Winter season of Instituto Allende fairs
December 26, 2008 San Miguel de Allende

Instituto Allende hosts four arts and crafts fairs this winter season, on Saturdays and Sundays, December 27–28, January 24–25, February 7–8 and the weekend of February 28 and March 1.

The current fairs are the brainchild of Jamie Fernandez and Lou Christine, who resurrected them in 1999. Back then, Instituto Allende owner Fernandez hired Christine to focus more attention and create additional activities on the campus of the language and art institution. That was prior to the reorganization when the school portion moved next door. Christine began a series of concerts, lectures, dances and special events that included the arts and crafts fairs.

“The fair has grown leaps and bounds and in my view is the very best in San Miguel,” says Christine, who continues to produce the fairs with the assistance of Gabriela Zavala, Juan Carlos and Martin Villafranco. “We’ve become more like a greased wheel,” he says. “Problems do crop up but Gabriela, with the help of Juan Carlos, takes the reservations and collects fees. Martin and his crew set up the tables, banners, clear away trash and keep the bathrooms spiffy. I arrange the advertising and the entertainment and presto, it all comes together.”

“Yet the real stars here are the talented craftspeople who bring their wares to the fairs. We like creating a wholesome, easy-going atmosphere. Miguel Balderas, along with his sound system, cranks out the tunes and provides mikes for fantastic musicians who come and play over the weekend.”

“We now have vendors who travel here from Michoacán and Oaxaca. We have an international mixture of vendors—Mexican, French, English, Canadian and American artists have become steady participants at the fairs. We’ve become an ad hoc family, at least seven or eight weekends a year. Everybody’s friendly and helpful and vendors tell me they enjoy their neighbors and catch up on how everyone is doing,” Christine says.

Fernandez says it still thrills him to see the landmark structure being used and now that daughter Daniela owns the café and the other daughter, Andrea, honchos Mi Casa Restaurant on the back patio, it’s become a family affair.

With recent changes at Instituto Allende, Fernandez wants to make more gallery space available, to have more shows, events and weddings, and other types of entertainment that makes for a good fit with San Miguel’s diverse artistic community.