Mexico City Events

January
1 January: New Year's Day. Public holiday with religious observances, parties and fireworks.
6 January: Dia de los Reyes Magos. Also known as Epiphany, a public and religious holiday. Children place their shoes where the Three Kings can find them and then fill them with treats. A special ring-shaped bread, rosca, is served with a small plastic figure of Baby Jesus baked into it. Whoever gets the figure is obliged to host a party for all present on Candlemas Day, 2 February.

February
2 February: Candlemas Day. Special masses, processions, bullfights and fiestas mark the day that Mary took Jesus to the temple. Takes place 40 days after Christmas.
5 February: Constitution Day. Public holiday commemorating the constitutions of 1857 and 1917, which still govern Mexico.

March
March - July: Opera. Opera Nacional de Mexico performs regularly at Palacio de Bellas Artes, Avenida Juarez and Lazaro Cardenas. For information, call 5572-2593 or 5529-9320.
Mid March: Xochimilco Festival. Four-day event held annually two weeks before Easter. This festival dates to pre-colonial times, when Mexicans honored the goddess of flowers (Xochipilli) and the goddess of dance (Maculxochitl) to ensure good harvests. A girl is crowned "La Flor Mas Bella del Ejido" (the most beautiful flower of Ejido) and presides over the lead barge of a parade floating up and down the canals. There are also competitions in canoeing, horticulture and carnival cars. Xochimilco, known for its canals and floating gardens, is 12 miles south of Mexico City. For information, call 5676-0810 or 5676-8879.

May
Early-Mid May: Festival Vive Latino. Approximately 50,000 spectators listen to concerts on three stages by 30 established and emerging Latin American bands in a diverse range of styles, including rock, pop, jazz, reggae, metal, hip-hop, ska, funk and electronic. Foro Sol, Avenida Rio Churubusco. Phone 5237-9950.
May - September: Professional Baseball. The Diablos Rojos and Tigres de Mexico play home games at Foro Sol at Viaducto Piedad and Rio Churubsco. Tickets are available at the stadium before the game or through Ticketmaster, phone 5325-9000. Information: Diablos Rojos, phone 5639-8722,

June
24 June: St. John the Baptist Day. Fairs and religious festivities. Revelers dunk each other as a practical joke.
29 June: St. Peter and St. Paul Day. Local fiestas, particularly in San Pedro Atocpan (on the southern edge of Mexico City), pay homage to the two saints.

July

16 July: Feast of Our Lady of Carmen. A fair and flower show is held in the San Angel section of Mexico City.
29 July: Dia de Santa Maria. This feast day is celebrated in the southeastern suburb of Milpa Alta with Aztec dances and staged battles between the Moors and Christians.

August
2 August: Cuauhtemoc Day. The last Aztec emperor is honored with dances and ceremonies at Cuauhtemoc Circle on Paseo de la Reforma.
15 August: Feast of the Assumption. Religious holiday. Services are held nationwide. Ancient dances are performed in the southeastern suburb of Milpa Alta.

September
1 September: President's State of the Nation Address. Public holiday. Government offices and banks are closed.
15 September: Prelude to Independence Day. Around 11 pm, the Zocalo fills with throngs of people waiting to hear the Mexican president re-enact Father Hidalgo's 1810 grito: the call for independence from Spain. The crowd responds "Viva Mexico!" and the fireworks, mariachi music and all-night partying begin. Throwing flour and eggs at people is a tradition. Most businesses are closed.

October
12 October: Dia de la Raza. Public holiday that marks the mixing of Mexico's indigenous and European races.

November
November - April: Bullfights. Thousands of fans cheer for their favorite toreros as the bullfighters take on aggravated bulls. Monumental Plaza de Toros Mexico, Augusto Rodin 241. For information, call 5611-4413.
1 November: Dia de Todos los Santos. All Saints' Day, a public and religious holiday. Most offices and businesses are closed. Families honor their departed loved ones with elaborate altars in their homes.

December
12 December: Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Public holiday. Millions make the pilgrimage to the huge Basilica of Guadalupe, shrine of Mexico's patron saint. Within the basilica, musicians and dancers perform as the pious approach, many on their knees. La Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe, Tepeyec Hill, northern edge of Mexico City.
25 December: Dia de Navidad. Public holiday. Families usually celebrate Christmas at home.

Entertainment

Performing Arts
Mexico City is alive with cultural events and entertainment options. The main venue is the Palacio de Bellas Artes, in the Centro Historico near Alameda Central. The national opera company and the national symphony perform there. Performances of the Ballet Folklorico Nacional de Mexico, a beautiful and captivating presentation of regional dances and costumes of Mexico, are also held there.
Free concerts are a mainstay of cultural life in Mexico City, and everything from big-name rock stars to classical quartets can often be found performing in public parks, churches, the Zocalo and shopping centers. The Teatro de la Ciudad is a breathtaking four-tiered venue with an elegant carved interior, excellent sound and an interesting and varied schedule.

Dance
Ballet Folklorico de Mexico
A spectacular show built around the folk dances and traditional costumes of Mexico. The internationally acclaimed troupe performs Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday evening. Performances are in Teatro Bellas Artes in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, at the corner of Juarez and Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico City. Phone 5521-9251 for information

Music
Mexico City Philharmonic Orchestra
Sala Olin Yolitzi, Periferico Sur 5141 (near San Angel), Mexico City.
Phone 5606-6089.
Performances are on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

National Symphony
Palacio de Bellas Artes,
on the corner of Juarez and Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico City.
Phone 5512-2593.
Occasional performances throughout the year.

Opera
Opera Nacional
Palacio de Bellas Artes, Ave. Hidalgo 1, Mexico City.
Phone 5512-2593.
Excellent resident singers, as well as guest soloists.

Teatro Metropolitan
Independencia 90, Centro Historico, Mexico City.
Phone 5510-1035.
An enormous art-deco theater downtown that hosts music, dance and film including the experimental

Golf
Few golf clubs in Mexico City are open to visitors, and the ones that are usually require that you attend with a member. Madeiras Country Club and Club de Golf Copal both sell day passes, but you'll have to travel quite a bit to get to either one.

Spectator Sports
Soccer is the favorite spectator sport in Mexico, and fans are fiercely loyal. Games are played in the Estadio Azteca (Tasquena metro station), Estadio Olimpico (Ciudad Universitario metro) and Estadio Azul (San Antonio metro station), which are home turf for the city's three main clubs.

Baseball
Foro Sol (Ciudad Deportiva metro station) and Parque del Seguro Social (in Colonia Narvarte).
Games are mostly at night, but sometimes during the day on weekends: Check Tiempo Libre and sports sections of local newspapers for dates and times.

Bullfights
Plaza de Toros (next to Estadio Azul, near the San Antonio metro station)
Bullfights are held on Sundays.

Rodeos
Charreadas (Mexican rodeos) are held at Rancho del Charro (in the third section of Chapultepec Park) on Sundays.

Horse Races
For spectators who like to bet, there are horse races at the Hipodromo de las Americas.