music for the End of Time
This performance, by Ensamble Siquerios, should be excellent.
Location: Auditorio del Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61 Centro
Time: 8:30 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

Movie: Dans La Maison
(2012 France) A sixteen-year-old boy insinuates himself into the house of a fellow student from his literature class and writes about it in essays for his French teacher. Faced with this gifted and unusual pupil, the teacher rediscovers his enthusiasm for his work, but the boy's intrusion will unleash a series of uncontrollable events. Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $30 pesos plus free popcorn

Dance: Nature
This performance is by the Al Sur Danza Company.
Location: Teatro Armando Manzanero, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Wednesday
Admission: Free

Music: Manao
This is a type of Jazz that has evolved from the music of the Canary Islands. It is popular in both Cuba and Mexico.
Location: Plaza Grande, Calle 62 x 61
Time: 8:00 PM Thursday
Admission: Free

Movie: The Lords of Salem
(2012 USA) Heidi, a radio DJ, is sent a box containing a record -- a "gift from the Lords." The sounds within the grooves trigger flashbacks of her town's violent past. Is Heidi going mad, or are the Lords back to take revenge on Salem, Massachusetts?
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $30 pesos plus free popcorn

Movie:Like Father, Like Son
(Japan 2013) Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. When he learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth, he must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Thursday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

 

Friday (Viernes) January 24, 2014

Exposition: Yanba’axtáan u jumwaye’
This title translates to “Something is Ringing Here” The description says that it is a panorama of sound expressions.
Location: Centro Cultural del Niño Yucateco, Calle 59 x 50
Time: 10:00 AM

Admission: Free

Music: Festival Synesthesia
This is the second edition of this Festival of Independent Music and Arts. It is a multidisciplinary festival that brings the independent culture of Merida together with music shows, a bazaar, art and film. It is under the direction of Jairo Cohuo.
Location: Remate de Montejo x 47
Time: 3:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

Movie: Sins from My Father
(Argentina, 2009) This is the incredible story of Pablo Escobar, the infamous boss of Colombia's Medellin drug cartel, told for the very first time by his son, Sebastian and his widow Maria Isabel Santos.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Friday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

Music: From Yucatan Blood
This is a performance by Merida favorite Marisela Vargas.
Location: Teatro Felipe Carrillo Puerto, Calle 60 x 57 Centro
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

Gastronomy | The Popular Verbena Drink
This event is probably going to be in Spanish, but do check out the web pages of the experts who will be participating: Zahie Téllez, Jose Ramón Castillo, https://www.facebook.com/JoseRaCastilloQueBoOficial Pati Jinich and Aquiles Chávez. One of these famous chefs has a specialty in chocolate and the others are star chefs with television shows.
Location: Remate de Montejo x 47
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

Movie: The Secret Of Kells
(2009 France) The animated story of the boy behind the famed Book of Kells.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Friday
Admission: $30 pesos plus free popcorn

Movie: The Man Who Lived in a Shoe
(Mexico 2010) This is the true story of a man, Jose Luis "El Guero" Robles Gil. It is also a story of reality versus imagination, love and madness, plus the opening and closing of the eyes: of a life poised almost at the border of fantasy. It is the story of a man who lived in a shoe, and the story of the woman who accompanied him, once upon a time.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

Movie: The Grandmaster
(2013 China) The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Friday
Admission: $30 pesos plus free popcorn

Dance: Irrational Numbers
This will be a great event to attend. The Tumàka't Contemporary Dance Company will perform in a wonderful venue.
Location: Parque de Santiago 72 x 59
Time: 8:00 PM Friday
Admission: Free

 

Saturday (Sabado) January 25, 2014

Native Plants of Yucatan
Come learn about native tress from Yucatan with biologist Jorge Trejo.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro

Time: 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $70 pesos, $35 pesos students

Movie: One Man Village
(Lebannon, 2009) Semaan is leading a quiet life on his farm in the small village of Ain al-Halazoun in the Lebanese mountains. The hamlet was completely emptied and destroyed in combats during the civil war in Lebanon between 1975 and 1990. Today, many years after an official reconciliation, its inhabitants, who are all from one family, regularly go back to the village to cultivate their plots of land or visit their houses and always leave before sunset.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro

Time: Noon Saturday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

Music: Electronic Festival
This performance is under the direction of Rodrigo Novelo “Tribi”.
Location: Parque de las Americas, Av. Colon x Calle 20 Centro
Time: 5:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Night of Cultures: Tarima Maya
Tarima Maya: Inspirations of the Popol Vuh, a trip to the Maya Ancestral Estate.
Presentation: World and Consciousness (Yóko'ol Kaab Yéetel Na'at)
II Festival Kuxtal Yoókol Kaab Maya Maya (Maya World Lives)
Represented by Ú Iinalo'ob Itza (Mayan Dancers of Opichén), Saasil Juum (Sounds of Light), and Zompantlí (Music played with prehispanic instruments).

Location: Plaza Grande, Calle 62 x 61 Centro
Admission: Free

Movie: Heartbeats
(2010 Canada ) The story of three close friends who are involved in a love-triangle.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $30 pesos plus free popcorn

Movie: King Lear
This movie is part of a series entitled Shakespeare in the Movies. No version, date, or country of origin is given.
Location: Videosala del Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61 Centro
Time: 8:00 PM Saturday
Admission: Free

Night of Cultures
9:00 PM: Meeting Francisco de Montejo
9:30 PM – Kaambal Folkloric Dance Company: Life in the Mayab
10:30 PM – Korean Ballet and Taiko Drums of Nahoko Kobayashi
Location: Plaza Grande, Calle 62 x 61 Centro
Admission: Free

Movie: Experimental Eskimos
(Canada 2009) In the early 1960s the Canadian government conducted an experiment in social engineering. Three young Inuit boys were separated from their families in the Arctic and were sent to Ottawa, the nation's capital, to live with white families and to be educated in white schools. The consequences the experiment would have on the boys, their identity and culture was brushed aside. The bureaucrats did not anticipate the outcome.
Location: LA 68, Calle 68 at Calle 55, Centro
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $30 pesos, $15 pesos students

Movie: Laurence Anyways
(2012 Canada) A drama that charts ten years in the relationship of a male-to-female transsexual's relationship with her lover.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Saturday
Admission: $30 pesos plus free popcorn

 

Sunday (Domingo) January 26, 2014

MEL’s Eco-Park Safaris Sundays
Join Cherie Pittillo, renowned zoologist, photographer, author and columnist, in a tour of 3 Ecological Parks of Mérida; the Parque Acuático, the Kai Lu Um Park (Maya for “song of the earth”) and the Parque Ecológico del Poniente. It begins with an introduction at the Library and maps and special directions for the drivers will be distributed. The tour takes around 5 hours and is, in total, a 26-mile round trip from MEL. The tour will afford you the opportunity to observe and photograph the flora and fauna of the area, including birds such as: Northern Jacana, Black-necked Stilt, Great Egret and Couch's Kingbird. Don’t forget your binoculars, cameras, hats, comfortable walking shoes, insect repellent, sunscreen lotion and water.
Location: Begins at the Library
Time: 6:30 AM
Admission: $200 pesos per person. Capacity limited to 17 per tour, so sign up early. They need 4 private cars that can take 4 to 5 persons. If you offer to drive your car, you get the tour free of charge.

Documentary about Nature
Always a great documentary about nature. A great place to bring your kids.

Location: Museo de Historia Natural, Calle 59 x Av. Itzaes

Time: 12:00 PM Sunday

Admission: Free

Impulsur: Artesanias

This will be a show of artesanias by women from the southern area of the Yucatan Peninsula. Please come and see what they have to sell and support their efforts! For more information, contact Katherine at kasturgill@gmail.com
Location: Office of the Fundación Plan Estragético de Yucatán (next to Parque de las Americas), C. 21 Ave. Colón . 197-A between 18 and 16 in García Ginerés

Time: 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Sunday
Admission: Free, but bring money to buy beautiful things!

Music: Mendelssohn, Schubert and Beethoven
The group that will be performing was not listed, but the director for this event is Luis Luna, the director of the Yucatan Youth Symphonic Band. That means this will be a great performance and one that everyone should attend.
Location: Jose Peon Contreras, Calle 60 x 57

Time: 6:00 PM

Admission: Free

Hotel Zamna: Rickshaw and Rice Evening

This special occasion features a three course dinner and one of Hotel Zamna’s famous prize quizzes.
Location: Hotel Zamna, Calle 72

Time: Doors open at 7:30 PM, Dinner Served: 8:00 PM
Admission: Tickets priced at $150 pesos are available from the hotel reception, limited to 30 guests.

Movie: Before Midnight
(2013 USA) We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 7:00 PM Sunday
Admission: $30pesos plus free popcorn and coffee.

Movie: A Band Called Death
(2012 USA) A documentary on the 1970s punk trio Death, and their new-found popularity decades after they disbanded.
Location: Cairo Cinema, Calle 20 #98A x 15 y 17, Colonia Itzimná
Time: 9:00 PM Sunday
Admission: $30pesos plus free popcorn and coffee.

Monday (Lunes) January 27

Concha Buika in Concert
Concha Buika is a Spanish singer and Grammy nominee. She was born in Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands in Spain, and has worked with Yucatan’s own, beloved, Armando Manzanero. She sings in Spanish, Catalan, English, French and Portuguese. This should be quite a performance.
Location: Plaza Grande, Calle 62 x 61

Time: 8:00 PM
Admission: Free

Music: Sonoreando of Mexico (sings) to Havana
This performance, featuring the Voices Without Borders Choir, is under the direction of Carlos Tello.
Location: Central Patio f the Olimpo, Calle 62 x 61

Time: 9:00 PM
Admission: Free

 

Coming Soon

Maná in Concert: February 8, 2014
This great rock and roll band will be opening the new Coliseo in Merida... if you love rock and roll, don't miss this!

Location: Coliseo Yucatan, Merida

Time: TBA

Admission: Tickets at www.boletea.com start at $660 pesos

2nd Annual Artist Studio Tour Saturday, February 15
Hosted by the Merida English Library. Step inside the homes and studios of over 20 artists and see where creativity lives. Many of these artists are well represented in galleries, but the MEL Artist Studio Tour is the only time their working spaces will be open to the public. Be your own guide and plan your day with the artists who interest you most. Walk, bike, drive, bus, or taxi your way around Merida, and fall in love with the city and her artists. Each artist will have pieces for sale. Space is limited, so buy your tickets soon – or you’ll have to wait until next year for this once a year opportunity!
Locations: Various Artists' Studios. Be Your Own Guide.
Time: Hours TBA
Admission: Tickets are only 200 pesos and will be on sale starting January 17 at the following: Merida English Library (Mon-Fri 9am - 1pm, Mon Eve 6:30 - 9:00; Sat 10 - 1pm), Calle 53 x 66 y 68, Centro Habla, The Centre for Language and Culture (Mon-Fri 8:30am-2:30pm, Sat 10am-2pm), Calle 26 No. 99-B x 19 y 21, Colonia México SlowFood Market (Saturday mornings), Calle 33 y Avenida Reforma (Calle 72), García Ginerés

Merida Music Festival - March 29, 2014 Location: Hacienda Dzibikak Time: 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM Admission: Tickets are available at Hennessy’s Irish Pub in Paseo Montejo and La Bierhaus in Colonia México. Normal price: $250 pesos, Presale price: $200 pesos, VIP ticket: $1000 pesos – Food and drinks included in special viewing area, and Children under 12: FREE Sell Your Wares: Stands prices are as follows - Arts and crafts - MX$1,000 Non-alcoholic drinks (coffee, etc), desserts (ice creams etc) - $2,000 Hot food (burgers, hot dogs, etc) and alcoholic drinks - $3,000 Stands are limited and will be taken on a first come first serve basis so that no 2 are alike (ie only 1 burger stand, etc)
More Information: Merida Music Festival http://meridamusicfestival.com/ The email is: info@haciendadzibikak.com and the phone numbers are: 988-933-0006 or 999-245-7562. Or talk to Sean Hennessy at Hennessy's.

Fourth Season of Opera at the Movies
February 1st, La NOZZE di FIGARO by Mozart March 8, ANNA BOLENA by Donizetti April 26, DON PASQUALE by Donizetti May 3, Wagner’s Bicentennial - TRISTAN und ISOLDE. “The Ring of the Nibelung” by Wagner will be shown at the end of the 4th season.
Location: Sala Mayamax del Gran Museo del Mundo Maya.
Time: Opera Talk: 11:30 AM, Film: 12:00 PM
Admission: Free

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!

Events