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Festival

Festival de Mexico en el Centro Historic

The largest of all cultural festivals taking place in Mexico. A largely open-air festival featuring musical nights, theatrical performances, dance and drama, and exhibitions of contemporary and modernistic visual arts. Also includes activities for children. Some family activities are free to participate in. The festival progresses as a series of events held at various venues throughout the city.

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Overview & visitor information

Festival de Mexico en el Centro Historic

The largest of all cultural festivals taking place in Mexico. A largely open-air festival featuring musical nights, theatrical performances, dance and drama, and exhibitions of contemporary and modernistic visual arts. Also includes activities for children. Some family activities are free to participate in. The festival progresses as a series of events held at various venues throughout the city.

Contact Address: Festival de México en el Centro Histórico Benjamín Franklin 176 Col. Escandón, C.P. 11800 México, D.F.

Website: http://festival.org.mx/main/home Email: [email protected] Phone:+52 55    5277 9697 5277 9817 2614 2241 Fax:    5272 5471 Dates held: The 27th annual festival will be held from 10th to 27th April 2009. Tickets: 300 pesos.

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Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival

Activity

The MICFF promotes budding directors and film makers in the city. Initiated in 2004, this event was an instant hit and drew in crowds from all over the city, also attracting a significant number of international enthusiasts. Aimed at putting México City on the map of modern cultural hotspots, this festival is for everyone who likes to be associated with cinema and film, whether it is creating, viewing, rating, or just criticizing for fun. Screenings of various genres of film, ranging from documentaries to pure imaginative fiction, discussion groups and interview sessions with the film makers, and competitions for amateur film makers are the main highlights of this festival.

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Festival de Mexico

Activity

Usually held in mid-March every year, this is a music and arts festival that promises a pleasant change of taste from just another ordinary arts festival. Renowned national and international names in the music and performance industry gather around to perform in the city’s squares, parks, and palaces. With theatrical shows, dance performances, musical nights, and exhibitions of paintings and literary works, this festival has something to match everyone’s taste. It also has special evening shows for children and families.

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International Contemporary Art Fair Mexico City

Activity

Got a fine taste for art? Or a taste for the fine arts? This art exhibition is a sure delight for any art lover. An exclusive artist’s event, the ICAF caters to well-established as well as emerging talent. Display booths categorized according to the artists’ experience, into different sizes, collectively covering an area of around 10’000 sq m, including a Publications Sections that caters to photographic and video displays by national as well as international media. Special booths are sometimes also arranged for solo projects by eminent artists. Some shows of the exhibition might include trips to local museums and cultural centers.

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San Ángel Flower Festival

Activity

date:16-26 July San Angel Flower Festival has roots deep in tradition. It began in the ancient times when inhabitants of Mexico City worshipped numerous gods one of which is Xiuhtecuitl, the God of the Flowers. The San Angel Flower Festival is held in honor of Xiuhtecuitl and to seek a productive season for flowers and fruits. The festival comprises of various neighborhood-level events arranged in streets, churches, and other places of cultural significance. A wide variety of some of the finest of Mexico’s flowers are up for sale. And like all festivals of a lively city, this event also features live street performances and street parties open for free to every fun-loving person! The festival is held from 16-26 July every year. Website: http://feriadelasfloresdesanangel.blogspot.com/

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Independencia (Independence Day)

Activity

Date: 15, 16 September The Independence Day celebrations in Mexico City are a sight to behold! And for the extensive traveler, these celebrations are unlike any other Independence Day celebrations around the world. The history of Mexico is filled with heroes real and legendary, and this celebration pays homage to the heroes that helped Mexico gain independence from the Spanish colonial administration.

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Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

Activity

Date: 2 November A festival that sure sounds spooky but forms an important part of the spiritual beliefs of every Mexican is the Dia de los Muertos, the equivalent of Halloween in Mexico. Entrances to homes are adorned with skeletons and small bones, believed to attract (and invite) relatives who have passed away, so that they may come into the family home to spend a few hours with their loved ones. The day starts with visits to graveyard, where graves are tidied up and ornamented with fresh flowers, and special prayers are said for the deceased. Marigolds and favorite food and drinks of the deceased are also laid by the grave. Processions are also taken out in the city’s streets in remembrance of the dead, with props, flowers, and costumes.

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Día de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe

Activity

Date: 11-12 December Dedicated pilgrims from all around the globe come to pay their respects to the patron saint of Mexico, the Virgin of Guadalupe, at her Basilica in the north of the city. Performances by Conchero players and festive dancing fills the city squares from the morning of the 11th and continues all through the night into the next day, and goes on till the evening of the 12th, where feasts mark the end of the celebrations.

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Plaza de la Constitución (El Zócalo)

road

The third largest public square in the world. A display of some of the city’s finest monuments, including the impressive National Palace and the Metropolitan Cathedral. Contains a large Mexican flag in the center of the square, believed to be the overseer of unity within the Mexican Republic. A large variety of social and cultural events takes place here, ranging from the wildest concerts to the wildest political demonstrations. This plaza is the central point of the historic district, a place you should start your journey from and regroup at, at the end of the day, as it centrally links all of Mexico City and its important landmarks.

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National Palace (Palacio Nacional)

Palace

A palace echoing with the grandeur of the colonial Spaniards. It served as the residence of the Spanish Viceroy until the Spanish were overthrown and Mexico gained independence, when it gained the status of the President’s House. Today, however, it serves as a gallery space for some of Diego Rivera’s murals, which take you on an epic journey through the history of Mexico, from pre-colonial to the present day city. Free entrance and free tours in English are provided to groups - ask for them at the reception desk.

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Metropolitan Cathedral

Churches

An absolute delight for the history-lover! Experience a different kind of Spanish architecture, comprised of the European High Renaissance merged with some elements from the remains of Islamic architecture back in Spain, namely domes and square towers. The building presents a beautiful façade, and the interior is none the less charming, and it is at times difficult to comprehend what style of architecture it actually belongs to – classical set within vernacular Mexican? An odd context, perhaps, but the impact of the entire construction is so intense and so mystifying that it makes for at least a good couple of hours well-spent studying and photographing it. A must-visit for history and architecture geeks! Admission is free, and for a small charge of 12 pesos you are allowed to visit the upper levels of the bell towers for breathtaking panoramic views of the public square and capture amazing skylines from a bird’s eye view.

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Templo Mayor

Temple

The site for an ancient temple built by the Aztecs at Tenochtitlan, and destroyed subsequently by the invading Spanish armies, who then built a cathedral at the site. The buried temple chambers were discovered by accident in 1978, and the site was soon reclaimed as a heritage site. Now you can actually see the layers of Aztec construction as you walk down the excavated site. A modern museum, the Museo del Templo Mayor, houses many of the archaeological artifacts dug up at the site, and makes for an interesting visit for children and adults alike. Admission to the museum is 48 pesos, but is free for students, and children under 12.

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Museo Nacional de Arte

Museum

Address: No. 8 Tacuba, Col. Centro, Mexico City. Phone: 5130 3400 Fax: 5130 3401 Website: http://www.munal.com.mx/ Timings: Tuesdays to Sundays: 10 am to 530 pm Admission: 30 pesos Tuesdays to Saturdays. Free admission on Sundays.

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Museo Franz Mayer

Museum

Address: Hidalgo 45. Centro Histórico, México D.F. 06300 Phone: 5518 2266 Fax: (55) 5521-2888 Website: http://www.franzmayer.org.mx/ingles/index.html Email: [email protected] Timings: Tuesdays to Sundays 10 am to 5 pm. Admission: Adults 45 pesos Students and Teachers 25 pesos (with ID) Free admission for children under 12 seniors over 65 Franz Mayer Museum members ICOM members

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Paseo de la Reforma

road

A walk along this pleasant avenue would reveal the true diversity within such a complex metropolitan district – from the quiet, ancient residential blocks to the towering, glowing buildings, and businesses that have recently sprung up, lending a different touch of color and taste to a secluded aspect of colonial architecture.

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Angel de la Independencia

monument

A monument serving as a symbol of pride for the Mexican nation, located on the Paseo de la Reforma. The Angel was built in 1910 to mark the 100th anniversary of the beginning of the Mexican War of Independence. Needless to say, the site offers all kinds of crazy photo opportunities, at different times of the day, and with different background environments!

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Fuente de la Diana Cazadora

Fountain

A beautiful fountain-sculpture of Diana, which depicts her aiming her arrow at an invisible target, it makes for amazing opportunities for photography in conjunction with the city’s skyline in the background.

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La Valentina (Mexican)

Address: Av. Presidente Masarik 393, Col. Polanco, Mexico City Phone: 55/5282-2297

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Benkay (Japanese)

Address: Campos Elíseos 204, Col. Polanco, inside Hotel Nikko, Mexico City Phone: 55/5283-8700 Timings: Lunch and dinner only

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Cambalache (Argentinean)

Address: Arquímedes 85, Col. Chapultepec Morales, Mexico City Phone: 55/5280-2080 55/5282-2922 Timings:

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Chez Wok (Chinese)

Address: Tennyson 117, Col. Polanco, Mexico City Phone: 55/5281-3410 55/5281-2921

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Specia (Polish)

Address: Amsterdam 241, at Michoacán, Col. Condesa, Mexico City Phone: 55/5564-136 Timings: Lunch and dinner, reservations advised as may get very crowded

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Thai Gardens (Thai)

Address: Calderón de la Barca 72, Col. Polanco Chapultepec, Mexico City Phone: 55/5281-3850

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Hostería de Santo Domingo (Mexican)

Address: Belisario Dominguez 72, Col. Centro, Mexico City Phone: 55/5510-1434 55/5526-5276 Timings: Breakfast, lunch and dinner 8 am to 10 pm