Festival GEMA Created to Strengthen San Miguel de Allende’s Position as a Gastronomic and Cultural Destination
With the goal of strengthening San Miguel de Allende’s position as one of Latin America’s leading gastronomic and cultural destinations, the GEMA Festival has been created. This new platform brings together gastronomy, winemaking, mixology, art, and culture, and its first edition will take place from August 26 to 30 in the city recognized as the world’s most beautiful city for the third consecutive year.
During the presentation of the platform, Héctor Aguilar Uriarte, President of CANIRAC San Miguel de Allende, explained that GEMA was created to promote the city’s gastronomic, wine-making, artistic, and creative talent while reinforcing San Miguel de Allende as one of Mexico’s premier gastronomic and cultural destinations.
San Miguel de Allende Will Showcase the Best of Gastronomy, Winemaking, Art, and Culture Across Latin America
“GEMA represents a new chapter for San Miguel de Allende. In this first edition, we project the arrival of 62,500 visitors and an estimated economic impact of 351 million pesos. These figures reflect the coordinated efforts of CANIRAC, the private sector, and the municipal and state governments, united by a common vision: strengthening San Miguel de Allende’s position as a world-class tourism, gastronomy, and cultural destination,” Aguilar Uriarte said.
Claudia Ramírez del Palacio, National Executive President of CANIRAC, highlighted gastronomy as a driver of economic development, cultural identity, and tourism promotion in the city, emphasizing its importance within GEMA.
“Every dish tells a story. It speaks of our roots, our communities, and the richness of our ingredients, while also representing the effort of an industry that generates more than 2.5 million direct jobs and supports the livelihoods of thousands of Mexican families. Promoting festivals like GEMA means much more than organizing an event—it means preserving our heritage, creating opportunities, strengthening the entire value chain, and continuing to position Mexico as an international gastronomic leader.”
During the announcement, participants also included Ramón Vélez, President of Uva y Vino de Guanajuato; Rosenda Ruiz, CANIRAC Vice President of Public Relations; and artist Cecilia García Amaro, one of the festival’s featured participants.
Over the course of five days, restaurants, hotels, vineyards, galleries, and public spaces will host special dinners, culinary experiences, mixology routes, wine tastings, artistic installations, and cultural events, with the objective of establishing San Miguel de Allende as a destination where tradition, creativity, and innovation coexist.
During the presentation of the first GEMA Festival, Tania Castillo, Director of Tourism and Economic Development for the Municipality of San Miguel de Allende, reaffirmed the municipal government’s commitment to initiatives that strengthen the city’s economic, cultural, and tourism development.
“One of our mayor’s primary objectives has been to unite different sectors and strengthen the partnership between private enterprise and the municipal government. The GEMA project has our full support as we continue demonstrating why San Miguel de Allende is the Best City in Mexico and the World. GEMA is a platform that strengthens the destination through its Gastronomy, Winemaking, Mixology, Art, and Culture—a destination that is not only talked about, but experienced.”
Key Information
To view the complete program, explore all festival experiences, and purchase tickets for GEMA, visit the festival’s official website.
Source: milenio
