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Spring brings purple jacaranda blossoms and occasional evening showers to San Miguel, and community activities start to pick up, too.
A volunteer group is planning a special fundraiser to benefit projects for kids, a major mural project is in the works and a long-time San Antonio restaurant is closing. Read on for the details.
Making sure local orphans and school kids aren’t forgotten
A group of San Miguel volunteers organized by Nechelle and Tony Vanias wanted to make sure children in local schools and orphanages receive gifts on their birthdays and for Christmas. Project Remembered was the result.
Alongside other volunteers, they have spent the past few years raising funds, buying what the children request and delivering gifts for their “Cakes and Candles” monthly birthday events and their “Wrapped in Love” holiday celebrations, Nechelle Vanias said.
“This is our third holiday in San Miguel,” she told Mexico News Daily. “We did Casa Hogar for 32 girls ages 4-18, we added Mexiquito and Santa Julia, which are run by the Don Bosco nuns, and, in 2025, we added La Palmita Escuela Primaria, a public elementary school with 60 children, for a total of 110 kids in 2025.”
For Christmas, Wrapped in Love volunteers give the children new sneakers, toys, clothing, a pillow and blanket and chocolate, Vanias said. For the birthday celebrations, Cakes and Candles volunteers bring cakes, gifts, decorations and piñatas for children having their special day.
Additional volunteers are welcome to donate time and/or money to these two projects, Vanias said.
“There are so many people in need, and it’s a great thing to be able to do for others,” she said, adding, “These kids are so grateful for what we give them. The schools have received donations before, but they told us that nobody has ever given them new stuff.”
A fundraiser for Project Remembered will be held on May 14, 5-8 p.m., at the Ilo Rojo Boutique Hotel, Salida Real a Querétaro 136-A. More information is available here and here.
Murals are coming to the Las Cachinches Arroyo
Artists will soon be painting 12 large-scale murals along 90 meters of the Puente Viejo Residential wall next to Las Cachinches Creek and just west of Calzada de la Aurora. The goal is to transform the previously neglected area into an open-air gallery celebrating the arroyo’s history, ecology and enduring presence, according to Audubon de México, manager of the project.
“A lot of people don’t even know it’s there,” said April Gaydos, president of the organization. “It will be a lovely green place for people to walk. It’s important to mention that it’s an area that’s been repeatedly tagged, and murals are a deterrent for tagging. There have been studies done on this. It’s educational as much as creating a place people want to visit.”
The murals will be painted between June 12-14, and people can come and see the artists in action during that time, she said. An inauguration of the murals is planned for June 17.
The completed project will feature an illustrated map showing the arroyo’s journey from Parque Landeta through the city to the Presa, as well as a mural painted by local schoolchildren. The other 10 murals will focus on water, birds, insects, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, plants, trees, moments of wonder, hands for the Earth and cycles of life.
Legacy sponsors include Engel & Völkers, Fundación 11:59:59 and Namuh. Mural sponsors are 100x; Jose Pascual Higueros; Panio; Quince Rooftop; Stephanie and R. Alan Rudy; Cheri Schwarcz, Amy Rothlin and Tiffany Paige of The Agency; and Charlie Volmer. Gaydos said Rosewood San Miguel donated print materials and Comex, a major sponsor, donated acrylic paint for the murals.
San Antonio restaurant to close its doors next month
The Ten Ten Pie al Carbón restaurant at Stirling Dickinson 5 in the San Antonio neighborhood will close up shop next month after 18 years in that location and 33 years in San Miguel.
Juan Villaseñor launched the restaurant as El Ten Ten Pie at Cuna de Allende 21 back in 1993 and moved to the current location in 2008. The restaurant is known for grilled meats, stews, hamburgers, shrimp tacos, salsas and its own Ginger Bell beverage.
A three-day celebration last weekend provided a festive send-off with an elegant dinner to honor the founder; a second night of music, food and drink; and a Family Sunday with games, music and dance, pozole and beer.
Stirling Dickinson has attracted several new eateries lately, plus Restaurant Row is just around the corner on the Ancha de San Antonio. Ten Ten Pie has long been a fixture in that neighborhood and will no doubt be missed by its many fans.
Cathy Siegner is an independent journalist based in San Miguel and Montana. She has journalism degrees from the University of Oregon and Northwestern University.
