Lots of extraordinary things are happening on the Mazatlan arts scene that make the outlook even brighter for local showgoers. First, though, it might mystify you to learn that the Sinaloa Arts Festival of years gone by is now called the Sinaloa Arts Fair. Reason: The state of Sinaloa’s cultural arm, Difocur, doesn’t want its annual fall frenzy of cultural events to sound too high falutin’. Difocur imports a number of performers from the internationally famous Cervantino Festival in Guanajuato and books them to appear in this state’s major population centers. Difocur apparently feels that for people in some of the less sophisticated areas of the state, the word ”fair” sounds much more entertaining than “festival.” Along those lines, Maz-atlan has a new municipal agency for the dissemination of culture called CULTURA. It’s a Spanish acronym to abbreviate references to the Institute for Culture, Tourism and Art. CUL-TUR-A – get it? This new entity combines the functions of both Codetur (the carnaval organizing committee) and Difusion Cultural (cultural affairs). Raul Rico, who was appointed to head CULTURA by Mayor Alejandro Higuera, ought to be able to do the job, seeing as how he pulled off both the International Baseball Championship Series and Carnaval Mazatlan 2005. The two big-time events ran virtually simultaneously in February, and both received resounding applause all around. This despite rain delays that caused massive changes in the carefully planned schedule. Rico’s latest idea is to grow an audience of performing arts lovers who will not only attend arts events in future years but may well be in a position to support them financially. He has arranged for the free presentation of opera to thousands of local students ranging from the primary grades to the university level. They arrive by the busload to the Angela Peralta Theater for daytime performances deliberately shortened to suit a youthful attention span. That’s not all. While for years audiences at the Angela Peralta Theater have bemoaned the lack of participation by showgoers from the outlying communities in the municipality, Rico has decided to bring the entertainment to the people. This year selected performers will put on their shows in the Colonia Juarez, the Colonia Flores Magon, and the towns of Villa Union and La Noria. All told, the Mazatlan Cultural Festival will present 45 events, 35 different shows in 11 locations including three local churches, for some 58,000 people. And, says Rico, more than 60% of them are free to the public. The 11-year-old Mazfest, as the Pacific Pearl has come to call it, is not to be confused with the Sinaloa Arts Fair now in progress. This year’s state-run Sinfair, which opened Oct. 14 and wraps up with a gigantic free concert in the Sanchez Taboada Glorieta on Nov. 18, overlaps the Mazfest schedule (Oct. 11-Dec. 20). All to the better for Mazatlan’s showgoers and tourists, because they have a double menu of arts events to choose from. A perennial Mazfest favorite happens just tonight, Nov. 1, when the customary calle-joneada (public street procession) once again takes place to observe the Day of the Dead. Mexicans consider this a happy time, and it is traditional to remember late loved ones by setting up altars that include the departed person’s favorite food, drink, books and other remembrances.

Open to the public, free of charge, the procession forms at the Plazuela Machado at 7:00 p.m. and wends its way through Old Mazatlan to end up at the Angela Peralta Theater. There in the lobby, staff members from the next-door Municipal Arts Center will exhibit altars they have created specially to illustrate the tradition. Here is the event-by-event calendar of all events from both state and municipal arts fiestas from now through the rest of the year. As usual, while the schedule is pretty well set, there is always the possibility of a few changes and corrections. Check the website: culturamazatlan.com.mx for last-minute information in English and Spanish: NOVEMBER 1 — Callejoneada (public street procession) through Old Maz-atlan, starting at 7:00 p.m. from Plazuela Machado and ending with an exhibit of traditional Mexican altars for the dead in the lobby of the Angela Peralta Theater around 8:00 p.m. 3 — “El Automovil Gris” (The Gray Automobile), a silent Mexican movie from 1919, with piano accompaniment and live actors giving voice to the mute actors on the screen 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 4 — Playlets derived from the works of Cervantes performed by TATUAS drama group from the University of Sinaloa 8:00 p.m., Plazuela Machado 5 — Astillero, a jazz-rock fusion group performs 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 5 — Orlando Valle (“Maraca”), Cuban flautist-pianist-composer, serenades Saturday nighters on the open-air stage 8:00 p.m., Plazuela Machado 9 — Norarte, a group exposition of works by 25 Mazatlan artists, presented in honor of the 25th anniversary of the newspaper Noroeste, is inaugurated 7:00 p.m., upstairs gallery, Angela Peralta Theater 12 - Susana Zabaleta, the actress-singer in a far-ranging musical performance with accompaniment of two pianos 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 18 - Sinaloa Arts Festival closes with a free concert combining the music of the Sinaloa Symphony Orchestra and the Banda El Recodo 7:00 p.m., Sanchez Taboada Glorieta 19, 20 — Mexican National Ballet: “Swan Lake” 8:00 p.m. and noon, respectively, Angela Peralta Theater 26 — “Stars of Tomorrow,” the second annual show in which the most talented students of voice, dance and music compete for scholarships 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 27 — Open studio tour, a group exhibition of works by 20-plus local artists as a prelude to a weekend when the public may visit their studios 7:00 p.m., upstairs gallery, Angela Peralta Theater DECEMBER 3 — “Cuba en mi Corazon” (Cuba in my Heart) An orchestra plays the music of that tropical island 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 5 — Christmas Concert by Mazatlan Youth Symphony 6:00 & 8:30 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 6 — Mainly Mozart, concert performers from the San Diego classical music series 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 8 — Experimental performance by the School of contemporary Dance at Mazatlan Arts Center 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 9 — Jazz by the Mark Aanderud Sextet 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 11 — Concert by the National Polytechnical Institute Orchestra 6:00 & 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 16 — “The Nutcracker,” an entirely new production 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 17 — “The Nutcracker,” in a repeat performance 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 20 — Christmas Gala with the Angela Peralta Chorale 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater 21 — Christmas Gala with the Angela Peralta Chorale 8:00 p.m., Angela Peralta Theater jackie@pacificpearl.com