Beguiling city hosts huge cultural festival honoring ties to Spain
The annual International Cervantes Festival (Festival Cervantino Internacional) begins on October 12 in Guanajuato, a university city nestled in deep valley and, to my eyes, one of the loveliest cities in Western Hemisphere. It continues through October 24 and provides to weeks of ticketed and free arts events – music, dance, theater and literature honoring creations in the Spanish language or reflective of Spanish heritage. Nearly 50 indoor and outdoor venue host some artists from 29 countries in all genres. Click here for detailed informed in Spanish.
The festival traces its origins to the 1970s when studenst performed Cervantes’ entremeses (farces) in Guanajuato’s shaded plazas. Subsequently, in 1972, the city launched Festival Internacional Cervantino, which has become a major stop on the international festival circuit. I am in Colorado right now, but two years ago, I was in Guanajuato — not for the festival but for an ancillary tour connected with the Society of American Travel Writers convention in Guadalajara. It coincided with El Cervantino, and being in this lovely university town overflowing with artistic vibe.
