It occurs each year around May 3rd. In my last posting on the church, I said that it went on for a week before and a few days afterward. That turned out not to be true. It lasted for over three weeks, blocking off three blocks of my street. Neighbors and businesses were outraged. At the following district meeting they complained about the length of the festival and asked the Mayor (El Presidente here) what happened to the money. All the rides and stalls along the street said that they paid 10,000 pesos to be there. The treasurer got up and said, she never received a dime. The mayor refused to explain. He has since resigned and we are about to have another election for Mayor. With all the fuss over last year, we were sure it would not happen again. Wrong!! Who is getting the money this year, no one will ever know.
At first there were far fewer kiddy rides and food booths. As the week progressed, more rides arrived each night. Why they have to assemble them in the middle of the night, I do not know, but they do. It was just the beginning of all the noise. I do not really mind the screams and yells of the little kids, but then they are drowned out by all the other noises. The one car ride that has an awful siren and horn sound, Luckily it is at the other end of the street. What really set me off was the performance platform installed under my bedroom balcony. Last year it was located in the next block. That noise was bad enough, but this is almost intolerable.
They have installed a huge dance platform and speakers that are the size of a small automobile. When no group is performing, they have Mexican radio station on. The bass literally shakes the entire building. To my amazement and horror, they installed two even larger speakers at the other end of the street for another ride. You have the constant drum, drum drum and stomping of the dancing troops while the music at the other end of the block continues. Of course we have bells all week and they have started up the cannon. It is not really a cannon (as it was in the old days) but a rocket that is launched to explode in the air. Previously a man had to crawl out of the second story window to stand on the roof to set off the rockets. Last year they built an extension to a class room on the second floor, turned a window into a door and built a stair case to get to the roof. It was very nicely finished off in a Mission style with yet another bell.
I learned that all the dancers are from schools around the area, but someone pays for all the platforms, lights and sound equipment. When they set it up under my balcony, I wonder how where they would set up the chairs for the audience. Well, they put them in the middle of the intersection, of course. They always block off the cross street for the final bonfire and fireworks, but this is insane. Not only does it disturb all traffic, but that street is a bus route. Since every other street is one way, I do not know where the buses go now. Maybe they just charge up the wrong way on the next street. After all it is Mexico and here, no one gets in the way of the buses. They know they are bigger and they will run right over you. Although the dancers and singers are not really professional, some were really good. All of them had fantastic costumes. On the final day, the stage was set up like an altar and the church choir sang. They are good enough to perform at the Performing Arts Theater. All year I will sit up on my deck and listen to the choir.
Then in the middle of the festival, we had a little "dust up" with the local drug cartel. The state of Jalisco (which covers Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta) arrested a major drug lord. The cartel was pissed and declared war on Jalisco. They bombed banks and gas stations (why those two, we do not know) Since it was a Holiday all the businesses were closed, so no one was hurt or injured. They also set fire to some police cars (most of this in Guadalajara). Now, before you say "I told you so !" It was not as bad as Fuergeson or Baltimore, and I would rather live here.
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No such luck. It ran past midnight that night. As I thought about it, all the drug dealers here are "Good Catholics" so this was probably the safest place in town. In a day things calmed down, I guessed that drug cartel thought they had made their point. No, it wasn't that. The drug lord somehow "escaped" from the Guadalajara jail. Who knew ?? On the last night I invited a group of friends over for pizza to watch the fire works. They were even more spectacular. It was the fortieth year for the church, so they went all out. A structure over four stories tall is erected in front of the church. It is covered with fireworks displays that went on for a good half hour. For the finale, the top blows off into the air and fireworks rained down on us for several more minutes directly overhead. During this display all of the bells on the church are ringing. It was something.
It was after 1:00am before I got to bed, but got up at my usual early hour and almost everything was gone. I was so tired I did not even hear the noise. I plan on going to bed early tonight.
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I learned that all the dancers are from schools around the area, but someone pays for all the platforms, lights and sound equipment. When they set it up under my balcony, I wonder how where they would set up the chairs for the audience. Well, they put them in the middle of the intersection, of course. They always block off the cross street for the final bonfire and fireworks, but this is insane. Not only does it disturb all traffic, but that street is a bus route. Since every other street is one way, I do not know where the buses go now. Maybe they just charge up the wrong way on the next street. After all it is Mexico and here, no one gets in the way of the buses. They know they are bigger and they will run right over you. Although the dancers and singers are not really professional, some were really good. All of them had fantastic costumes. On the final day, the stage was set up like an altar and the church choir sang. They are good enough to perform at the Performing Arts Theater. All year I will sit up on my deck and listen to the choir.
Then in the middle of the festival, we had a little "dust up" with the local drug cartel. The state of Jalisco (which covers Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta) arrested a major drug lord. The cartel was pissed and declared war on Jalisco. They bombed banks and gas stations (why those two, we do not know) Since it was a Holiday all the businesses were closed, so no one was hurt or injured. They also set fire to some police cars (most of this in Guadalajara). Now, before you say "I told you so !" It was not as bad as Fuergeson or Baltimore, and I would rather live here.
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Still it did unnerve some people and some bars closed that night. My friend Filiipe was to bring his wife and kid over that night. He called and said they were staying home and he thought that the festival might shut down as well.
No such luck. It ran past midnight that night. As I thought about it, all the drug dealers here are "Good Catholics" so this was probably the safest place in town. In a day things calmed down, I guessed that drug cartel thought they had made their point. No, it wasn't that. The drug lord somehow "escaped" from the Guadalajara jail. Who knew ?? On the last night I invited a group of friends over for pizza to watch the fire works. They were even more spectacular. It was the fortieth year for the church, so they went all out. A structure over four stories tall is erected in front of the church. It is covered with fireworks displays that went on for a good half hour. For the finale, the top blows off into the air and fireworks rained down on us for several more minutes directly overhead. During this display all of the bells on the church are ringing. It was something.
It was after 1:00am before I got to bed, but got up at my usual early hour and almost everything was gone. I was so tired I did not even hear the noise. I plan on going to bed early tonight.
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