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This Month in Puerto

Thursday 15 - Mon 19
Fiesta of the Virgin of the Poor
Col. Lázaro Cardenas
IF IT SEEMS AS if there's always a fiesta going on around here, that's because there normally is. The people of the Oaxaca coast are passionate in their embrace of their cultural traditions and the fiesta is an essential part of the rhythm of life. It wouldn't be a costeña fiesta without some basic ingredients:

Other activities include sports contests, dances, carnival rides and a tianguis, or bazaar with stalls offering household goods and clothing. Lázaro Cárdenas is located beside the army base and runs up the hill across the highway above Zicatela Beach.

Among the highlights:
Thursday 15 - Saturday 17
5 p.m. Cock Fights
Friday 16
4 p.m. Convite Procession
8 p.m. Calenda
Saturday 17
4 p.m. Jaripeo, rodeo
10 p.m. Fireworks castillo
10 p.m. Dance with bands Brindis and Mar Azul
Sunday 18
6 a.m. Mañanitas, Dawn Mass
1 p.m. Community lunch
Monday 19
4 p.m. Horse Races, demonstration of cowboy roping, exhibition of Show Horses
If you didn't get a chance to visit this fiesta, no problem: as we said, there is always one taking place somewhere close by. Just read on.

Sunday 18 - Wed 21
Fiesta of the Sweet Name of Jesus
San Juan Lachao
This community in the Chatino hill country in Pueblo Nuevo is known for its waterfalls, worthy a day trip.

Wednesday 21, Sat 24
Puerto Blues: Alejandro Delgado, Igor Prado
From Mexico City, Alejandro Delgado founded the Timmy Tools Band and his soulful vocals will enrich Puerto Blues.

Brazil's Igor Prado fell in love with the guitar at age 11. Self-taught and left-handed, he plays the guitar upside down, backwards, every which way. His tastes run from West Coast Swing/Jump Rhythm and Blues to the sounds of his native Brazil.
8 p.m. Restaurant La Hacienda, Avenida Oaxaca, Cover: $80.00

Friday 23
12th Anniversary of CAM #20
El centro de Atención Múltiple No. 20 is a public school which attends to children with special education or therapeutic needs, from new borns to 18 years of age. As well as pre-school and primary education classes it offers occupational workshops and support in areas of social skills, education and physical therapy.

It began its work in 1997 in the private home of Sr. Gil Mijangos, later moving to some fundamental facilities in Sector Reforma C, but today, thanks to broad community support, it is installed in a new, better equipped school in Fraccionamiento Agua Marina.

This 12th anniversary celebration will include the participation of CAM students, offering a Guelaguetza, folkloric dances from Oaxaca's various regions, plus performances by Mayca, Los López and Viuda de Romero among others. There will also be an exhibition and sale of work created by the kids from this wonderful institution. Give them your support!
4 p.m. City Hall Plaza

Saturday, 31
Puerto Blues 2009:
The Danny Marks Band
Toronto's own, Danny Marks has been a force on the scene since he started out as a kid. He hosted nation wide TV for the blues. Currently hosting JAZZ.FM91 radio and Healey's Roadhouse LIVE!, Danny won the Maple Blues "Blues with a Feeling" Award for lifetime achievement in music and broadcast. This iconic rocker's roots go back to the '60s.
8 p.m. Split Coconut at the Hotel Jardin Real, Bacocho, Cover: $50.00

Sunday, Feb. 1
Super Bowl XLIII
What will we do with those 12-plus hours per week we spent watching football? Well this is the grand finale, the day the world learns to use Roman numerals. Looking to watch the game in English - - and see all those great ads, in case the game is a dud? The Split Coconut and the Hotel Ben-Zaa are your best bets.

Monday, Feb. 2
Candlemas
Día de la Candelaria is the final observance of the Christmas season. It marks 40 days after the birth of the Jesus, when Mary and Joseph presented their child at the Temple (probably, in accordance to Jewish law, for circumcision).

The term comes from the Spanish word for candle (although in México the word vela is more commonly used than candela). In Catholic dogma, it symbolizes the child's being shown the "Light of the World" by being taken into the bosom of the church.

You'll often see ladies carrying dolls, elaborately dressed in satins and silks, from the creche of the family nativity to the special Candelaria mass. You'll also see displays of the Baby Jesus dolls at the market. It's the Annual Fair in the colonia La Candelaria in San Pedro Mixtepec and in Candelaria, Loxicha. But there will be celebrations going on everywhere, because of the popular custom of baking a small plastic doll into the ring cake Rosca de Reyes cake, on the Day of Kings. Whomever gets the piece with the doll in it must host a party on Candelaria Day. Tamales and drinking chocolate are the traditionally served, but it's not unusual for some more robust beverages to be consumed.

This year the day should be even more festive, because the national holiday to mark the anniversary of the Mexican Constitution (See Feb. 5) will be observed today. Banks and government offices will be closed, plus some businesses.

It's part of this deplorable trend to move national holidays from their actual dates to a convenient Monday, this avoiding long puentes, four of five day holidays that stretch through the following weekend. All in the name of productivity, no doubt; Score one for globalization

Wed, Feb 4, Sat. 7
Puerto Blues 2009:
Dave Murphy, Rick Richards
Dave Murphy is renowned for his versatility and enormous repertoire of over 700 songs. For many years, he was the keyboard player/vocalist for the Jeff Healey Band.

From Atlanta, Georgia, Rick Richards is a platinum award-winning recording artist, a founding member of the Georgia Satellites, he also plays with former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin in The Ju Ju Hounds. Rick Richards Rocks!
8 p.m. Restaurant La Hacienda, Avenida Oaxaca, Cover: $80.00

Wed, Feb 4 - Sat, 7
2nd International Marlin Sports Fishing Contest
A hunt for the largest of the biggest bill fish. And they do get huge; local fishermen have hooked 500 pounders, not to mention the ones that got away. Last year's inaugural tournament, intended to highlight Puerto Angelito and its services, awarded 1st place to a 87.2 kilo specimen. Prizes this year include a VW Jetta, Honda motorbike for first and second, plus special prizes for sailfish, dorado and tuna. Entry fee is $5,500 pesos per boat.
Info at Rest. Edith at Playa Angelito or call: 954 101 2346, 954 114 3910.

The program includes:
Wednesday 4
Tournament Meeting & Cocktails
7 p.m. Restaurant Edith, Puerto Angelito
Thursday 5
7 a.m. Official Opening & Contest begins. Boats must return by 3 p.m.
9 a.m. Beach Volleyball
Friday 6
7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fishing
8 a.m. - 12 Junior Fishing Contest
9 a.m. Beach Volleyball
Saturday 7
7 a.m. - 3 p.m. Fishing
8 a.m. - 12 Junior Fishing Contest
9 a.m. Beach Volleyball
9 a.m. Swimming Contest
12 noon Miss Marlin Bikini Contest
1 p.m. Musical Band "Los Sabinos"
5 p.m. Prize Ceremony & Official Closing

Thursday, Feb. 5
Constitution Day
The Mexican Constitution, adopted this day in 1917 under Pres. Venustiano Carranza, is considered by many to be one of the most radical and comprehensive constitutions in modern political history. It was the first to guarantee the rights of women, ethnic minorities and the handicapped in all spheres of life, including the workplace.

It provides for a free and compulsory public, non-religious, primary and secondary school education. It guarantees workers the right to organize and the right to strike, as well as an eight-hour workday and a living, minimum wage.

It is a nationalist constitution - - It also decrees that Mexican citizens be given priority in hiring in both the public and private spheres and prohibits foreigners from owning land within 50 km of its coasts or 100 km of its borders - - but it guarantees basic rights like freedom of speech and religion to everyone in Mexico, citizen or not.

Wednesday, Feb. 11
Puerto Blues 2009:
Johnny Max, Chris Cotton
You are guaranteed a good time with Johnny Max, with his mixture of Muscle Soul, traditional Chicago. old fashioned country and a dapple of R & B.

Chris Cotton is a 16 year-old guitar prodigy with a unique style of rock and funky blues. He will amaze you with his musical maturity.
8 p.m. Split Coconut, Hotel Jardin Real, Bacocho, Cover: $50.00

Wednesday 11 - Sat 14
Annual Fair in El Tomatal
Just 20 km. from Puerto, it's a visitor-friendly community noted for its environmental activities, such as turtle release fairs and its efforts at sustainable economic development. Foremost among these is the women's cooperative called La Flor de Cacahuate, "Flower of the Peanut", which produces and markets peanut butter and sesame seed butter, better known as tahini, a staple of Middle East cuisine. These are some of the staples of this agricultural region. The fiesta is for patron saint San Felipe de Jesús.

Saturday 14
St. Valentines Day
It's a big deal in Mexico, so much so that the entire month of February is referred to as "The Month of Love and Friendship".
Rotary Dinner-Dance
If you love mariachi music, this is for you. The local Rotary Club is bringing the award-winning Mariachi Oaxaca to town for this fund raiser to provide a transformer for a reliable power supply to the Obstetrics Hospital in San Pedro Mixtepec. The Rotary Foundation has approved the project, matching funds raised here and by several Rotaries in the U.S. and Canada.
Limited seating, advance ticket purchase: $300.00 Available from Rotary members or at El Sol de la Costa.

Saturday 14, Sunday 15
Our Lady of the Cures
Santiago Jamiltepec One of the important fiestas in this historic Mixtec market town. According to the legend, the Virgen de los Remedios, whose image can be seen in Jamiltepec's handsome church, appeared to some iguana hunters in a geyser rising from the nearby hot springs, which are still today considered to have curative powers, hence the name given to this saint.


THE ST. VALENTINE'S FIESTA in Chila is one of the best on the coast. It offers all the traditional staples of the Oaxacan fiesta, but just a little bit more so. Chila is very visitor friendly, it provides good security and lots of buses and taxis to ferry fiesta-goers the 10-minutes to and from Puerto.
Sábado/Saturday 24
9 p.m. Certamen "Srta Chila 2009" "Miss Chila 2009" Pageant
Sábado/Saturday 31
7 p.m Certamen "Reyna de los Charros" "Queen of the Rodeo" Pageant
Domingo/Sunday 1
8 p.m Apertura de la feria Official Fair Opening
Jueves/Thursay 5
7 p.m Inauguración Oficial del Alumbrado de la Unidad Deportiva Ceremony to Inaugurate Lighting of Sports Complex
Sábado/Saturday 7
4 p.m Torneo de Gallos Cock Fights
Domingo/Sunday 8
2 p.m Torneo de Gallos Cock Fights
Lunes/Monday 9
6 p.m Evento Cultural Cultural Event
Martes/Tuesday 10
6 p.m Evento Cultural Cultural Event
Miercoles/Wednesday 11
6 p.m Festival Chilenero "Chilenero Festival"
Jueves/Thursday 12
6 p.m Evento Cultural Cultural Event
7 p.m Torneo de Gallos Cock Fights "
Viernes/Friday 13
4 p.m Convite "Convite Parade"
7 p.m Torneo de Gallos Cock Fights "
8 p.m. Calenda "Calenda" Parade
Sábado/Saturday 14
9 a.m Torneo de Pelota Mixteca Mixtec Ball Tournament
7 p.m Torneo de Gallos Cock Fights "
8 p.m Evento Cultural Rifa de Tsuru Cultural Event, Raffle for Nissan
10:30 p.m Juegos Pirotecnicos y del Tradicional Castillo Fireworks & Lighting of Castillo
Baile Popular Popular Dance
Domingo/Sunday 15
5 a.m Mañanitas a San Isidro Labrador con el Mariachi Oaxaca Mañanitas for patron Saint San Isidro Labrador with Mariachi Oaxaca
6 a.m Misa de Aurora/Dawn Mass
9 a.m Final del Torneo de Pelota Mixteca/Mixtec Ball Finals
12 noon Misa/Mass
1 p.m Comida Comunitaria/Communal Meal
2 p.m Jaripeo/Rodeo
9 p.m Baile con El Trono de México, Organización Magallon Dance with El Trono de México, Organización Magallon
Lunes/Monday 16
2 p.m Jaripeo/Rodeo
8 p.m Pelea de Box/Boxing
Martes/Tuesday 17
2 p.m Jaripeo/Rodeo
9 p.m Baile Popular con/Dance with La Condesa, Veloz de la Sierra , y los Conde
Miercoles/Wednesday 18
3 p.m Carreras de Caballo Horse Races
Jueves/Thursday 19
4 p.m Carrera de Trocas/4 x 4 Truck Race, Río de la población
8 a.m Primer Torneo Regional de Pesca Rivereña/River Fishing Contest
Liberación de Tortugas/Turtle Release
Exhibición de Paracaidismo/Parachute exhibition, Playa Agua Dulce

Read This Month's Featured Articles:
Sunset and The Green Flash
The Queen of Mexican Cuisine
Saving the Turtles



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