A 20-min sound-and-light show displays the history of Mexico across the stone facade of San Miguel's Parroquia church on weekend nights during the bicentennial celebrations. (Photo courtesy of Ricardo Vidargas)
As September draws near, Mexico is preparing for the “fiestas patrias,” the annual celebration of the country’s independence from Spain. This year, the celebrations will be grander than usual, as 2010 marks the bicentennial of the famous “el Grito,” the cry for independence that rang out in the city of Dolores Hidalgo, just 20 min by car northwest of San Miguel. Festivities are already underway.
The New York Times recently featured a good review of the sights and historic stops along the newly designated “Ruta 2010” (probably best translated as “Mexico’s Freedom Trail”), which links San Miguel with Dolores Hidalgo and Guanajuato, three cities that all played an important role in the independence movement. You can see the full article at the URL link included at the bottom of this blog post.
In addition, besides the parades and fireworks, a special sound-and-light show representing the history of Mexico will be displayed across the facade of San Miguel’s beloved Parroquia church every Friday and Saturday night at 9 pm for at least the next two months.
Link to NY Times article: http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/08/22/travel/22Mexico.html
Another article about Mexico’s Freedom Trail (with mention of San Miguel) also appeared on 22 Aug 2010 in the Chicago Sun Times: http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/travel/2621010,mexico-bicentennial-hidalgo-082210.article