A wide, clean gallery view with vibrant art and strong lighting

🎨 Benito’s Big Weekend: Artwalk Rosarito Doubles Down on Culture

Cancel your beach nap. You’ve got plans. Artwalk Rosarito returns May 24–25 at CEART Playas de Rosarito, and this year it’s not just another art fair—it’s a full-on cultural upgrade.

Originally a modest setup of scattered tents, the event has now evolved into a polished pavilion experience. That leap is thanks to the bold vision of Benito del Águila, a local artist turned cultural architect. His mission? Elevate Rosarito’s creative scene and give artists the platform they deserve.

So yes—Benito, we see you. Turning creative chaos into a structured, inspiring space takes more than talent. It takes guts and community spirit, and you’ve brought both.

Now, for those coming from the U.S., this is your Memorial Day weekend excuse to skip the BBQ and head south. Instead of traffic jams and outlet sales, you’ll get art, music, and color—just a quick ride from the border.

Art That Crosses Borders (Without a Visa)

At the heart of the event is the featured exhibition “The Line That Connects: Cross-Border Connections.” It brings together over 50 artists who explore what it means to live between worlds. Sculpture, painting, photography, and textiles all blend into a collective narrative—no passport required, just curiosity.

You’ll walk through works that speak not just to identity, but also to resilience, memory, and connection.

In addition to the visual spectacle, visitors can enjoy live performances, poetry readings, and an enigmatic gastronomic area. And yes, we said enigmatic. Will it be tacos? A churro? Something that comes wrapped in banana leaves or just bacon?

No spoilers here—but odds are your cravings will thank you.

To top it off, the music lineup promises a mix of soloists, orchestras, and folk ballet. Picture yourself listening to a string quartet while sipping agua fresca, surrounded by Baja’s boldest creativity. Doesn’t sound too bad, right?

The Real Star? Baja.

Big names like Francisco Javier Macías Rosales will definitely draw attention, but the real power of Artwalk lies in its range. It’s not about one headline artist. It’s about the 90+ creators showing up with paint, metal, textiles, and pure Baja soul.

Why go to L.A. for a gallery when Baja’s beating heart is creating masterpieces right here?

🗓️ Plan Your Weekend Like a Pro:

📍 CEART Playas de Rosarito

📆 May 24–25

🎟️ Free entry

🐾 Pet-friendly

🎨 90+ artists and countless reasons to show up

Final thought? Don’t just come for the sea view—come for the local vision.

Benito laid down the canvas. Now it’s our turn to bring the crowd.

Tijuana Talent at Harvard

Benito Del Águila Takes Border Culture to Harvard

—No Wall Can Hold Back Art

Harvard might be thousands of miles from the border, but last week it got a strong taste of Baja’s cultural flavor thanks to artist and cultural promoter Benito Del Águila. He brought the borderlands to the Ivy League during the symposium “Distant Neighbors or Regional Partners?”—a heavyweight gathering at Harvard University reflecting on U.S.–Mexico relations under two new administrations.

While academics, investigative journalists, Indigenous community leaders, and even a coalition of borderland mayors tackled migration and trade, Benito came with brushes, vision, and something Harvard hadn’t seen much of lately: borderland soul.

His talk focused on the power of art as a form of cultural diplomacy. According to Benito, it’s not about red tape or policy—art gets things done the old-fashioned way: by bringing people together. He shined a spotlight on the Tijuana–San Diego art community and how it’s been building bridges way before the diplomats got around to it.

Del Águila didn’t just theorize—he showed real-life examples of how the arts are opening dialogue and encouraging mutual respect between Mexico and the U.S. He also promoted “La Línea que Une – Conexiones Transfronterizas”, an exhibit featuring over 50 artists from both sides of the border who reflect on life in a binational community.

That show is part of Artwalk Rosarito 2025, which, if you haven’t been, is not just a walk—it’s a cultural sprint across gallery spaces that’s fast becoming the go-to art event of the region.

Benito’s participation at Harvard didn’t go unnoticed. Outlets like Flash Cultural Tijuana echoed the event, highlighting his role in pushing for deeper cross-border understanding through creativity and cultural connection.

It wasn’t just about showing off pretty pictures. It was a reminder that culture—unlike certain policies—actually crosses borders. Through art, music, and shared stories, Benito made it clear: when creativity leads the way, people follow.

And while Washington figures out which neighbor gets what, artists like Del Águila are already living in the future—one where Mexico and the U.S. aren’t distant at all.

At the Gringo Gazette North, we say skip the red tape—pass the paintbrush. Benito’s brushstrokes just hit Harvard, and Baja’s voice is louder than ever.

#Harvard

Ensenada – San Diego Ferry Service Set to Sail in Five Months

Get ready to mark your calendars! The long-awaited Ensenada to San Diego ferry service is set to launch in just five months, promising a scenic and efficient new way to cross the border. Kurt Ignacio Honold Morales, the Secretary of Economy and Innovation of Baja California, has announced that all environmental hurdles have been cleared, with the necessary engines, which meet California’s strict standards, already purchased and on their way.

This maritime link, operated by Azteca Ferries, will offer daily round trips capable of transporting 330 passengers. The project, a collaborative effort between various governmental bodies including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Coast Guard, aims to provide a faster, more enjoyable alternative to the traditional border crossing methods.

Priced between $30 to $50, though not yet finalized, the ferry is viewed not just as a tourist attraction but as a crucial infrastructural expansion that will enhance bi-national cooperation. The service will initially cater only to passengers, with potential future expansions to include vehicle transport, turning the ports of Ensenada and San Diego into bustling hubs of activity.

Daily Border-Crosser Finds Two Migrants in His Trunk

Cesar is one of the many employees who work in San Diego but live in Tijuana, and who almost got himself in trouble unknowingly.

In the early morning hours of that day, Cesar was driving toward the border to cross and get to work but that day something felt weird in his car, as if something was moving.

“On my drive to the border I felt like the whole car was moving”, he says.

“It got to the point where I had to pull over, I was nervous of opening the trunk, and when I opened it, my surprise was that there were two persons inside”, he added.

Cesar was a victim of a group of people traffickers that are putting migrants in the trunk of unsuspecting daily-crossers and charge hefty amounts for it.

When Cesar asked the migrants who had put them in there, they answered that they didn’t know, they didn’t know they were in Tijuana, they were just told they were being taken to Los Angeles.

Fortunately for Cesar he was able to find out about his “hidden cargo” before getting to the border, others have not been so lucky. When he checked surveillance video, he saw that at 3AM someone pulled over next to his car, opened his trunk and had the migrants get in there.

We had reported before that this was happening with drugs, but now it’s also happening with people.

Just last week, a popular soccer player from the Xolos team, was detained at the border when crossing after two women were found hidden in his car. He claims he didn’t know that they were there but at the moment it’s unclear if this is true or not, and he is still detained. The two ladies said they were going to pay 18,000 USD for crossing, but they said they didn’t know the person crossing them.

Authorities are recommending checking the backseat, trunk and around the tires of your car if you are planning to cross the border and make it a regular habit to avoid being a victim of this kind of crime.

With information from Uniradio Informa

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