By Fernando Rodriguez
March 7 – Medano Beach Volunteer Clean-Up – The annual winter volunteer clean-up of Medano Beach will once again take place at its early 7:00 am start in front of Baja Cantina. Last year more than 20 volunteers from the City of Los Cabos gathered more than one ton of garbage, which generally consisted of cigarette butts, beer caps, and miscellaneous litter. Students from the University of Cabo San Lucas spoke on the importance of keeping Medano Beach clean, because it is the most popular beach in the region with an estimated one million visitors each year.
“This is such an emblematic beach of Los Cabos with its archway, it needs to stay clean!” said college student Noe Cabrera from Tamaulipas; a volunteer who can no longer visit the beaches in his hometown because of oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico. Volunteers can stay as long as they please and most offer two to five hours of helping maintain the beaches’ wonderful appearance.
March 12-22 – Todos Santos Film Festival – For everyone visiting Los Cabos, take the opportunity to enjoy the wonderful 40-minute road trip along the picturesque Pacific Ocean coast to Todos Santos. The trip will end with not just a tour of the Hotel California, but will include the rare chance to view short and full-length movies that are the showcase of the 12th annual Todos Santos Film Festival.
Sylvia Perel, director of the San Francisco Latino Film Festival and the Latino Festival of Redwood City, California explaines, ”This fantastic festival brings together a terrific selection of feature films, documentaries and shorts from across Mexico and Latin America that many folks would otherwise never have the opportunity to see. Many well-known film directors attend to present their films and lead audience discussions. It’s a truly great event.” There will once again be an entry from the city’s ”Youth in Video Program,” which teaches select children of the Todos Santos area about filmmaking. The children always present the newest film they’ve made for the festival each year. Some of this year’s films include entries from Spain, documentaries, and special ”Women in Film” shorts that range from 8 to 15 minutes in length. For more information, please visit:
http://www.todossantoscine.org/cortometrajesSeleccion.html
March 12 – 22 – San JosÈ del Cabo Festival Tradicional – The 8-day San Jose del Cabo Festival, celebrated in honor of the city’s patron saint, San José (St. Joseph), begins on Sunday, March 8 at 6:00 p.m. and will continue every evening until Sunday, March 22. The free admission gala event kicks off with live music, held in the plaza in the heart of downtown. Carnivals and parades will be held during the two weekends of the event which, year after year, has been a tremendously popular success, always drawing a boisterous crowd. The various food booths that can be found situated throughout the central downtown area will be serving up everything from fresh, warm tamales to corn on the cob (with or without buttered, powdered chili), tacos, enchiladas, an assortment of sweets, and sugared pumpkin candies. The Festival is an annual family-oriented affair, which is one of the biggest street parties the city puts on every mid-March.
The popular local event will also feature its annual rodeo which takes place at the corral across the street from the city’s fire department on the main street from the hotel zone into town.
While the length of this year’s festival has been shortened by a few days, none of the popular events have been trimmed back; the ”old-school, ranch-style” cockfights remain a must-see for locals and visitors alike. It is an event which visitors look forward to attending every year.
March 15 – Los Barriles Dog Show – The small, sleepy town of Los Barriles, located 40 minutes north of San Jose del Cabo, is hosting their very first dog show to benefit the East Cape community. ”We’re getting some great feedback from both dog owners and the wider community who are excited about being involved,” echoed lead volunteers Emma Nicholson and Tracey Lewis. The much-anticipated event organized by the Baja Kennel Club will take place at the Hotel Palmas de Cortez, starting at 11:00 a.m. in the center of town, and will be littered with fun craft booths, food stands, music, a raffle and bar. The entry fee is $50 pesos per dog, or $20 pesos per spectator. Children under 12 years get in free. The Dog Show will help raise money for the Kennel Club’s neutering & spaying programs, their recycling initiatives, and will assist with funds towards the care and welfare of stray and abandoned dogs. To donate and obtain complete information, please contact (624) 151-2381 or visit http://www.bajakennelclub.com.
March 16 – Benito Ju·rez Birthday – Mexican President Benito Juarez (March 21, 1806 – July 18, 1872) is to Mexico what Abraham Lincoln was to the United States, and as such, the birthday of the iconic president is celebrated with live music and an assortment of community parties throughout downtown Cabo San Lucas and throughout all of Mexico.
Benito Juárez was born in San Pablo Guelatao, Oaxaca, and was orphaned at three years of age. He became a lawyer at 34 and later held many public offices including state legislator, civil judge, government secretary, and governor. In 1853 he was exiled to the United States due to political conflict. The following year he helped publish the Plan de Ayutla, which ended the dictatorship of political leader Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, thus convening a new Constitutional Congress. Mexico celebrates the birthday of President Juárez every third Monday in March.
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations – Both Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with as much gusto as any restaurant and bar in America. Nearly every bar in each city will have Irish menu items, Irish drinks and green beer on hand and readily available. In San Lucas, Cabo Blue has traditionally hosted some great St. Patty’s Day parties, as do Baja Brewery, Cabo Cantina, Cabo Lounge, Tanga Tanga, Cabo Wabo, Solomon’s Landing, Squid Roe, and Pink Kitty. In San Jose DC, look for a great time at Rock N Brews, and every local bar in the historic central plaza area. Visitors to Los Cabos can also expect their respective resorts and hotels to offer a St. Patrick’s Day of their own. The Road House, which is located a few hundred feet from Costco, will offer their Irish corned beef and cabbage afternoon luncheon that has become a local and tourist favorite.
March 20 – March 22 – The Fred Duckett Golf Challenge – The three day Los Cabos Children’s Foundation’s fundraiser, that will feature the Querencia and Palmilla Golf Courses in San José del Cabo, takes place during the weekend of Friday, March 20 through Sunday, March 22. The event’s proceeds will help with what started in 2002, when Trisha Pacholski, Vice President of Snell Real Estate alerted friends in the USA health care industry that some children with leukemia in Los Cabos, Mexico needed help. South Dakota Dr. Marwan Hanna, one of the area’s leading pediatric oncologists, offered to treat them, exclaiming, “absolutely, just get them up here!” Getting visas for the Mexican children and their families proved extremely difficult and time consuming. The first three children which were scheduled for treatment, passed away while waiting for their visas. As a result, the caring small goup, contacted the U.S. Consulate in Cabo and in Tijuana; as well as the INS in Tijuana to establish a system to make the process faster and more simple for the sick children and their families. Mike Houston, U.S. Consular Agent, became an immediate supporter of the project of helping the children get visas. Monte Ford, an executive with American Airlines, who also enjoys time in Cabo was sympathetic to the cause and as a result, American Airlines has provided airline transportation for all of the children and families who have been helped. For more information please contact Brenda Kuyper (in the USA) at (605) 275-6305, or online via email at brendakuyper.lccf@gmail.com
March 23 – Farm Fest-Liga Mac. 11th Annual Fundraiser – The event that everyone is waiting for, the LIGA MAC 11th Annual Fundraiser, is just around the corner. In the lush setting of Flora Farm’s Mango Grove, LIGA MAC supporters will be entertained with the sounds of Nena Anderson. Born and raised in Encinitas, California, Anderson has been nominated for numerous San Diego Music awards in jazz, americana, acoustic and new artist categories. Her style is hard to pinpoint, described as anywhere from moody, minor-keyed, driving swamp-blues, to rollicking 60’s piano soul, to catchy two-step country; all of which will be right at home grooving at the Farm. Anderson will be accompanied by her band and Grammy Award winner Alex Woodward. Late night entertainment will be provided by Flora Farm’s local famed talent, The Shamans, who will keep the party hopping.
An incredible dinner by Flora Farm Kitchen will be served at various food stations throughout the event and a cash bar will be available. 100% of the bar proceeds will be generously donated by Flora Farm to LIGA MAC.
LIGA MAC offers education, basic needs help, and medical assistance programs. More than four hundred and fifty local school children are enrolled in the ACE stay-in-school program. The Basic Needs program reaches out to families in distress. It is a three-month program that offers a dispensary service of clothing, household items and food as well as counseling; helping find solutions to emergency family situations. The Medical Assistance program connects patients in need of treatment with local programs and funding when all other avenues are exhausted.
Tickets are US $150 per person, VIP $350 per person. For event and ticket information, email: farmfest@ligamac.org; or contact Janet Dellaire: jandellaire@sympatico.ca, 158-5005 or Linda Little: teachalittle26@yahoo.com, 624-358-9361. Tickets also available on Fridays at the Organic Market-The Palmilla Shoppes, and Saturdays at the San Jose Organic Market-Huerta María.
March 27 – 29 – The Hole Enchilada Golf Tournament – Created especially for Grupo Questro Los Cabos community members, the Hole Enchilada is a 36-hole team golf tournament for teams of two players that will compete on Friday, March 27 and Saturday, March 28. On Sunday, March 29, the annual event will allow members of Club Campestre, Puerto Los Cabos and Cabo Real to mingle with friends and family, including a ”Kid’s Kamp” at the Fundadores Beach Club at Puerto Los Cabos in San Jose del Cabo. Children will have a list of well-supervised activities to enjoy that include arts & crafts, sports, and dancing. A schedule of complimentary activities for the entire family include swimming with the dolphins, whale watching, yoga, cooking classes, spa services, Wild Canyon zip lines, horseback riding, and salsa dance classes. A welcome mystic and poker night evening at El Ganzo Hotel is also part of the weekend fun.
For more information, videos, photos and invitation submission form, please visit http://www.theholeenchilada.com
March 29 – Whaleman Los Cabos Triathlon – Making its inaugural debut and limited to 500 participants, the Whaleman Los Cabos Triathlon will kick off with a 1.2 mile swim from the pristine sands of Medano Beach to The Arch/Los Arcos and back. From there, participants will transition out of the sea and onto the four lane highway for a 56-mile bicycle ride to San Jose del Cabo and back. There, all contestants will close out the race with a gruelling half-marathon, or 13.1-mile run. This half-ironman course is a precursor for dedicated year-round athletes training and competing to ready themselves for the Los Cabos Ironman, the date of which has been moved to October 25, 2015. Entry fees for the Whaleman Los Cabos Triathlon are $175 US Dollars and participants must be at least 18 years of age.
For more information and complete registration forms, please visit http://www.whalemanloscabos.com
ONGOING EVENTS
MONDAYS
LOS CABOS ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET – 8:00 am -12:00 pm. Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas.
TUESDAYS
SAL Y MUSICA FESTIVAL – 6:00 pm to midnight. A street party that celebrates the city’s passion for music and food. Downtown San José del Cabo.
WEDNESDAYS
LOS CABOS ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET – 8:00 am -12:00 pm. Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas.
EVENING BIKE RIDE IN SAN JOSÉ – 7:30 pm to 8:30 zpm. Meet at Plaza del Pescador before 7:30 pm. Bike rentals available at Sportia bike store located in Plaza del Pescador. info@sportia.com (624) 130-7159
WINE CLASSES AT GRAND SOLMAR – A weekly class in wine-making at the resort’s La Roca restaurant. Classes are $49.00. For reservations call: (624) 145-7575
BIRDING IN THE SAN JOSÉ ESTUARY – Go bird-watching in the beautiful San José estuary with a guided tour. Includes binoculars and scopes. Reservations required. For more information and reservations call (625) 144-3539 or email birdingloscabos@gmail.com.
THURSDAYS
SAL Y MUSICA FESTIVAL – 6:00 pm to midnight. A street party that celebrates the city’s passion for music and food. Downtown San José del Cabo.
WINE TASTING at DE CORTEZ – 5:30 pm. Restaurant in the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar. $35.00 per person.
SAN JOSÉ DEL CABO ART WALK – 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm between the months of November and June. Galleries welcome guests to enjoy an evening strolling by the neighborhood, viewing art, sipping wine and dining at the artsy neighborhood restaurants. Special events such as “artist in attendance” or openings of new work will enchant you.
CINE CLUB EN EL PABELLON CULTURAL – 7:30 pm. Free movies at the Cabo San Lucas Cultural Pavilion located on the marina.
FRIDAYS
PALMILLA FARMERS MARKET – 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. At the Shops at Palmilla.
ART FEST – 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Downtown Cabo San Lucas in Plaza Amelia Wilkes.
FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH – TODOS SANTOS ART WALK – From 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm. Enjoy the cool cultural scene that has helped to maintain Todos Santos as one of Mexico’s Pueblo Magicos for so many years.
SATURDAYS
LOS CABOS ORGANIC FARMERS MARKET – 8:00 am -12:00 pm. Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas.
BIRDING IN THE SAN JOSÉ ESTUARY – Go bird-watching in the beautiful San José estuary with a guided tour. Includes binoculars and scopes. Reservations required. Information and reservations: (625) 144-3539 or email birdingloscabos@gmail.com.
SAN JOSÉ DEL CABO ORGANIC MARKET – 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Art & Crafts, food and music.
CICLOVÍA CABO SAN LUCAS – Sundays 7:00 am to 11:00 am. The main street of Cabo San Lucas closes to automobile traffic allowing bikers, skaters, walkers and joggers to exercise freely.
FULL MOON EVENINGS – Next full moon: March 5th
FREEBOARD FRESH DELI & CACAO BAR – Music and dancing, farm to table restaurant, skateboarding, fire pit and more. Free! Starts at 5:00 pm inside the Pescadero Skate Park. Km. 64 of Highway 19. Info: (612) 168-0711.
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