‘You’ll love San Miguel,’ our daughter said. ‘It’s an artsy place.’

That’s what Stephanie said when we told her San Miguel de Allende was our next stop on the retirement tour. Turns out, she was here a few years ago with a group of friends for a wedding. And she was right — there are small art galleries on nearly every street in the Centro. Leslie and I have already been to two concerts and we’re debating about going to the opera next week!

Go just about anywhere in SMA and you’ll see posters advertising the many cultural opportunities here. And every Friday we spend $15 pesos (not quite 75 cents) for a copy of Atención, the weekly English-language newspaper that includes a listing of all the cultural events in town.

There really is something for everybody. Here’s a sample:

• Media Luna, acoustic world music, Restaurante Paprika.
• Magical Kingdom, art opening, The Gallery.
• The Dream Project, a play by Yonder Window Theater Company.
• Javier Estrada, gypsy guitar, La Biblioteca.
• History of Mexico, documentary film at Teatro Santa Ana.

You know we both love classical music. Last week we went to a recital by Misuzu Tanaka, an excellent young pianist with a commanding style. Remember that name — we think she’s going places. And on Thursday night we saw Amit Peled, an Israeli cellist who plays a 1733 cello once owned by Pablo Casals. Amazing performance!

Both concerts were promoted by the local arts group Pro Musica. They are offering two more concerts while we’re here: the concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for a violin recital, and a performance by the Amernet String Quartet (on my birthday).

If classical is not your thing, just wait until next week for the Encuentro Nacional de Jazz. It’s the 14th annual jazz festival, Feb. 7-11 at Teatro Angela Peralta. See? Something for everybody.

Last weekend, the Instituto de Allende — a five-minute walk from our apartment —  hosted a two-day arts and crafts fair. Sure, there was a lot of stuff you would probably see at similar fairs wherever you live. And yes, some of them were expats selling hand-made jewelry. But there were some very nice things, too: wood carvings, paintings, photographs, wearable art. We spent some time there Saturday afternoon but didn’t buy anything. No room in our suitcases!

Finally there’s La Biblioteca. It’s a hotbed of cultural opportunities for expats. You can buy tickets there for most events in the city, and they host some performances, too. There’s an English-language library and a cafe where gringos hang out.

So we’re not starved for something to do here in SMA. On the contrary, we have to figure out which events we want to attend and which we can pass on. And if we were to live here full-time, we could certainly get involved in arts organizations or do volunteer work for some of the many charitable organizations that help families, children and animals.

Next time, more on the cost of living here in San Miguel. There’s good news and bad news. Hasta luego!