AROUND TOWN

Meetings & Lectures

Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meeting

Reverend Greg Chute addresses the topic of “Beyond Our Seven Principles” at this week’s Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meeting.

Since the Unitarian and Universalist churches united in the early sixties, the faith has been governed by seven principles that affirm and promote ideals that celebrate human worth and dignity, justice, equity and compassion, and a goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all. Rev. Chute asks if these principles define who Unitarians and Universalists are or what they believe or is there something more.

He is currently in his 12th year serving as minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark. He has an M.Div. from Andover-Newton Theological School and is currently a doctoral candidate at Lancaster Theological School. A major focus of his ministry is centered on social justice; not only philosophically, but also practically. 

The UU Fellowship meets every Sunday at 10:30am at La Posada de la Aldea, Ancha de San Antonio 15 and welcomes people of all ages, races, religions, sexual orientation and gender identity. Visitors are invited to attend the service and then join the UUs in the hotel restaurant for brunch.




Two for one at Midday Rotary Club

On Tuesday, June 24th, the Rotary Club of San Miguel-Midday is honored to welcome two important officials of the municipal government. Gabriela Bribiesca Rocha, executive director of DIF (Sistema para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia) will first be welcomed into the Rotary Club as an honorary member, only the second individual to be so honored in the three-year existence of the club.

Gabriela is being recognized because she and her staff have done so much to meet the socio-economic needs of hundreds of Mexican children and their families. She was also a key participant in the planning and execution of the very successful Rotary-sponsored Diabetes Conference in April.

Veronica Agundis, Education and Culture director for the municipality, will then speak on the functions of her own office. A question-and-answer period will follow.

The Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende-Midday meets every Tuesday at their new location, the Hotel Real de Minas at the intersection of calles Ancha de San Antonio and Stirling Dickinson. Check-in time is 12–12:25pm and the meeting starts promptly at 12:30. Visiting Rotarians and others interested in Rotary are invited to attend this meeting. Rotary is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations,and help build goodwill and peace in the world. For more information, please go to the website: www.rotarysma.org.  

Classes & Workshops

Chess workshops

Free chess workshops for adults meet Mondays 5–6:30pm in the central patio of the Biblioteca Pública. More than a dozen players occupy the north portal of the patio each week. 

Players gather at Mama Mia, Umarán 8, on Wednesdays, 5–7pm. The rooftop terraces offer spectacular views of churches, mountains and sunsets.

Adults also play chess at Casa de la Cultura on Chorro, 10am–2pm on Saturdays and at 5pm Wednesdays.

Tours & Excursions

Saturday Adventure Tours

The Adventurers will go to Ana Theil’s glass foundry where we will see stunning glass sculptures using old, rusty pieces of machinery, or a burnt block of wood integrated with her molten glass. Ana has a fetish for collecting anything to use in her sculptures. She will show us her foundry where the kilns are throbbing with the intense heat needed to melt glass. Then from foundry to gallery, where her sculptures are displayed. In her garden are unusual sculptures that might be perfect for your patio or garden.

Now through a lot of green countryside to Ojo de Agua, a beautiful horse ranch where their Andalusians will proudly show off their skills in the intricate gaits of dressage. We are privileged to visit their home, lovingly decorated with country sophistication using some unusual artesania crafts. In a guesthouse across the patio from the main house you will pick up some interesting tips on how to use the usual in unusual ways. Cookies and soft drinks donated by Centro de Crecimiento are served in the charming pool house. Feel free to wander about; there is always something new ro see.

This tour leaves from inside the Jardín, across from the Parroquia, at 10:30am. Don’t forget your camera!

Botanical Garden Tour

Every Tuesday morning discover the marvels of cacti and other Mexican plants as well as the history of El Charco with Martin Smith, curator. Entrance fee is 30 pesos (waived for members) and the tour is 50 pesos. All proceeds benefit the garden. The tour is in English and starts at the main entrance at 9am and lasts about 2.5 hours. Bring a hat and water. Space is limited, so reserve by calling 154-8838 or email charcodelingenio@gmail.com.

Instituto Allende leads trip to Mexico City

Instituto Allende hosts an overnight field trip to Mexico City and the nearby pyramids on Saturday, June 28. The trip provides a historic tour of the nation’s capital, taking in the impressive Bellas Artes, el Caballito Monument, the Cathedral, the National Palace, the Zócalo and downtown. 

The valley of Mexico was, as it still is today, the center of Mesoamerica’s high civilization. For centuries has been considered the richest of all zones. 

Participants will visit the site of the great temple, which was once the heart of the Aztec ceremonial world. The temple was completely buried and remained hidden for 270 years after the conquest. Since the rediscovery artifacts have come to light like the eight-ton statue of the Moon Goddess and a 24-ton calendar stone. An adjacent museum houses a magnificent collection of Aztec art.

We will visit the renowned Anthropological Museum, an in-depth complex that perpetually educates and inspires a nation and its people. Explanations of all artifacts and installations are displayed next to each exhibit in Spanish and English. At night we tour Mexico City’s nightlife.

On Sunday we go to the unsurpassed Teotihuacán pyramids, a true wonder and alone worth the trip. The tour returns to San Miguel late afternoon, Sunday, June 29.

A free lecture previews upcoming weekend field trips each Wednesday at 4pm at Instituto.

The trip is US$235, all-inclusive. Native-speaking, bilingual guides lead all tours and offer further insight within a secure environment. Reservations are a must. For more information, visit or call 152-0226, Instituto Allende, Ancha de San Antonio 20.

Films & Videos

Bioneers Film Series: A Jolt of Hope

Tuesday, June 24, features two visionary activists, Paul Hawken and Majora Carter.

The first film shows the perennial Bioneers favorite, Paul Hawken. Entrepreneur, journalist and author, Hawken has long traveled the world speaking on green business and the ecology of commerce. He met thousands of people in over 100 countries, collecting business cards grassroots activists. He saved them and they have become the basis of his recent book, Blessed Unrest.

In the film he speaks about his travels and how the collection of business cards morphed into a book, and a website that has become a hub for collaborative grassroots action. Hawken is a quietly powerful speaker and this film touches the heart with the inspiration of possibility.

In the second film, urban activist Majora Carter demonstrates how one woman can make a difference. When New York City made plans to turn a large part of her South Bronx neighborhood into a garbage dump, Carter got incensed and started the “Sustainable South Bronx Project” to fight the plan. Her project combined innovative economic projects with environmental needs. Three years later she won a MacArthur genius award and is now active on many boards and conferences.

The films are shown 3–4pm at Teatro Santa Ana, 50 pesos.

Third Eckhart Tolle video at Meditation Center

The Meditation Center presents the third installment of a 13-week series of Eckhart Tolle videos, Touching the Eternal, at Callejon Blanco 4, 5:30pm Thursdays continuing June 26. Each video is about an hour and a half long. The presentation is free, though contributions are gratefully accepted.





Volunteer Opportunities


The “Summer” Chamber Music Festival (30th Annual Festival de Música de Cámara) needs volunteers for various assignments in housing and transportation, event planning/support, student program help, “asking” and some office assistance for the festival scheduled July 31–August 17. Contact Gloria G. at promocion@festivalsanmiguel.com, or call 154-8722.


Can you be a mentor? Jovenes Adelante seeks mentors for 20 new scholarship recipients beginning their university careers this September. Minimum requirements: some Spanish, ability to meet or communicate with the student once a month, desire to help bright students from mostly rural areas adjust to university challenges. Mentor orientation, July 29. Contact jovenesadelante@gmail.com.