Fiestas, January through Easter 2024

January 1 New Year’s Day parade .. Begins at 6 Corners around 1pm going down o'campo then up Galeana to Zaragoza, then down Colon to Malecon Ajijic where there be a fundraiser kermes for people who are ill and need help. There will be a futbal game in west Ajijic soccer field where there is a yearly futbal game between the seis esquinas rivals in the afternoon.

January 1 Chapala Kayak Club Sunset Paddle  4pm Jan

Sunset paddle launch 4 pm arrive about 3.30 ish on the beach in front old posada in Ajijic,  100 feet east of Ajijic Malecon. On the 1st day of the year, Jan 1st 2024 you are invited to bring your "vessels" and join us to welcome the new year. This is an informal event. You can join for free, kayak with the Lake Chapala kayak club and everyone is welcome to participate! Must wear safety pdf and have own vessel, kayak, paddle board, canoe etc, and paddle. It will be easy slow   beautiful enjoyable sunset paddle for all levels of experience. Must wear a PDF or you will be asked to leave. Safety is our first concern.

Lake Chapala Kayak club meets every Thursday about 10.30 at old posada now called Tequila Bonanza restaurant for late breakfast after we come back from our paddle.

January 5th is when Three Kings Day will be celebrated at Plaza Ajijic. 5:30pm. Piñatas and Cakes.

January 6 is Three Kings Day (Los Tres Reyes) in Mexico. This is the day the children get gifts.

San Gaspar fiesta Jan 6, begins at 4:30 with a procession from Constitucion and Aldama, Ajijic, to San Andres Church with a 5pm mass.

Then return to San Gaspar barrio for pozole, music and and piñatas.

Folklorico dancing at 7pm

January 20th ... San Sebastian Day. Upper Ajijic, in the San Sebastian neighborhood, celebrates their saint, San Sebastian on , there is a big celebration on the corner of Zapata and Marcos Castellanos and collections are taken up usually the previous week as this is an event sponsored by this neighborhood. If you would like contribute, donate at the tienda on Marcos Castellanos and Zapata which bears the mural of the saint.

A special mass is held at the small chapel in the plaza in the morning followed by a procession to the celebration neighborhood of San Sebastian along with his statue. Then there is traditional food and fun starting around 1pm. The procession returns to the church to take San Sebastian back to the church approximately 4pm with more fun with Zayacos and Azteca Danzate groups and food ending up at the small chapel. They leave the saints neighborhood via Zapata to Javier Mina, then up Guadalupe Victoria. 

The crowd then proceeds back to the home corner where there will be a Cascarone mock battle – Cascarones being the decorated eggshells filled with confetti which are playfully utilized at fiestas and weekends. The fun continues into the night with mudic and dancing and cohetes.

Jan 28 Pre-Carnaval Sayaca Parades Begin...Dates are Sundays, Jan 28, Feb 4, Feb 10, 11, 12 usually around 11am beginning behind San Andres Church on Galeana.

Jan 28-Feb 13... Lienzo CharroAjijic Carnaval Begins: Days Are Jan 28, February 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, Bull Riding, Big Band and More. Entrance fees. Go to their Facebook page for more information Asociación de Charros Ajijic 

Feb. 2 ... Dia de Candelaria, celebrated with a special Mass and family parties.

Feb. 6 ... Dia de la Constitucion, which is a legal holiday, but there are no special parades or fiestas. A national holiday.

Northern Lights Festival Date: Sun, Feb 11, Through Feb 24, 2024

Tickets available at Centro para La Cultura y La Artes de la Ribera.
Located in La Floresta on the careterra. Carretera Chapala - Jocotepec 168 La Floresta.
Wednesday thru Friday 10-1
Facebook Page Click Here

February 14 ... Valentine’s Day, Flowers, Chocolates will be sold everywhere.

February 13 ... Mardi Gras is called Carnaval in Spanish - speaking countries. It literally means farewell to meat, carne val It falls this year on Tuesday, February 13, Sunday January 28, Feb 4, Feb 10-12 before Carnaval, there are small parades in the mornings 11am before Mardi Gras, beginning behind the San Andres church on Galeana, ending up at the Bull Ring on Revolucion.

There is also a night carnaval in Ajijic, the night of Mardi Gras. This parade raises money for people who have sick relatives and need medical assistance. Food is sold in the Ajijic Main Plaza after the parade and there are usually bands and lots of fun to be had. The parade is similiar to the on in the daytime, except no flour is thrown. Instead they throw confetti and candy to the crowd. This special fundraising parade began more than 7 years ago by the Ramos Brothers who own Manix. This parade begins on Constitucion and Galeana, goes west to 6 corners and returns on Hidalgo at 6pm.

The pre-Carnaval parades on Sundays before Marrdi Gras. The pre-Carnaval parades start around 11pm. There will also be Charro (cowboy) Association events in the afternoons after the parades.

The pre-Carnaval parades have a slightly different route, starting at the usual parade point at the east end of Constitucion, heading west to Galeana, up to Guadalupe Victoria, then west through the plaza, down to Hidalgo and 6 Corners where it loops around and comes all the way back down Ocampo and Constitucion to the Lienzo Charro on Revolucion.

Carnaval, Feb 13, the parade follows the usual route - Constitucion, from the bull ring, to Ocampo to 6 Corners, looping around back to the Ajijic Plaza. 10am.

Music Art and Dance on Plaza Ajijic Feria International Arte Ajijic
February 19-23, Music Art and Dance on Plaza Ajijic

Feb 19.
3pm Mariachi Juvenal
4 pm Inauguration of the Feria International Arte Ajijic
4:30 pm Mariachi Real Axixic
6 pm Ballet Folklorico

Feb 20, events to be announced

Feb 21
6pm Crem Students perform
7:30pm Ballet Folklorico

Feb 22
3pm Art Sale
6:30 pm Singer Tenor Ezequiel Ojeda
7:30 pm Concert Chapala Orchestra

Feb 23
5pm Trio Bohemias
7pm Ballet Folklorico
8:30 pm Closing of International Arte Ajijic Here is a video of past years. https://youtu.be/ZznENaG0dRc

Holy Week schedule  2024 Translated through Google 

Poster from Pasion de Cristo Ajijic

Schedule for 2024 

March 24 .. .Palm Sunday, Jesus riding the donkey into town for the Blessing of the Palms will be re-enacted with a large procession between 6 Corners and the San Andres church, past the plaza at 6:30pm. Calle hidalgo will be strewn with alfalfa (rather than palm fronds) and bougainvillea petals to honor the coming of Jesus. 

Fund-raising in the plaza, known as Verbena Jamaica from 4pm - 10pm, where you can buy unique food and drinks and a Mass at 7pm at the San Andres Church. The proceeds from this fundraiser are what helps pay for people in need.

At 9pm, all the lights in the Ajijic Plaza are extinguished for 30 minutes to emulate what it looked like 150 years ago. Only candles or other non electric lights are on.

March 28 ...  Maundy Thursday.. Foot washing at the volleyball court on malecon Ajijic, and the Last Supper will be held at San Andres Church Atrium at 7pm.

The Passion Play will feature scenes of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, staged in upper Ajijic in the hills at Tempisque. The procession begins at the volleyball court on the Ajijic malecon, enter at calle libertad and ninos heroes at approx 8:00pm, washing of the feet at 8:15.

Then up calle Libertad, hidalgo, aguiles serdan, to the foothill, calle tempisque for prayer and the apprehension at 9pm. There isno seating, only standing room. The Roman soldiers will come and take the Jesus character away, and a torch-lit procession proceeds down to the chapel in Ajijic, via calle emiliano zapata to colon, for the final scenes of the trial that night in the Ajijic Plaza 10pm.

March 29 ...  Good Friday Passion Play begins 11am, at the San Andres Church for the final trial of Jesus. The flaggelation will continue on calle parroquia.The crucifixion and the procession leading up to the Crucifixion of Jesus will be at calle tempisque. Route is parroquia, hidalgo, juarez, angel flores, tempisque to the foothill.The next 24 hours are a solemn time for observant Christians, which is most of the village, so please respect this tradition.

March 30 ...Fire Blessing at 8:30pm on malecon Ajijic. Route is ramon corona, marcos castellanos to the San Andres atrium.

9pm is the resurrection in the atrium.

March 31 ... A quiet day at home.