A look at the events that have Los Cabos buzzing
By Sandra Berry and Chris Sands
Los Cabos’ vibrant social scene is not limited to the nightclubs that line downtown Cabo’s main strip. Our Los Cabos Magazine writers regularly attend the region’s biggest events. Here are some of their favorites from recent months.
Chefs Come Out for Sabor a Cabo
Line up 50 international chefs, two dozen wine purveyors, blend well and what do you have? The eighth annual CANIRAC gastronomy and wine event. Held December 1, Sabor a Cabo—it means Flavors of Cabo in English—attracted 2,000 food and wine enthusiasts, who sampled outstanding international cuisine and wines, for which Los Cabos has become famous. Guests mixed and mingled while wandering the grassy slopes of Club Campestre Golf Course, where for one price they could savor the many offerings by the members of CANIRAC, the Los Cabos restaurant association. Along the horizon were myriad white tents where some of Los Cabos’ greatest kitchen geniuses were busy preparing all manner of cuisine. Aromas of smoked meats, sauces, and spices drew hungry diners to sample everything from gazpacho and oysters on the half shell to whole pork roasted over a roaring fire to decadent chocolate cake drizzled with raspberry sauce. Other popular items included ravioli, shaved Parma ham, and foot-long beef ribs. Several of México’s top vineyards were represented, including Casa Madero—the oldest vineyard and winery in the North American continent—and several wineries from the Guadalupe Valley in Northern Baja. As darkness descended, spotlights streaked across the clear sky and fireworks were seen in the distance. With nightfall, the entire area took on a party atmosphere as music filled the air by the DJ as well as charro-attired mariachis and other musicians. This event gathered international audiences so that not only local gourmands but also seasonal visitors and tourists could take part in this grand gastronomical happening. This event is touted as the largest event of its kind in México. To learn more about this year’s event, which will be held in December, go to www.saboracabo.mx.
San José del Cabo Gets Artsy for Art Walk
A stroll through San José del Cabo’s Art District is lovely any day of the week, but it’s especially nice on Thursday evenings November through June, when weekly art walks are held. From 6 to 9 p.m., 16 art galleries welcome you into their spaces, where
they’ve displayed original works by an impressive roster of local and international artists. The media represented include oils, water colors, sculpture, photography, pottery, and glasswork. Start at Plaza Paulina, a remnant of an 1860s hacienda. It encompasses not only a design center but also a boutique offering exciting artistic accessories, a chic restaurant, and a dramatic 18-foot stainless steel sculpture by didactic sculptor Julian Garcia of Arte Gallery in the plaza fountain. Within a four-block area tagged with plaques marking the official galleries, you will find open doors welcoming throngs of locals and visitors who have come
to interact with artists. Frank Arnold’s gallery is like a small museum. His abstract expressionist works in both paintings and bronze sculpture are world renowned. Ida Victoria’s three-level gallery and custom frame studio is itself a work of art. Old Town Gallery is host to eight celebrated artists. Alejandrina Calderoni exhibits her contemporary works in her Italian restaurant, La Dolce, located in the main square. The charming artsy town of San José del Cabo is perfect for folk artists and artisans of Los Cabos and greater México to showcase their art. Patricia Mendoza’s museum-quality gallery serves as a platform for more than a dozen national artists. Mata Ortiz Pottery is home to master potter Juan Quezada. Mexican-born Dharmesh Anand’s inner peace learned in India is depicted in his paintings, and Ivan Guaderrama’s art is full of bright colors and live texture. Wander into the historic adobe home of Casa Dahlia, linger in the quaint courtyard cafe for a cup of tea and listen, per chance, to classical guitar while perusing the works of some of Baja’s top contemporary artists. To learn more, visit www.artcabo.com.
Stars Align for Baja International Film Festival
The second annual Baja International Film Festival last fall was as successful as the first, bringing many of the brightest stars in contemporary cinema to Los Cabos and continuing to work toward achieving the stated goal of fostering common ground between the film industries of North American neighbors Canada, México, and the United States.
The sophomore edition took place November 13–16 in Cabo San Lucas, with the red carpet premiere at the Pabellón Cultural de La República and screenings at the Cultural Pavilion and Cinemex at Puerto Paraiso. The screening sites marked a shift from the inaugural festival—during which movies were primarily shown at the convention center in San José del Cabo and select sites in Puerto Los Cabos—and reflected the desire of festival director Alonso Aguilar-Castillo and organizers to use the annual event as an ongoing showcase for the entirety of Los Cabos.
On opening night, crowds lining the red carpet outside Cabo San Lucas’s Cultural Pavilion were rewarded with glimpses of some of México’s most famous actors and actresses, including Daniel Giménez Cacho, Ana de la Reguera, José María de Tavira, Alfonso Herrera, Irene Azuela, and Hugo Stiglitz. Baja International Film Festival organizers Eduardo Sanchez Navarro and Alfonso Pasquel, Los Cabos Mayor Antonio Agundez, state tourism director Rubén Reachi, and the newly crowned Miss México, a native of Baja California Sur, were also in attendance for the screening of the opening night film, Metegol (Foosball), an animated feature from Academy Award–winning Argentine director Juan José Campanella. The film festival offered attendees the chance to see several highly anticipated screenings, including the world premieres of the films El Charro Misterioso by director José Manuel Cravioto; Volando Bajo by Beto Gómez; Bering: Balance and Resistance by Lourdes Grobet; Natural Philosophy of Love by Sebastián Hiriart; and LuTo by Katina Medina Mora. Mexican premieres included Fading Gigolo from actor and director John Turturro as well as the Matthew McConaughey vehicle Dallas Buyers Club. To learn more about the 2014 event, go to www.bajafilmfest.com.mx/en.
