As 2025 approaches, lakeside residents have plenty of options to celebrate, from private gatherings and restaurant outings to lively public events in Chapala and Ajijic on December 31 and January 1.

In Chapala, the municipal government will host its traditional New Year’s Eve celebration on Tuesday, December 31. Festivities begin at 8 p.m. in front of City Hall with a captivating video mapping display and an artificial snowstorm.

The celebration continues at the Malecón with an open invitation for attendees to bring their own tables, chairs, food, and beverages. Music will keep the atmosphere lively, culminating in a dazzling fireworks display at midnight from the town pier. Party-goers will also be treated to simultaneous pyrotechnic shows from other lakeside communities, visible from the Malecón.

In Ajijic, the New Year’s Eve revelry starts earlier with a Ballet Folklórico performance on the plaza’s Centro Cultural esplanade at 6 p.m. On January 1, the village carries on its long-standing tradition of welcoming the year with the whimsical Tecoluta Bowl Año Nuevo parade.

The parade, aimed at spreading joy and good spirits for the year ahead, is a friendly competition between neighborhood teams from Calles Francisco Villa and Alvaro Obregón. Weeks of secret planning go into crafting humorous floats, vibrant costumes, and playful antics to delight the crowd.

The parade starts around 1 p.m. at Seis Esquinas, proceeding east along Ocampo, weaving through town, and looping back to the starting point. Afterward, the festivities continue at the Tecoluta soccer field with friendly matches, fostering camaraderie and community goodwill.

Whether you join the Chapala fireworks or enjoy Ajijic’s spirited parade, there’s no shortage of ways to celebrate the dawn of 2025.