The News

What You’re Doing this Weekend in Mexico City

Dodgeball match at the Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Japan

THUSDAY

Are you in the mood for a trip? How about a space odyssey? Cinépolis will screen Stanley Kubrick’s magnum opus “2001: A Space Odyssey” Thursday night at Cinépolis Universidad (7:00 p.m.) and Cinépolis Perisur (8:00 p.m.). If you’ve never seen this masterpiece of moviemaking, now’s your chance to experience it. And if you already have, you might want to give it a second look; Kubrick’s films are known to be filled with secrets. Cinépolis will be screening several of Kubrick’s classics throughout September. You can check the schedule here. Tickets cost 79 pesos.

Speaking of space, you can get a glimpse of it in the city’s underground. Metro La Raza is hosting From the Earth to the Moons, a photo exhibition focused on the many moons that orbit planets in our solar system. Pictures of Io, Calypso, Titania and other natural satellites are being shown in the metro station’s hallways, alongside replicas of sketches drawn by Galileo Galilei and moon-related quotes by authors such as Pablo Neruda, Ángeles Mastreta and H.P. Lovecraft. There’s no cost for access, aside from the price of the metro ticket (5 pesos).

Perhaps you feel like doing something less passive. Ping pong sound good? Pong Club will host its eight Ping Pong Nite at the Pinche Gringo BBQ Warehouse. Release your inner Forest Gump in singles and double matches. There’ll also be food, drinks and a live DJ set. The Ping Pong Nite starts at 8:00 p.m. There’s no cost for entry.

FRIDAY

Potter Fans, this one’s for you. Coffee 9 3/4, a Harry Potter-themed café, will open its doors this Friday at 5:00 p.m. Wizards are welcome, and muggles need not worry; their presence will be tolerated. Coffee 9 3/4 can be found at Plaza Corregidora, in Milpa Alta, southwest of the city.

Feel like going to the movie theatre but you’ve grown bored of the normal movie-going experience? You might want to give the drive-in theatre a try. Autocinema Coyote Polanco will screen Disney’s “Little Mermaid” this Friday at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost 250 pesos per vehicle (including pickups). We recommend getting there early to secure a nice spot near the screen.

And if you choose to stay a while longer, you’ll catch the theatre’s midnight horror screening. Which movie will they screen, you ask? That’s a surprise, mind you, and we hope it remains so. The surprise midnight screening will be taking place at Autocinema Coyote Polanco and Insurgentes Sur. The movie starts at midnight. Tickets cost 300 pesos.

SATURDAY

If you’ve been living in Mexico City for a while, you’ve probably visited Teotihuacan at least once. Why not give it another look, this time from above? TuriSky’s offering balloon tours over the archeological site, starting this weekend. The tour costs 2,999 pesos per person (ages eight and up). It includes a balloon ride, transport to Teotihuacan, a coffee break, a flight certificate and traveler’s insurance. Pre-bookings are required; call (55) 514-11360 ext. 2000 to ensure a spot. Transport will depart Saturday and Sunday from Zócalo at 6:15 a.m.

Spain’s Cultural Center will host the Latin Realness Ballroom, a vogue-centered dance competition meant to reinforce Latin American pride and identity. Dance categories will be: Runaway, Old Way and Femme. The competition starts at 7:00 p.m. There’s no cost for entry or registry, and everyone is welcome.

SUNDAY

“My Little Pony: The Movie” will be hitting movie theaters soon. If your children are fans of the show or if you’re a fan of family-oriented outdoors activities, this one might pique your interest. Americas Racecourse will hold a My Little Pony-themed race this Sunday at 8:00 a.m. You can participate in either the three kilometers (1.8 miles) race walk or the five kilometers (3.1 miles) race. Characters from the show will be there to take pictures and deliver an exclusive live performance for fans in attendance. Participants must register online at the Total Running site or at any Innova Sport store. Participant numbers will be handed out on Saturday at the Mars Base Camp from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Registry costs 250 pesos for the 3k race walk and 350 pesos for the 5k race.

If running and cartoon horses aren’t your thing, you can go picnicking too. And if you’re a vegan, well, that’s perfect, because there’ll be a vegan picnic at the Morisco Kiosk this Sunday at 12:00 p.m. Anybody can participate as long as they bring something to the table; no animal products, of course. Also, we recommend bringing your own — preferably non-disposable — dishes. The picnic is pet friendly, and music friendly too, so don’t be afraid of bringing along your guitar or your bongos or your theremin. Non-vegans are welcome too, by the way.

OTHER EVENTS

Mexico’s International Short Film Festival has been making a real effort to promote the consumption and appreciation of short-film cinema, wether national or foreign. Shorts Mexico is one more step towards that goal. Shorts is a week-long event in which around 300 short films will be screened in several theaters around the city. Considering that short films seldom get the love they deserve, maybe you should give it a try. The screening schedule can be found here. Ticket costs vary with each theatre.

Yearning for the jolly-old times of gym class? Why not relive them at Goose Island’s dodgeball tournament? The tournament will happen this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in Constituyentes 876, in Lomas Altas. Gather friends to build your six-member team and take a shot at glory. There’ll be food trucks and live music on site too, in case you want to chill after a well-fought match.