The year may be brand new, but visitors to Los Cabos this month will find many of the upcoming regional events seem comfortingly familiar.
Two of the premier annual sporting events return this January, including the signature local golf tournament (the Los Cabos Pro-Am at Cabo del Sol), and what is now the area’s most anticipated windsports competition (the La Ventana Classic).
Top cultural festivals and gatherings this month, too, have well-established roots: the yearly music concert series in Todos Santos dates back, in one form or another, to 2012, making it two years older than the town’s Writer’s Workshop; and the Thursday night Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo is, of course, a staple of the winter (and spring) event calendar.
All are back, and expected to be better than ever in 2018.
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo (Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25)
The historic Distrito del Arte in San Jose del Cabo takes center stage each Thursday evening during high tourist season – November through June – when residents and visitors alike are invited to stroll its cobblestone streets and peruse the many eclectic fine arts galleries. Art Walk hours are 5 to 9 p.m, when the neighborhood comes alive with wine, cheese and guided tours, as well as colorful street artists and strolling mariachis. A chance to check out San Jose’s recent downtown makeover is another reason to make the Thursday night pilgrimage.
Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos (Jan. 11 – 21)
Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck pioneered jam culture in Todos Santos with this annual music festival, which brought in high-profile musicians for performances at the landmark Hotel California, as well as the town’s picturesque main plaza. Buck’s festival went on hiatus after he made some controversial comments about local politics at the 2016 event, but the music lives on. The freshly minted Tropic of Cancer Concert Series premiered in 2017, and returns in 2018 with an all-star lineup headlined by Joan Osborne, The Autumn Defense, The Jag, Cordovas, La Santa Cecilia, Bostich and Fussible from Nortec Collective, Julie Roberts, and La Victoria.
Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament (Jan. 15 – 19)
The most notable golf tournament in a region famed for its spectacular courses returns this January, as Cabo del Sol’s Ocean and Desert Courses play host to the 10th annual Los Cabos Pro-Am. Stay and play packages for the tournament include five days and four nights of accommodation at the Sheraton Grand Hacienda del Mar Golf & Spa Resort, as well as three rounds at the participating courses, plus an invitation to the opening and closing cocktail parties, and daily breakfast at one of Hacienda del Mar’s excellent onsite restaurants. Overall team prizes are another lure for amateurs.
La Ventana Classic (Jan. 17 – 21)
Baja California Sur boasts world-class conditions for many water-based activities: fishing, of course, but also surfing, sailing, diving, kayaking and, seasonally at least, windsports. Each winter, when strong El Norte winds blow down the Sea of Cortez, picturesque East Cape communities like Los Barriles and La Ventana become meccas for windsurfing and kiteboarding enthusiasts. Now that Los Barriles has ended its annual Lord of the Wind Showdown, La Ventana’s “Classic” has become the premier regional competition, with windsurfers, kiteboarders and SUP (stand up paddleboarding) enthusiasts battling the breezes to earn cash and glory in various categories. Proceeds this year are earmarked to benefit local schools.
Todos Santos Writers Workshop (Jan. 27 – Feb. 3)
Best known for its painters, the pueblo magico of Todos Santos is also known as a congenial community for writers…as evidenced by the 5th annual writers’ workshop, which returns to the atmospheric Casa Dracula on January 27th. In addition to its usual collection of seminars and speakers, publishing roundtables and other literary pursuits, the 2018 event marks the premiere of the first-ever poetry workshop. The instructor for this newly minted feature is award-winning poet, translator and journalist Christopher Merrill, who also serves as the director of the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.
For more information about events, activities and villa rentals in Los Cabos, call us TOLL FREE at 1-888-655-4548, visit www.LosCabosVillas.com, or email us at Info@LosCabosVillas.com.
Photo courtesy of the La Ventana Classic.
Upcoming Event Calendar
January
Art Walk In San Jose del Cabo – Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25
Special Dinner ft. Napa Valley Chef Christopher Kostow at One&Only Palmilla – Jan. 5
International Festival of Yoga in Todos Santos – Jan. 5 – 7
Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day) – Jan. 6
Tropic of Cancer Concert Series in Todos Santos – Jan. 11 – 21
Wellness Retreat w/ Cait Fraser at One&Only Palmilla – Jan. 12 – 14; 26 – 28
Los Cabos Pro-Am Golf Tournament – Jan. 15 – 19
La Ventana Classic (Kiteboard and Windsurfing Tournament) – Jan. 17 – 21
Los Cabos Mountain Marathon – Jan. 20
Todos Santos Writers Workshop – Jan. 27 – Feb. 3
February
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22
Todos Santos Open Artists’ Studio Tour – Feb. 10 – 11
Carnaval La Paz – Feb. 8 – 13
Valentine’s Day Dinner at Sunset da Mona Lisa – Feb. 14
Baja Hog Motorcycle Rally – Feb. 21 – 25
March
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – March 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
Todos Santos Film Festival – March 7 – 11
Baja Shakespeare Festival – March 9 – 11, 14 – 17
El Triunfo Arts & Crafts Festival – Date Not Yet Announced
East Cape Arts Festival – March 18
Fiestas Patronales in San José del Cabo – March 14 – 19
Semana Santa – March 25 – 31
Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – March 28 – April 1
Annual Cheese & Wine Festival at Sheraton Hacienda del Mar – Date Not Yet Announced
April
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – April 5, 12, 19, 26
Paws n’ Claws Golf Tournament and Dinner – April 8
NORRA Mexican 1000 – April 20 – 26
Koral Pets Race – Date Not Yet Announced
May
482nd La Paz Foundation Festival – May 3
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
Cinco de Mayo – May 5
El Día de la Madre (Mother’s Day) – May 10
Gastrovino Food & Wine Festival – May 19 – 20
White Party at Blue Marlin Ibiza – Date Not Yet Announced
Rancho Pescadero Yoga, Surf & Nutrition Retreat – May 30 – June 2
June
Art Walk in San Jose del Cabo – June 7, 14, 21, 28
Cabo Comedy Festival – Dates Note Yet Announced
Los Cabos Open of Surf – Dates Not Yet Announced
Cabo Summer Slam/Pelagic Triple Crown of Sport Fishing – Dates Not Yet Announced
Grand Velas Los Cabos Grand Chefs Festival – Dates Not Yet Announced
Fiesta de la Musica – June 21
Stars and Stripes Golf & Fishing Tournament – June 28 – July 1