MAR 3: Night of the Witches (Noche de Brujas)–Catemaco, Veracruz. Is modern medicine getting you down? Need a cure or are you just a bit curious? The small lakeside town of Catemaco, referred to as the mecca of witch doctors, attracts thousands of people seeking non-conventional healing methods, and many swear by the results. Taking place the first Friday night of March every year, the annual gathering is a spectacle of witches, healers, magicians and wizards.

MAR 5: LALA International Marathon Torreon 2006—Torreon, Coahuila. Torreon will host thousands of national and international runners in one of the most important and traditional marathons in Mexico. This year, the 17th LALA International Marathon winners will be selected for the World Cup Marathon in Helsinki 2005, the fist places in each category will also receive $250,000 pesos. www.maratonlala.org

MAR 3 –APR 2: International Nautical Festival Vallarta 2006–Nueva Vallarta, Nayarit. Four-day event in the Bahía of Banderas (Flag Bay) featuring sailing and a variety of beach activities. Fun for the entire family.

MAR 3-5: Corona Rally Mexico–Guanajuato State. The cities of Guanajuato, Silao and Leon in Guanajuato State will host the 2006 Corona Rally, a two-day race covering 600 miles of central Mexico’s majestic plateaus and mountains in 15 legs of intense off road driving. This time, the León-based event will feature a new and spectacular stage on the outskirts of the city. Not to be missed is the wide array of festivities that always accompany the rallies. Traditional dance, music and food promise to put the Mexican spirit into this event. www.rallymexico.com

MAR 13-20: Xochimilco Festival–Xochimilco, Mexico City. Held annually two weeks before Easter, this four-day event dates back to precolonial times when Mexicans honored the goddess of flowers (Xochipilli) and the goddess of dance (Maculxochitl) to ensure good harvests. Every year, a young woman is crowned La Flor Mas Bella del Ejido (the most beautiful flower of the land) who presides over colorful parades on flower-decorated barges along Xochimilco’s famed canals.

MAR 16-19: 5th International Motorcycle Festival–Saltillo, Coahuila. Saltillo welcomes hundreds of riders to this unique event, just a three hours’ ride from Texas. www.amoden.com

MAR 17-21: Tajin Summit (Cumbre Tajin)–Tajin, Veracruz. This festival evokes the spring season (a time of renovation) and celebrates the archeological sites and natural beauty of Veracruz. The central theme of Tajin 2006 is the Ritual. www.cumbretajin.com

MAR 21: Spring Equinox (Equinoccio de la Primavera)—Chichen-Itza, Yucatan. Thousands of people from around the world gather at this Mayan ruin on the Yucatan peninsula to witness the afternoon shadow of the snake-god Kukulcan slowly “crawl down” the country’s largest Mayan pyramid, El Castillo.

MAR 23-26: II International Forum on Solidary Tourism and Fair Trade – Chiapas A great international meeting mainly built to make reflect and help to create alternatives, including ecological conservation, cultural awareness, social impartiality by establishing strong relationships between producers and consumers. For more information, please visit: http://www.fits.chiapas.gob.mx/

MAR 24 -31: Guadalajara Film Festival–Guadalajara, Jalisco. Now in its 21st year, this contemporary film festival is the oldest and most important film festival in Mexico, offering the best selection of Mexican and Ibero-American films of the year. The festival features a variety of films including feature-length films, shorts, documentaries and children’s films. www.guadalajaracinemafest.com.

MAR 25 – APR 8: XXII Mexico City Festival (XXII Festival del Centro Historico)–Mexico City, Mexico. Regarded as one of Latin America’s most vibrant celebrations of art and culture, this two-week festival features diverse events including opera, concerts, theater, art exhibits, dance productions and gourmet fare. More than a million local and international spectators will flock to Mexico City for the festival, and proceeds go toward the rescue and restoration of the art and architecture of Mexico City’s historic downtown area. www.fchmexico.com

MAR 26-APR 2: Zihuatanejo Internacional Guitar Festival – Ixtapa – Zihuatanejo, Guerrero. The event runs from Sunday through Sunday, with daily events throughout the week. A great opportunity to visit the beautiful beaches, the warm ocean breezes, the charm of a sleepy fishing village on one of the most beautiful and unspoiled bays in Mexico. For more information, please visit: www.zihuafest.info/

MAR 31 – APR 18: The Cuernavaca Fair (Formerly known as: La Feria de la Flor / The Flower Fair)–Cuernavaca, Morelos. This fair fills Cuernavaca’s streets with flower booths and gardening competitions. At night, everyone gathers at the main plaza for a laser light show. Pay a visit to the famous Borda Gardens, once the residence of Emperor Maximillian and his wife Carlota.