Festivals and Events

February

Ensenada [1] puts on a good show for Carnaval, during the six days before Ash Wednesday. The festivities include parades, amusement rides, live music, costumes, and lots of food and drink.

April

Thousands of cyclists ride in the Rosarito–Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bicycle Ride (tel. 619/424-6084, www.rosaritoensenada.com [2]) each April. Register online in advance (US$35) or on the day of the event (US$40).

The Tommy Bahama Newport–Ensenada Race (www.nosa.org [3]) is a regatta in which hundreds of yachts sail from Southern California to Ensenada.

June

SCORE International and Tecate beer sponsor the annual Baja 500 (U.S. tel. 818/225-8402, www.score-international.com [4]) off-road race, which starts in Ensenada.

July

Beach volleyball players from all over the world compete for sizable cash prizes in the Baja Volleyball Open (www.bajaopen.com [5]) held at Playa Hermosa.

August

The wine country celebrates the Fiesta de la Vendimía Bajacaliforniana (Baja California Wine Harvest Festival, tel. 646/174-0170, www.caniracensenada.com [6] or www.fiestasdelavendimia.com [7]) with 10 days of wine-tasting, winery tours, and gourmet cooking at the wineries around town and in the Valle de Guadalupe [8]. Admission prices vary by location.

September

J. D. Hussong Baja International Chili Cookoff & Salsa Contest (tel. 646/174-4575, www.hussongs.com/chilicookoff.html [9], US$10) takes place on a Saturday afternoon at the Quintas Papagayo Resort. Chili connoisseurs battle for the opportunity to attend the annual International Chili Society’s World Championship in Omaha, Nebraska. This is one of the most popular events in Ensenada [1] each year.

October

The local restaurant association CANIRAC organizes the popular Feria Internacional del Pescado y el Marisco (International Seafood Fair, tel. 646/174-0448 or 646/174-0435, www.caniracensenada.com [6]), featuring restaurants from Ensenada and as far away as Tijuana [10] and Southern California.

Pro surfers compete in a two-day Mexican Surf Fiesta at Playa de San Miguel [11] (tel. 858/586-9173).

November

The SCORE-Tecate Baja 1000 (U.S. tel. 818/225-8402, www.score-international.com [4]) off-road race takes over much of the Baja Peninsula for a week each November. On alternate years, the course goes all the way to La Paz [12]. If you happen to be driving on Mexico 1 during the week of the race (or the two weeks leading up to it), you’ll see clouds of dust following the motorcycles, trucks, and dune buggies that are on the dirt course. And they’ll probably be traveling much faster than traffic on the paved highway.