2010 Fiesta La Manzanilla: Feb 5 - 7, 2010

Posted by Rennie on January 19, 2010, 12:25 pm
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Mark your calendars, dust off your hat, and polish your boots! Fiesta time in La Manzanilla is just around the corner! It is said to be the 100th Anniversary Year of the Revolution that resulted in land ownership for the common man. Even the smallest villages throughout Mexico traditionally hold a Fiesta de Toros to celebrate their emancipation ‘way back when’ from Spanish landowners. Individual fiestas coincide with the date their Ejido was formally enacted, giving the people management of the land on which they’d previously been, basically, slaves. La Manzanilla’s anniversary date of this original Ejidal formation is February 6th. This year they have planned a three day celebration which includes “Gringo Day”, the day when expat residents of La Manzanilla officially thank our Mexican hosts for their hospitality and forbearance, This year Gringo Day is Friday February 5th - the first day of Fiesta La Manzanilla. This is the first of 3 days of fun, food, beer, dancing, bull riding (for the experts), powerfully tasty punch, and lots of music in the air. The day is sponsored by all of us ex-pats (Gringo types) who regularly visit La Manzanilla while our Mexican townsfolk/hosts attend the mid-day meal of birria at the Casino free of charge. Each ticket costs $180 pesos and this gets you to both the Birria luncheon at ±2 PM, Friday, Feb 5 at the Casino and the events at the rodeo grounds from ±4PM to dusk. Be sure to keep your ticket intact until darkness falls on Feb 5th. We are always looking for help in dishing up the birria so if you can lend a hand and a serving tray at 2 pm on Friday, February 5, we can sure use your assistance At this time tickets are for sale at these locations around town, Mexican Property Resources (formerly Santana), Ada’s, Manos Ayudandos bookstore, Palapa Bob’s, and from individual ticket venders. T-shirts are available again this year at the locations noted above for a mere $100 pesos... or you can buy a T-shirt and a ticket for $250pesos while T-shirt quantities last... ooo-ee, ... such a deal! Farola: You'll also want to be at the square after dark on Thursday Feb. 4th when a banda (walking group of musicians) will help kick off opening night. The strong youth of the town (and a few oldsters, too) take turns spinning the Farola - believe me, it's not light-weight - and leading the banda around the square, down Maria Asuncion to the Casino and back for more dancing at the square. Truly a social event not to be missed. We must also mention the powerfully tasty punch, made by women that afternoon under Lupita’s tutelage, which will be available. Day two is EJIDO DAY, the town’s anniversary on Sat Feb 6 and the final day, Sun, Feb 7, this year is sponsored by nearby Tamarindo.

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