By Doreen Cumberford What do you call yourself when you move to another country? Expat? Immigrant? Nomad? Global citizen? If you've spent any time in online forums for foreign residents, you'll know this question generates more heat than a June afternoon in the Jardín. People feel strongly. Labels matter, or do they? Here in San Miguel de Allende, the locals have already solved this problem for us. They call us extranjeros. Simple. Neutral. Done. Except it isn't simple at all

By Lisa Babincsak There are cafés in San Miguel, and then there’s City Market Café. Technically, it’s a grocery store coffee counter. But spiritually, it’s something else entirely. A social vortex. A microclimate of espresso, gossip, networking, accidental reunions, and highly strategic table selection. You don’t really go there just for coffee. You go there to see who’s there. Or who isn’t. By around 10 a.m., once the city has stretched, caffeinated, and accepted the day, th

By Felecia Ford From Ontario indie-pop jams as a teenager to deeply expressive jazz improvisations today, San Miguel's multi-instrumentalist and saxophonist Sophia Smith speaks about music not just as performance, but as a path toward self-discovery. FF: What first drew you to the saxophone, and when did you realize music was becoming something more serious for you? SS: I was around 14 when I started jamming with friends and really connecting to the saxophone. Playing in an i

By Aundria McMillan Humphrey When Pascual Hijuelos opened the door to his home, I expected an hour of conversation. He gave me two. What unfolded was not an interview, but an invitation into his world, his work, and the quiet interior landscape that shapes both. His home, with its clean lines and expansive light, feels like a sanctuary built with intention. Vivid paintings — one stretching more than twenty feet — pulse against white walls. Deep, vivid colors and tonal shifts

By Natalie Taylor You can find the taco just about anywhere in the world, and it screams out “México!” The origins of this humble food are pre-Hispanic, going back almost three thousand years. The indigenous peoples of México used freshly made corn tortillas as vessels or utensils to hold food. There are various stories about its name, but most likely it comes from “tlahco” a Nahuatl (Aztec) word meaning “in the middle.” This perfectly describes the action of placing a fillin

By Frank "Sugar" Hudson John Steinbeck told us that in early June every sunset is different. Well, June is here, with longer days and the promise of the coming rains, cooler weather and beautiful sunsets. Early June is still a warm month, with average temperatures fluctuating between 57 degrees and 78 degrees Fahrenheit. But late June usually brings the rains and cooler weather. The first major holiday in June is the Feast Day of Saint Anthony of Padua which is celebrated fr

By Natalie Taylor The annual Locos Parade of San Miguel de Allende seems like a local take on Mardi Gras, with people in outrageous costumes parading along the streets of the city. But Los Locos goes back to the 1700s when it began as a harvest festival honoring San Pascual Bailon, patron saint of cooks and orchard keepers. Later, St. Anthony of Padua was also added to the celebration. The hortelanos, orchard keepers, danced to honor the saints and handed out fruits and veget

By Susan Knight York There are many reasons why Chef Donnie Masterton is at the top of his game, leading San Miguel de Allende into the ranks of one of México’s favorite food cities. Eighteen years ago, nobody was booking flights to San Miguel just to eat, but a funny thing finally happened when artists arrived, writers, weekenders from México City and others travelers who were captivated by San Miguel’s mix of visual beauty and creative energy that felt somewhat inseparable

By Linda and Charles Woollett As writers, we’ve been pondering how to express our love for this little Shangri-La, we've come to know as San Miguel de Allende, and now call home. (Voted by Travel & Leisure readers as the #1 City in the World, many times.) This is an Op-Ed of sorts, a story called: “Life…none of us are getting out alive, so Love, Eat, Drink and be Merry”. These thoughts some of you might relate to. As expats or immigrants, we flock here by the hundreds, if no

By Aundria McMillan Humphrey When artist Glen Rogers arrived in San Miguel de Allende in 2016, she felt an immediate recognition—this was where the next chapter of her creative life wanted to unfold. San Miguel’s vibrant arts community, and its unmistakably feminine energy drew her in. “It felt like the spot for me at this moment in time,” she says. Rogers’ work is rooted in a lifelong devotion to the Sacred Feminine, a path she began in her thirties while living in the San F

By Alex MacLeod A chance encounter with Stirling Dickinson seven decades ago changed the trajectory of a young Elvira Sierra Cruz’s life, which ended Easter Sunday in her peaceful death at age 85. As a teenager, seeking work to help support her large family, she saw a big building, as she recounted in an oral history three years ago, and went in to ask for a job. As it turned out, the building was the Instituto Allende and the person who greeted her was Dickinson. Despite the

By Robin Loving “This work has never really been about water,” said 2025 Citizen of the Year Award Honoree Dylan Terrell, founder and executive director of Caminos de Agua. “It’s about community. I arrived in San Miguel (with) no intention of working in water. But … it became very clear, very quickly, that water was the issue,” he continued. He went on to say that solutions do not come from outsiders but from communities understanding their challenges, organizing, and taking

By Doreen Cumberford This is the second of several articles on raising expat children in San Miguel. I must be honest: researching this article was an absolute joy. Having raised a kid overseas in a foreign culture, talking with parents, kids, and families about life in San Miguel de Allende reminded me how close I feel to this topic and why I love this city. Their stories were funny, surprising, and deeply human. Every family I spoke with had asked the same question before m

By Nikki Miller If you are looking for ways to get more involved in the San Miguel de Allende community and meet new people, 100+ Who Care SMA may be right for you. As a newcomer to San Miguel de Allende, I am impressed with the number of nonprofit organizations, or NGOs, providing important services in and around San Miguel and the engagement of the community as a whole in supporting them; however, like many people I have met, I have found it difficult to learn about the va

By Carolina de la Cajiga Names are usually given. Hers arrived. AnaSeshat is not a first and last name, but a single name I received through channeling—a form of communication with higher consciousness. It wasn’t a rational choice; it came to me, and I felt it was my own,” she explains. Seshat is the ancient Egyptian goddess associated with the universal library and the recording of knowledge. Though her origins remain uncertain—whether the daughter or consort of Thoth—her en

By Isabel Castrejón Pascacio In every city where culture thrives, there is an unspoken network of support that keeps creativity alive. Among the most vital threads in that network are couturiers, designers who do more than create garments; they shape identity, preserve craft, and tell stories through fabric. A community that actively follows, celebrates, and uplifts its designers doesn’t just sustain businesses, it builds legacy. Fashion houses endure not only because of sale

By Maureen Phillips My dog Gabriel and I left Vancouver, BC, on September 18, 2025, for the long and much-anticipated drive to San Miguel in my trusty 2002 Toyota Camry. We arrived in this beautiful town sixteen days later. But one month into our stay, everything changed. Walking in our San Antonio neighborhood, Gabriel was startled by a dog snarling and lunging behind a large door. Gabriel jumped into the street and was hit by a motorcycle while I stood frozen. He ran up Sti

By Angela Higley Ferro I recently read an article in the New York Times about how to make friends as an adult. A completely valid discussion, especially considering how much harder it can be to connect with others now compared to our childhoods. Life moves quickly; we are busy with work, partners, and children who often serve as our built-in besties. Additionally, as adults, we tend to be more self-aware, grappling with social hesitations that didn’t exist during our younger

By Jonathan Lockwood For around a year Mezcal Spotlight has stayed politely close to home — local bars, local restaurants. Fine. But mezcal doesn't start in a bar. It starts in the ground, in fire, in a family argument about whose abuelo did it better. Cecilia and I have known the unbelievably sweet Alejandro and Bethy of Hacienda Vergel de Guadalupe for several years, but only a few weekends ago finally visited them at their hacienda in San Luis de la Paz, about an hour and

By Judith Jenya In the welcoming kitchens of San Miguel de Allende, visitors from around the world gather to learn the secrets of traditional Mexican cooking from a woman whose life has been defined by caring for others. Long before she began teaching travelers how to prepare family recipes, Isabel García built a career as a pediatrician, hospital administrator, widow’s advocate, and mother of three. Her story begins in México City, where she was born the eldest of four siste