09/20/2024
Why go to San Miguel de Allende?
What is it that makes people fall in love with this small mountain town high in the Western Sierra Madres of Mexico? It is unusual in Mexico. Thirty percent of the community is either American or from around the world, making this a very cosmopolitan community. In addition, it is a haven for artists, wanna-be artists, and art enthusiasts. Art galleries on every street. Art of all sorts from sculpture to painting to fiber art to found art to photographs. And most of it for sale at surprisingly affordable prices.
I came about fifteen years ago with a dear friend named Beth Williamson. She loved the place so much that she used to bring people to San Miguel every year to enjoy the art galleries, the delicious food at dozens of great restaurants, the magnificent palaces, and the history of the town. In addition, the weather is usually a delightful 72 degrees. Now it’s my turn.
This year, Susan and Genevieve and I journeyed to San Miguel to enjoy the celebration of Mexican Independence. By coming at this time of year, we join thousands of Mexicans who come to revel in the spectacle of young runners who carry the torch of Mexican freedom to all the surrounding towns. Then there are the mounted rifle-toting insurgents followed by a “peasant” army of hundreds of machete wielding farmers, some with their bedrolls of petates (these are corn-stalk woven mats) on their backs. One even carried a basket of growing corn stalks, not sure why. Interspersed are carriages of beautiful princesses, and an almost endless parade of dozens of school children who march past in orderly procession representing hundreds of schools from the area, each school wearing different colored uniforms, many with drum and bugle corps.
Most spectacular of all are the night-time fireworks from the “castillos” or castles. These are tall towers of amazing engineering creativity using a variety of fire crackers aimed and pointed in different directions. They are designed at nearby workshops, brought in on trucks and put together on-site. Late at night, they erupt into spinning, swirling, exploding light and sound that burst into the dark sky in showers of sparks and crackles of brilliant colors followed by hundreds of thunderous rockets. A never to be forgotten experience.
