Tickets (which sold out before the event) were available at
the restaurant, located here in Loreto Bay, for a couple of weeks before the
event, and the 100 peso charge included a drink and a corned beef “pie”, which
turned out to be a large turnover-type of pastry filled with chunks of potato,
shredded beef and some herb seasonings.
In addition, there would be natchos and other snacks available from the Cantina
kitchen during the event, and, of course, a bar offering beers, wines and some
mixed drinks as well as (to my great enthusiasm) actual Guinness Beer – talk
about authentic!
Headlining the festivities were the locally favorite music group “Los Beach
Dogs”, in their “large band” format, including the original four members with
their latest addition, a bass guitarist, so, not surprisingly, when you combine
food, drink and entertainment with a popular excuse for party, the scene was
set for another memorable night in Loreto Bay!
On Sunday afternoon I headed down the Paseo to check out the
preparations at El Cardon, where one side of the street, centered on the
restaurant, had been blocked off to make room for a stage platform for the
band. Shade tents for a ticket desk and outside
bar, were set up on the street either side of the stage and tables and chairs
were being set up on the restaurant’s patio as well as along the sidewalk and
the street, while the area between the sidewalk and the front of the stage was
left open for dancing, with more tables and chairs filling the street on either
side. During the early afternoon the
“Dogs” were setting up their equipment, while the Cantina Owners Kieran and
Norma with the extra staff hired for the occasion, had turned that part of the
normally quiet Paseo into a hive of activity.
After checking out the preparations I returned home to look
for something green in my wardrobe and get ready for the evening ahead. Fortunately, in a last moment flash of
inspiration, I remembered that I had an unusual souvenir from my past life as a
Calgary Flames (NHL Hockey) fan – a bright green hard hat emblazoned with the
Flaming “C” Logo (“the hardest working fan”) which provided the finishing touch
to my somewhat cross-cultural “wearing of the Green” ensemble! So decked out and carrying my trusty camera –
you never know when a Blog event may happen – I headed off a bit early for the
6:00 pm start time to get a good seat.
By the time I arrived there were several dozen other early
birds claiming tables and getting food and drinks sorted out, while a steady
influx of people arrived over the next hour or so, most of whom were “wearing
the green” in one form or another. The
available seating filled up and more chairs were brought in until the available
space was filled and people were sitting on the curb and standing at the outer
edges of the crowd. The Beach Dogs
cranked it up around 7:00 and soon afterwards the street was full of dancers –
young and old – who kept the place hopping for the rest of the evening.
Once again, Loreto Bay had transformed itself from a relaxed
oasis of “quiet enjoyment” to a happy, friendly all-ages “party zone”, the mood
of which was perfectly reflected by the music and energy of the friends and
neighbors providing the entertainment – for the pure joy of playing the music
they love. Added to this the food and
drink being offered by Kieran and Norma who, by opening the El Cardon Cantina
earlier this season ( http://livingloreto.blogspot.mx/2012/12/el-cardon-mexican-cantina-in-loreto-bay.html) have become a part of this community, even
if they still live in town where their main restaurant is located.
And so the evening progressed, far later than I was able to
participate, being one of the few residents with work responsibilities the next
morning, but by all accounts a grand time was had by all – Faith and
begorrah! Seeing a couple of hundred
people in the community come together and enjoy any excuse to have a party, sharing
in the fun of a evening of food, drink and music together and celebrating the
spirit of St. Paddy’s Day, half a world away from it’s origins in the Emerald
Isle – that is one more reason why we all are “Living Loreto”!
