Intermission
The curtain has closed on the first act of the living theater that is La Manzanilla in Season. The scene faded to black as the Thanksgiving-to-New Year’s whirlwind blew out in a blaze of beach bonfires, fireworks and unseasonable rain squalls. Now we’re taking a post-holiday breather, waiting for the lights to blink and the curtain to rise again. Meanwhile, the movers and groovers who make things happen are back stage busily preparing to roll out the big-gun events and fund raisers for Act Two.
Cisco’s Music Night
One of those is Cisco’s Music Night. Monday, January 21, 7 p.m. marks this popular fund raiser’s 10th year, and it will again be held in the hillside home of organizers Julie Wagner and Rusty Scheutz. La Manzanilla Lounge Lizards, Willy Mason and Dan Crosby, will play and sing music made for dancing, as will returning performers, Mike and Simone.
Tickets are available throughout town or at the door for a 200-peso donation each. A cash bar will serve beer and wine, and guests are invited to bring a munchie to share with fellow animal lovers.
Proceeds from this and other Cisco’s fundraising efforts, including Doggie Bingo which has yet to be announced, benefit the annual Cisco’s Amigos free spay and neuter and animal health clinic. This year’s clinic is scheduled for February 15 to 19 in the La Manzanilla Ejido Hall.
Art Walk 2013
Another in the pantheon of must-do La Manzanilla events is Art Walk 2013, Sunday, January 27, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Coordinators Larry and Pam Field are still putting the final brush strokes to this year’s walk. By press time, they could tell me only that 38 local artists will exhibit their work at 16 easily reached locations, both numbers up from last year. Maps with names, media and locations will be available soon, and participating venues will again post the familiar little, yellow, art-walk-dude icon.
Art Walk La Manzanilla has always promoted local children’s art. This year, the best of that young talent has been selected to create an ambitious wall mural on the Ejido building. Ajijic artist Efren Gonzalez will design and sketch the mural to be filled in by the kids, with an anticipated completion date of Art Walk Sunday.
New Treasures
Calle Playa Blanca, aka the Rodeo Drive of La Manzanilla, just got a bit trendier. Bonnie Griffith has returned from San Miguel de Allende to add her line of original collage clothing to Stephanie Wunner’s recently opened store, Tesoros. Bonnie creates her clothing with swatches and switches of different fabrics and trims for a for a one-of-a-kind look that will never be duplicated.
Located next to Helping Hands used bookstore, Tesoros offers an eclectic array of unique hand-made stuff, much from local craftpersons. Their inventory is fluid, so you never know what wonderments you’ll find inside, from organic jewelry, candles and sachets to crocheted handbags and neck scarves. Tesoros is open Monday to Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Rocio the vet returns
La Manzanilla’s pet people are relieved to have veterinarian Rocio Tapia back in business. Her new office is street-level at Calle Perula Sur 150, the big white house across from the art gallery.
Rocio says she is happy to be back in La Manzanilla, providing veterinary TLC to her old friends and reuniting with their owners. As soon as her X-ray machine is repaired, she says she’ll be equipped to provide every animal necessity from grooming to examinations and surgery. Office hours are Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and 4 to 7 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
And the beat goes on
While we’re waiting for the curtain to go up on Act Two of this Season, there’s still enough to do in La Manzanilla to keep us as busy as we want to be. From the Plaza to the croc’s and on the way out of town you can’t go a block without finding at least one watering hole or restaurant to “wine, dine and get on line.” Many have live entertainment on any given night of the week. Las Cabañas, across from the Y, hosts the Men’s Breakfast Club, open to all, every Wednesday morning at 9 a.m.
Ani Mac’s Acrylic Collage is showing through January 25 at Artis Gallery on Playa Blanca. The gallery opens Wednesday through Sunday evenings at 6, and is known for interesting social interchange abetted by owner Anaxasi’s exotic martinis and mojitos.
Casa Luz, on Boca del Rio, is again making meaningful films available to the community on most Sunday and Thursday nights around 7 p.m. Triskele Cletic Due musicians Myranda O’Byrne and Michael Price host jam sessions on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. The 7:30 p.m. get togethers, at Calle Roxanna 20, one block behind Palapa Joe’s, welcome anyone who likes to play, sing or listen. Wanna-be Duplicate Bridge players who hope to fill out a table had better be at Martin’s Restaurant on Mondays and Wednesdays no later than 12:20 p.m.
Zumba, pilates, or some kind of yoga happen practically every morning of the week around 9. Venues are so varied, if you’re new in town and not sure where to be when, get up early, find somebody who looks fit and ask. Or check the events calendar at visitlamanzanilla.com. Davison Collins has resumed booking seats on his popular whale watching and mangrove birding eco-excursions.
Drop-In Spanish Classes at the La Catalina Education Center have started between noon and 1:30 p.m. Intermediate level meets on Tuesday and Advanced level on Thursdays at the foundation’s learning center above Galeria La Manzanilla. Or, Rick Gehweiler has a few openings left in his Warren Hardy Level 2 Spanish classes. The next session is at Yolanda’s beachside restaurant, from January 28 to February 13, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I need a siesta just writing about so much available action. And no one’s mentioned yet the next two crowd-magnets, Fiesta de Toros in early February and La Catalina Foundation’s Night Under the Stars. If you’re in town and don’t want to miss anything, ask someone. As friendly and helpful as people are in La Manzanilla, you could make an amigo for life. To schedule a trip around a certain event, check the message board at www.lamanzanilla.info. ZZzzz …