By Nikki Miller Big changes start with little things. In the case of Ojalá Niños it started with a woman named Elsmarie Norby and how she opened her gate to the children in San Miguel Viejo, a rural Otomí indigenous village that has historically had little access to resources. Elsmarie moved to San Miguel Viejo in 2007 and began providing school supplies and support to the local children. She founded Ojalá Niños in 2010 offering free classes in art, music, reading, health, co

By Liam Stidham Growing up in San Miguel, as anywhere in México, you are used to sports like fútbol, tennis, basketball and even pickleball. But one sport that we are missing out on is baseball. Since my dad is American I have always watched him turn on the TV and watch golf, basketball, American football and of course, baseball, so it was normal for me. But the thing is, I had never seen any baseball fields here at the time. One time I was just hanging out at my house on a

By Aaron S. Reisfield Previously, in this space, we took up the question of how we perceive plant perfumes at altitude. We figured that the floral bouquets of local vegetation around San Miguel de Allende are attenuated. But there are countervailing influences. Volatiles from all kinds of organic materials readily take flight, eagerly becoming airborne thanks to the reduced pressure of ambient air. So, as a matter of physics, the lower atmospheric pressure here enhances our p

By Isabel Castrejón. In many parts of the world, summer fashion is easy to recognize. It means linen shirts, sandals, light dresses, straw hats, and the reassuring expectation that the day will remain warm from morning until night. In San Miguel de Allende, summer does not follow that script. Here, the summer months coincide with the rainy season, transforming the simple act of getting dressed into an exercise in preparation. A bright, intensely warm morning can quickly give

By Felecia Ford Our August Music Spotlight is on Doug Robinson—a piano wizard, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and musical storyteller whose fingerprints can be found all over San Miguel’s vibrant music scene. Although Doug’s journey began in sunny California, it eventually led him to the cobblestone streets of our city, where for more than two decades he has become one of its most respected and recognizable musicians. With 18 independent albums to his credit and on

By Catherine Marenghi In México it is a delicacy, as ancient as corn, consumed by native peoples for thousands of years. It’s called huitlacoche (pronounced wheat-la-COACH-ay). In the U.S., it has the inelegant name “corn smut.” For newcomers to San Miguel, it inspires curiosity in some, revulsion in others. Huitlacoche is typically a gray and black fungus that grows naturally on ears of corn, resembling swollen and misshapen kernels. Sometimes the color varies according to t

By Colleen Sorenson I believe good things are worth waiting for and sometimes that wait can take 14 years. In 2012, I took a walk along the banks of Arroyo Las Cachinches, when there was no walkway and no murals. To address the unsightly tagging found on the back sides of many houses along the arroyo, I presented to the city an idea for an outdoor gallery of street art, along with an outdoor classroom for urban nature. It was then that I learned street art was not permitted i

By Jonathan Lockwood Why do Cecilia and I enjoy Mineral de Pozos so much? The truth lies in what I heard her tell a friend several years ago. They commented that it was pretty small and there wasn’t much to do there. Cesy’s reply? “Exacto!” But this time we were honored with an invite to a 4th of July gathering at the home of friends Don and Marilyn Sibley, who are longtime residents there. So we turned it into a weekend, and an opportunity for a return trip to Casa Cuan

By Frank "Sugar" Hudson. August is one of the best months to experience San Miguel de Allende. While it falls during the rainy season, the weather is comfortable, and the landscape is bright green. August is the beginning of the cooler weather, with an average temperature around seventy degrees. It also offers several enjoyable cultural events. The San Miguel Chamber Music Festival returns for its 47 edition this August, bringing two weeks of world-class classical music to th

By Natalie Taylor There are those who settle into a community, carry out the duties of their profession, and spend their lives fulfilling the responsibilities entrusted to them. Others, however, are not content to remain within the boundaries of their calling. A passion drives them beyond those limits. Father Fernando Manríquez is a priest, charged with leading a congregation, but he stepped outside his vocation, tapping into other interests present since childhood. I asked h

By Catherine Marenghi The envelope please! The 22nd Annual San Miguel Writers’ Conference and Literary Festival has unveiled its eagerly anticipated roster of keynote speakers and distinguished faculty. The Conference will be held February 10–14, 2027, at the Hotel Real de Minas in San Miguel de Allende. The 2027 keynote speakers are: Amor Towles, an internationally bestselling novelist celebrated for elegant storytelling and unforgettable characters. Before becoming a writer

By Camie Fenton August has arrived, and this edition features the vibrant cultural tapestry, culinary traditions, and unique local experiences that define life in and around San Miguel de Allende. Catherine Marenghi gives us an exciting sneak peek at the 22nd Annual San Miguel Writers' Conference and Literary Festival coming up in February 2027, featuring a fantastic lineup of keynote authors, including Amor Towles, Kiran Desai, Michelle Good, Roxane Gay, Martha Bátiz, and Xa

By Patricia Schneider After years of organizing journeys, I’ve noticed the same pattern over and over again. During the first few days, everyone wants to see the places they’ve spotted on social media. The perfect picture, the trendy café, the colorful doorway that has already been photographed thousands of times. Quite often those places are simply not interesting. And then, almost inevitably, something else happens. The memory that stays is rarely that famous Instagram spot

By Richard Hochberg San Miguel de Allende has long been known for its thriving arts scene, and theatre has played no small part in that story. Back in 1982, Lola Smith founded Players Workshop, planting the seeds of what would become more than four decades of quality English-language productions. Smith passed away in 2026 at the age of 100, but her influence on San Miguel's theatrical landscape remains profound — without her vision, the town's stage scene might look very diff

By Lisa Babincsak I've stopped checking the weather in San Miguel. It's not that I don't care—it's just that I'd rather be surprised than misled. Last week, the forecast said 78 and sunny. I left the house in sandals and a smug sense of preparedness. Twenty minutes later, I was dodging hail under a jacaranda tree, questioning everything I thought I knew about microclimates and God. It's not just that the apps are wrong. It's that they're confidently wrong. They promise sunny

By Carla Maria Pérez One of the gifts of living in San Miguel is that this town keeps inviting us to learn. There is always a lecture, a concert, a language challenge, a cooking class, a gallery opening, a history talk, or simply a conversation that teaches us something new. In a place like this, learning does not have to be forced. It becomes part of daily life. We are fortunate to have that. This matters more than many of us realize. We often hear about aging as if it were

By Charles Woollett& Rick Peterson Q: Why did you decide to focus on Medicare education for Americans living here? A: I live this lifestyle myself. My wife, Susan, and I divide our time between California and San Miguel, so I understand the questions and concerns firsthand. Q: What's the biggest misconception U.S. expats have about Medicare? A: Many people assume that because they're living in Mexico, Medicare no longer matters - or that it will somehow cover them here. In re

By Dennis Taylor Kingbirds, that is… As it turns out, Mexico hosts six different kingbird species. However, the Western Kingbird only vacations here during the winter months before returning to its breeding grounds in the western half of the United States to breed and rear its young. And the Easter Kingbird is only a transient in Mexico as they head south to their South American wintering grounds. Although there is some overlap in the ranges for the remaining Mexican-based

By Don Krim “Participation in sports and art has taught me that my role in San Miguel de Allende is to serve. I am looking for the Jóvenes Adelante scholarship because I know that more than financial support, it is the opportunity to have a mentor to guide me through all the academic challenges that my family probably does not know how to guide me through.” - Male, Laboratory Sciences Finalist 2026 What started last December and January with hundreds of applicants, now comes

By John Challis, Board Member, Operísima Mexico Beyond its celebrated visual arts and cultural festivals, San Miguel de Allende has earned a reputation as one of Mexico’s leading opera destinations. The longstanding seasonal contributions of several esteemed opera organizations continue to sustain a vibrant tradition of training programs, concerts, and competitions that attract emerging artists and audiences from around the world. Since beginning its activities in San Miguel

By Lisa Babincsak In the previous article in this series, I wrote about the difference between building projects and building a destination — and the structural risk that emerges when growth outpaces the ecosystem supporting it. But naming the risk is only part of the conversation. The harder question is what actually prevents it. Because coherence does not maintain itself. Destinations do not stay cohesive simply because their early years were thoughtful, or because their ar

By Staff Writer When we began the Atención Book Club, we had no idea how much interest there would be. After all, there are many book clubs in this city—why create another one? Ours is unique because we feature local authors and ensure that they are present at the event. That gives the audience an opportunity to ask direct questions and explore issues that only the writer can answer. We have held four presentations, and they have been remarkably different in genre and content

By Carolyn Studer “Somebody once told me, ‘Don’t worry. Great things happen in small spaces.’” — Papacho Sirdey, jazz pianist and producer After moving to San Miguel de Allende, the only thing I missed was the small, intimate jazz clubs I frequented in Los Angeles—places like the Baked Potato and Charlie O’s, where you could hear exceptional musicians surrounded by people who truly loved listening to jazz. So I was delighted to discover the concert series at Cine Bacco—a 25-s

By Doreen Cumberford San Miguel de Allende has never been afraid of a contradiction. Indigenous and Spanish. Sacred and commercial. The deeply rooted and the recently arrived mingling together. For centuries this city has been a negotiation, absorbing artists and mystics, retirees and revolutionaries, the intentional and the accidentally permanent. Excellent preparation for the world we are navigating right now. Because we are, whether we realise it or not, in the middle of y