Venados Baseball Games

Haven’t been to a baseball game here yet? Let me ‘splain: Missing are the astronomical prices, tight behavioral rules and elitist fans; here, baseball is a family affair, food and drink can be brought in (although snacks and beer are so cheap there’s really no reason to), and all-around camaraderie is the order of the day. A dozen home games are scheduled for December, so there’s no reason you can’t make it to at least one. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 5, 6 and 7, Mazatlán’s beloved Venados take on Culiacán – a passionate rivalry that guarantees a highly enthusiastic crowd. Mid-week games start at 8 p.m. and weekend games at 6, although those in-the-know arrive an hour or so before. Tickets range from $15 for bleacher seats to $110 for a box (That’s in pesos!) and can be bought online at www.venadosmazatlan.com through Ticketmaster, or at the Teodoro Mariscal Stadium, Avenida Gaviotas Fracc. Any local can tell you where the stadium is. Batter up!

14 Corrida de Toros

It’s the first bullfight of the year and a celebration of the 21st anniversary of the Forcados Mazatlecos’ famous fight with not one, not two, not even three, but four bulls in the ring at once. For those who enjoy them, this corrida promises to be extra-spectacular, with the blue-eyed, blond-haired third generation rejoneador from San Luís Potosí, Jorge Hernández, dazzling the adoring crowd with his breathtaking repartee with the bulls. Of course, he’s aided by his bevy of beautiful trained horses whose specialized gaits and moves are just amazing to watch. The forcados, led by our own René Tirado, will undoubtedly add their own courageous antics to the mix. 5 p.m. Tickets: $70-$100, available in advance at La Tertulia, Belisario Dominguez & Constitucion in Centro, or day-of at Plaza de Toros, Eduardo Fontanet Stadium on Rafael Buelna.

5 Jane Saborio

Award-winning local artist Jane Saborio works in a mixed medium of oil, watercolor and acrylic, creating impressionistic kaleidoscopes of color on canvas and also on her trademark white dinner plates. Colombian by birth, but known internationally in Canada, France, England, Japan and the U.S., her new show, “Mexico, Colores de Mi Alma,” features some of her favorite subjects: the architecture of Old Mazatlán, Copala and El Quelite, marinescapes and flowers, particularly the colorful hibiscus. Through January 15, 2009. Opening is Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. Gallery Angela Peralta Theater, Plazuela Machado. Free. www.laorquideaart.com.

5, 6 Nutcracker

What’s Christmas without the Nutcracker? Mazatlán’s Municipal School of Classical Ballet performs the classic ballet accompanied by Tschaikovsky’s music with all the gorgeous sets and rich costuming this show deserves. 8 p.m. both nights, Angela Peralta Theater, Plazuela Machado. Tickets at box office, $100, $150, $200. Info: www.culturamazatlan.com.

31 Nacho Millan

This annual New Year’s Eve party has an unbeatable lineup: the beachfront setting, castillos (fireworks) on every side, and music from the ever-popular Nacho Millan y his orchestra. Folks come from all over the country - last year there were almost 900 people – so you’d do well to get your tickets right when they go on sale Dec. 8. A surf-and-turf dinner is included in the cost, as is the open bar, dancing galore and the requisite countdown at midnight in ingles or espanol, as you like. 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. Tickets: $750 each, available at the Playa Mazatlan, Avenida Playa Gaviotas #202, Golden Zone. Info: 989-0555, x34.

Daily “The Christmas House”

Maybe I’m just a sucker for a good time, but whatever the case, the house on Calle Miguel Aleman, just off the malecón in the north end of Olas Altas, makes me - and many, many others - smile each time we pass by. It’s an over-the-top mass of Christmas lights, decorations and accoutrement, complete with blinking, moving parts, several waving Santas, a 10-foot inflatable snow globe, holiday merry-go-rounds, and more. The best time to go, of course, is after dark, when the many hundreds of tiny colored lights can be seen and appreciated in their full twinkling glory. Free.

19, 20 Gala Navidena

Create new memories or rekindle old ones with a concert of traditional Christmas music and song performed by the Mazatlán Symphonette, directed by Joseph DeVries, and the Angela Peralta Choir. All participants and soloists are local residents. 8 p.m. both nights. Angela Peralta Theater, Plazuela Machado. Tickets at box office: $180, $220, $280.

The M! List

• Ballet Folklórico Sinaloense, - Dec. 1, 6 p.m. On the malecon in Olas Altas, Sanchez Taboada Glorieta. Free.
• First Fridays ArtWalk - Dec. 5, 4-8 p.m., Centro. www.artwalkmazatlan.com.
• International Film Festival - Dec. 5-7, Angela Peralta Theater, Plazuela Machado. Info: www.culturamazatlan.com or box office.
• Mariachi Vargas – Dec. 17-18, “World’s Best Mariachi Band.” Dec. 17 at the Angela Peralta Theater and Dec.18 in a free performance on the malecon in Olas Altas, Sanchez Taboada Glorieta.
• Campeonato Invernal de Surfing - Dec. 18-19, Sinaloa State Surfing Association final competition, Playa Bruja.
• Fireworks – Midnight, Dec. 31. A sky-show on the beach in front of Valentino’s and Playa Mazatlan. Free.