In addition to the national holidays and celebrations that will be observed during 2014, there will be all kinds of special happenings going on in the Lake Chapala area.
Here’s a glance at some of the traditional fiestas patronales honoring religious patrons and important saints, plus other major wingdings that will crop up over the next 12 months:
January 1: New Year’s Day parade – Ajijic.
January 6: Dia de Reyes (Epiphany) festivities.
January 7-19: Señor del Monte fiestas patronales – Jocotepec.*
January 17: San Antonio Abad festivity, blessing of domestic animals and pets.
January 20: San Sebastián fiesta – Ajijic.
February 2: Día de la Candelaria (Candlemas) blessing of infants, religious objects.
February 9-11: Nuestra Señora de Lourdes fiestas patronales – Chapala.
February 14-16: 36th Mexican National Chili Cookoff – Tobolandia.*
February 17-March 1: Scotiabank Northern Lights Music Festival 2014 – Ajijic.*
February 21-March 4: Carnaval (Mardi Gras) celebrations – Chapala, Ajijic.*
March 11-19: San José fiestas patronales – Jocotepec.
April 11: Virgen de Dolores (Virgin of Sorrows) altar displays.*
April 13: Palm Sunday Processions.*
April 17: Maundy Thursday, Passion Play sequences begin – San Antonio Tlayacapan, Ajijic, Jocotepec.*
April 18: Good Friday processions and Passion Plays*
April 19: Holy Saturday observances, late night Easter Vigil and Resurrection Mass, followed by burning of Judas effigies.*
April 23: Día Internacional del Libro (World Book Day), public reading of a famous book – Chapala.
April 25-May 3: Santa Cruz fiestas patronales – Santa Cruz de la Soledad.
April 27-May 4: Señor del Guaje fiestas patronales – Jocotepec.*
May 3: Día de la Santa Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross), construction site parties, processions, altar displays.
June 1: Dia de la Marina (Navy Day) commemoration.
June 5-13: San Antonio de Padua fiestas patronales – San Antonio Tlayacapan.
June 11-13: Nuestra Señora de Fátima festivities – San Juan Cosalá.
June 16-24: San Juan Bautista fiestas patronales – San Juan Cosalá, San Juan Tecomatlán.
June 19: Corpus Christi procession – Jocotepec.*
June 19-27: Sagrado Corazón de Jesús fiestas patronales – La Canacinta.*
June 21-29: San Pedro Apóstol fiestas patronales – San Pedro Tesistán.
July 8-16: Nuestra Señora del Carmen fiestas patronales – Chapala.
July 20: Ajijic’s 18th Chupinaya mountain races will be the platform for the 2014 North American Central America Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Running Championship.
July 17-25: Santo Santiago fiestas patronales – Ixtlahuacán de los Membrillos.
August 7-15: Virgen de la Asunción fiestas patronales – Mezcala de la Asunción.
August 9-10: Feria del Membrillo (Quince Fair) – Atotonilquillo.*
September 13: Regata de Globos exhibition of paper balloon flying – Ajijic.*
September 14: Charro Day, equestrian parades and rodeo events.
September 15: Grito de Independencia celebrations.
September 16: Día de Independencia (Mexican Independence Day) civic parades
September 26-October 4: San Francisco de Asís fiestas patronales – Chapala.
October 1-31: Virgen del Rosario festivities – Ajijic.
November 1-2: Days of the Dead, altar displays and cultural events.
November 15-23: Cristo Rey fiestas patronales – Chapala.*
November 17: Revolución Mexicana (Mexican Revolution) holiday commemoration.
November 20: Revolution Day parades in some localities.
November 21-30: San Andrés fiestas patronales – Ajijic.
November 22: Santa Cecilia festivities, musicians honor their patron saint.
November 25: Heroic Defense of Mezcala Island commemoration – Mezcala de la Asunción.
November 28-December 6: San Nicolás de Bari fiestas patronales – San Nicolás de Ibarra.
December 12: Virgin of Guadalupe processions and altar displays.
December 16-24: Christmas Posada celebrations.
December 31: New Year’s Eve street parties
* Moveable feasts, dates change from year to year.