Annual state fair begins with parade
Guadalajara’s month-long state fair, the Fiestas de Octubre, grinds into life on Saturday, October 3 at its traditional site, the Benito Juarez Auditorium complex on the northern Periferico (intersection with Av. Alcalde).
The fiestas’ opening parade takes place on Sunday, October 4, 10 a.m. There will be dozens of creative floats, marching bands, clowns and acrobats. Because of ongoing work on the city’s third subway line, this year’s route runs from the Niños Heroes Glorieta along Avenida Chapultepec to Avenida Mexico.
The fairground is open daily through Sunday, November 1 and serves up the usual mix of nightly entertainment (mainly popular Mexican bands), mechanical and children’s games, themed pavilions (the Terror Mansion is one of the most popular with kids), special children’s shows, and dozens of food and vendors’ booths. There are also grisly late-night cockfights in the palenque arena, which always features top singing acts around midnight.
If you’ve been to a state fair in the United States, you’ll know roughly what to expect, although this city’s version has a distinctly Mexican flavor.
The entry fee to the fiestas is 30 pesos for adults and 15 pesos for children. Gates open at midday. Half price entry on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 2x1 tickets on Wednesdays at the same times. The free concerts begin around 7 p.m. each evening.
For more detailed information go to www.fiestasdeoctubre.com.mx.
National Theatre at Cabañas Institute
This weekend, the Instituto Cultural Cabañas is hosting plays from National Theatre Live, an initiative of the Royal National Theatre in London, which broadcasts via satellite, performances of their productions to movie theaters, cinemas and arts centers around the world.
The plays featured Friday through Sunday are all works that featured in London earlier this year and will be shown on video. The Blue-Ray videos will be projected onto a large screen with Spanish subtitles.
The schedule is:
Friday, October 2, 5 and 7 p.m. “The Audience” with Helen Mirren (playing Queen Elizabeth II), written by Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Daldry.
Saturday, October 3, 5 and 7 p.m. “A View from the Bridge” with Eddie Carbone and Mark Strong, written by Arthur Miller and directed by Ivo Van Hove.
Sunday, October 4, 5 and 7 p.m. “Man and Superman” with Jack Tanner and Ralph Fiennes, written by George Bernard Shaw.
All the show are screened in the Cabañas’ Sala Guillermo del Toro. Entry is free.
Blessing of the Animals at St. Mark’s
Founder of the Franciscan order, Saint Francis of Assisi believed in the brotherhood of all of God’s creation and is the patron saint of animals.
Legend tells how he once preached to hundreds of birds, telling them to be thankful to God for their wonderful clothes, for their independence, and for God’s care. The birds stood still as the saint walked among him, flying off only when he said they could leave.
To celebrate his feast day, Saint Mark’s Anglican Church will host the Blessing of the Animals after Morning Prayer, on Sunday, October 4, noon in the garden.
“Please make sure your animals are on a leash or in a pet carrier. If you like, you can bring a photo of your pet to receive the blessing,” Rector Father James Priddy says. Together with Father Ramon Rios, he will officiate in a bilingual service.
“Reverend Rios and I will bless dogs, cats, hamsters, fish and birds. Serpents, rats and tarantulas? Well, I believe we’ll ask the seminarians to give them their blessing,” Priddy says.
The church is located at Chichimecas 836 at the corner of Aztecas, across from the Autonoma University’s Instituto de Ciencias Basicas (ICB).