Saturday, November 14, 2009, will mark the start of the most important polo tournament in the world, the 116th Argentine Open Polo Championship (Abierto Argentino de Polo, or just "El Abierto"), that will take place until December 5, 2009. This tournament, held every year at the Campo Argentino de Polo in Palermo (Av. del Libertador & Dorrego), brings together the best polo players in the world, and it is one of the oldest and most prestigious events in the international polo calendar. It is also one of the main social events in Buenos Aires.

"Abonos" (full set of tickets for the 7 dates) for the 116th Argentine Polo Open are on sale through Ticketek Argentina until November 13th, 2009. Tickets for the individual matches will continue, subject to availability after the sale of the "abonos", from November 14th to December 5th, 2009. Tickets for the main matches and the best seats can get sold out in just a few hours, specially for the final match on December 5th.

Participating teams:

Zone A:
Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra: Facundo Pieres 10, Gonzalo Pieres (Jr) 10, Pablo Mac Donough 10, Juan Martín Nero 10. Total: 40.
Pilará Piaget: Agustín Merlos 10 , Santiago Chavanne 8, Sebastián Merlos 9, Marcos Heguy 10. Total: 37.
Indios Chapaleufú II: Alberto Heguy (Jr) 8, Ignacio Heguy 9, David Stirling (Jr) 8, Eduardo Heguy 9. Total: 34.
Alegría: Frederick Mannix (Jr) 6, Francisco Bensadón 8, Juan I. Merlos 9, Luke Tomlinson 8. Total: 31.

Zone B:
La Dolfina Peugeot: Adolfo Cambiaso (Jr) 10, Lucas Monteverde (Jr) 10, Mariano Aguerre 10, Bartolomé Castagnola 10. Total: 40.
La Aguada Tupungato Winelands: Javier Novillo Astrada 9, Eduardo Novillo Astrada (Jr) 9, Miguel Novillo Astrada 10, Ignacio Novillo Astrada 9. Total: 37.
Chapa Uno Hope Funds: Rodrigo Ribeiro de Andrade 8, Hilario Ulloa 8, Bautista Heguy 9, Francisco de Narváez (h) 9. Total: 34.
El Paraíso: Guillermo Caset (Jr) 8, Ignacio Toccalino 8, Mariano González 8, Alejandro Novillo Astrada 7. Total: 31.

Fixture:

Date 1
Saturday, November 14 (Zone A):
2:00 PM: Ellerstina vs Alegria (1)
4.00 PM: Pilará vs Indios Chapaleufú II (2)
Results:
Ellerstina 20 - Alegria 15
Pilará 16 - Indios Chapaleufú II 15

Date 2
Sunday, November 15 (Zone B):
2:00 PM: La Dolfina vs El Paraiso (3)
4:00 PM: La Aguada vs Chapa Uno (4)
Results:
La Dolfina 21 - El Paraiso 8
La Aguada 13 -Chapa Uno 9

Date 3
Saturday, November 21: SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN
Date 4
Sunday, November 22: SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN 
Date 3
Friday, November 27: SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN 

New dates:
Date 4
Saturday, November 28 (Zone B)
2:00 PM: La Aguada vs El Paraiso
4:00 PM: La Dolfina vs Chapa Uno
La Dolfina 15 - Chapa Uno 14 

Date 3
Wednesday, December 2 (Zone A)
2:00 PM: Pilará vs Alegria
4:00 PM: Ellerstina vs Indios Chapaleufu II
For organization reasons, the 6th date will be played before the 5th date:

Date 6
Saturday, December 5 (Zone B)
2:00 PM: El Paraiso vs Chapa Uno
Result: El Paraiso 13 - Chapa Uno 12
4:00 PM: La Dolfina vs La Aguada SUSPENDED DUE TO RAIN 

Date 5
Sunday, December 6 (Zone A):
2:00 PM: Alegria vs Indios Chapaleufu II
4:00 PM: Ellerstina vs Pilará

The match suspended on December 5 will be played on:
Monday, December 7
5:00 PM: La Dolfina vs La Aguada

For the first time in its 116 years of history, two 40-goal teams will meet at the final of the Argentine Open. 

Final: Saturday, December 12
5:00 PM: ELLERSTINA vs LA DOLFINA

LA DOLFINA champion of the 116th Argentine Open.
With a golden goal by Mariano Aguerre in the supplementary chukker, La Dolfina defeated Ellerstina in the first 80-goal final in this historic tournament. 

The exhibition Carlos Thays, un jardinero francés en Buenos Aires (Charles Thays, a French Gardener in Buenos Aires), organized by the Buenos Aires government, the French Embassy, the City of Paris, will be held at Centro Cultural Recoleta until December 6, 2009, with free entrance, featuring photographs, models, plans, urban furniture, personal objects and other documents.

Charles Thays was one of the main promoters of the embellishment of urban spaces for the centenary in 1910, and one of the key figures for the protection of the natural patrimony, the production of yerba mate, and the botanical sciences.

Charles Thays was born in Paris in 1849, and died in Buenos Aires in 1934. He was known as the Greatest Gardener of Buenos Aires. He developed his work in Argentina from 1889, adopting it as his own country, studying its natural and cultural heritage.

As Director of Parks of the city of Buenos Aires, Thays designed and remodeled most of its green spaces: the Botanical Garden, the Parks 3 de Febrero, Los Andes, Ameghino, Colón, de los Patricios, Chacabuco, Pereyra, del Centenario, Lezama, Avellaneda and Intendente Alvear, as well as the squares of Congreso, de Mayo, Rodríguez Peña, Solís, Castelli, Brown, Balcarce, among others. He also built gardens in hospitals and other public buildings, and planted over 150,000 trees in the streets of Buenos Aires.

• One life, two continents: explains the private and public life of Thays in two countries: France and Argentina.
• The art of the garden: shows his main public and private designs (squares, parks, and gardens; urbanizations; estancias and residences).
• Science and technics: focused in his activities related to botanics, environment and horticulture.
• Children's corner: specially design for kids, introducing them in the parks of the past.
• Virtual walks, a video installation that takes visitors to the parks of Paris and Buenos Aires
• Exterior garden: a Welcome garden

Location: Centro Cultural Recoleta, Junin 1930

Dates: November 5 - December 6, 2009

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday, 2 pm to 9 pm

Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, 10 am to 9 pm

Free entrance

The program is sponsored by Fundacion YPF, which contributed to the care and restoration of the Rose Garden, planting 5000 new rose bushes, restoring the irrigation systems, the electrical installations, the fountains, pergolas and paths.

Program:

October 4: Juan Falú and Ramiro Gallo. Guitar and violin duo. A mix between folklore and tango.

October 11: String quartet and oboe. Classsical musc concert. Works by Luigi Boccherini, Joan Strauss, Astor Piazzolla, Ennio Morricone, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Pachelbel.

October 18: Django Trío Jazz Concert. Will play own themes and songs by Duke Ellington, Cole Porter, Django Reinhardt and Birelli Lagrene, among others.

October 25: Classical music concert. Wind Trío. Ludwig van Beethoven, José Carli, Wolfang Amadeus Mozart, Eugene Bozza and Eric Satie.

November 1: Diego Schissi Quinteto Jazz Concert. Presenting “Tongo”, a jazz and tango project by Diego Schissi.

November 8: Quinteto Ventarron. Tango concert.

November 15: Wind quinted. Classical Music Concert.

November 22: Mario Parmisano Trio. Jazz

November 29: Classical Music concert (to be confirmed)

December 6: Gabriela Herrera Jazz Quartet

December 13: Guillo Espel Quartet. Folklore

December 20: Duo Gotico. Classical Music Concert.

The Argentina Tennis Cup, sponsored by Peugeot (Copa Argentina de Tenis Peugeot 2009), will be  played this year from December 17th to December 20th, 2009. The matches will take place on the central court of Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, the traditional venue for Argentine Tennis.
This seventh edition of the Peugeot Argentina Tennis Cup will have the presence of some of the best national and international tennis players:

David Nalandian (Argentina)
Juan Mónaco (Argentina)
Marat Safin (Russia)
Carlos Moyá (Spain)
Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus)
Fernando González (Chile)

The Super Six format will be implemented for the first time in this tournament:

• Six participants
• Two zones of 3
• Double elimination

Schedule:
Thursday and Friday: 2 matches, starting 7.00 pm
Saturday (Semifinals): 2 matches, starting 7.00
Sunday (Final): 6.00 pm

Dates: December 17-20, 2009
Location: Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, Av. Olleros 1510, Palermo.
Tickets: On sale through Ticketek Argentina www.ticketek.com.ar

Need help getting tickets? Contact me!

The fourth edition of BAFIM, Buenos Aires International Music Fair (Feria Internacional de la Música), will offer musicians, singers, professionals, entrepreneurs, suppliers, trading companies, press, staff from the industry and visitors in general, a space where they can find stands, attend conferences, workshops, clinics, meetings, and debates, related to the national and international music industry.

BAFIM will be organized into three areas:

Activities for music industry professionals: Music Net is an international business area aimed at specialized visitors. It comprises an “international business space” with a very comfortable working area aimed at all professionals looking forward to arrange business meetings. This sector provides amenities like lounges, PCs with internet access, bars, material watching and listening equipment. Also, those accredited to Music Net will be able to attend previously arranged meetings with some of the most relevant music industry people from around the globe, such as managers, festival organizers, promoters and producers. In addition, in this room there will be talks, conferences, workshops and clinics exclusively targeted to the industry professionals.

Shows: live shows by over 80 Argentine and foreign artists in 3 different stages; rock, pop, reggaeton, reggae, folk, hip hop, meldic, electro and cumbia, are some of the music styles that will be represented, with Hollerado (Canada), Famasloop (Venezuela), Andreia Dias, Zé da Guiomar and Dona Zefinha (Brazil), Annie B. Sweet, Nena Daconte, Pereza, Pony Bravo, Revólver, Xoel López and Manel (Spain), Ana Prada (Uruguay), Peppe Voltarelli (Italy), Pedro Piedra (Chile), Puerto Candelaria (Colombia) and RoCola Bacalao (Ecuador)among the international artists, and Los Cafres, Fidel, La Bomba de Tiempo, Riddim, Mil Astillas, Hijos del Oeste, La Chilinga, Pablo Sbaraglia and Walter Domínguez, from Argentina.

Fair: exhibitions; a shopping promenade offering products related to music at promotional prices; conferences covering a wide range of topics related to music in Buenos Aires and worldwide; exclusive events, interviews, book presentations, record launchings, and other activities.

Dates: November 19th to 22nd, 2009
Location: Centro de Exposiciones Costa Salguero. Av. Costanera R. Obligado y J. Salguero
Buenos Aires Feria Internacional de la Música official website.

ArtFutura, the festival of Digital Culture and Creativity of reference in Spain since 1990, arrives for the  second time in Buenos Aires. It will be held between November 5 and November 8, 2009, at MALBA.
ArtFutura has explored the most interesting projects and ideas that have come up on the international panorama of new media, interactive design, videogames and digital animation. Its activities include conferences, workshops, interactive installations, exhibitions and live performances.
ArtFutura’s Audiovisual Program will be presented in twelve Spanish cities simultaneously: Alicante, Barcelona, Cadiz, Gijon, Granada, Madrid, Murcia, Palma de Mallorca, Pamplona-Huarte, Valladolid, Vigo and Zaragoza. And this year, ArtFutura’s program will also be presented in the MALBA Museum in Buenos Aires in November.
As every year, ArtFutura’s Audiovisual Program 2009 will explore the projects and the most important ideas that have appeared on the international panorama of design, videogames and digital animation. Among its programs: the new selections for the ArtFutura Show and 3D in Spain, documentaries on the work of Chris Landreth, PES and Digital Kitchen, various retrospectives and two new sections: Reality Bytes (dedicated to new documentaries) and Futura Graphics (motion graphics and videoclips). The Dvein studios will present their projects for the first time in Argentina.

Dates: November 5-8, 2009
Location: Malba - Latin American Art Museum. Av. Figueroa Alcorta 3415
Free entrance. Limited Capacity
For more information and program, visit ArtFutura website.

The Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires presents the 6th Edition of La Noche de los Museos - Museum Night 2009, that will take place on November 14, 2009.
Since 2004 one Saturday night the museums of Buenos Aires stay open from 7 PM until 2 AM offering different cultural activities, all of them free of charge, in the same as in other 130 cities around the world.
During this special night visitors will be able to enjoy free guided visits, as well as conferences, shows, theater performances, dance, screenings, video, multimedia, and diverse concerts of classical music, jazz, tango, folk, and rock.
In this edition, over 130 museums and art spaces will be participating, and 4 new neighborhoods will be added to the circuit: Villa Luro, Flores, Colegiales, and Coghlan.

For more information and complete program, visit La Noche de los Museos official website (most of the site in Spanish only).

The Embassy of India in Argentina and the government of the city of Buenos Aires present the Festival of India, intended to promote and portrait the Indian culture in our country. The inauguration will take place on Thursday, November 5th, 2009, at 12 noon, in the Centro Cultural Borges. The rest of the activities in the festival, that will last until November15th, will be held in different venues: Centro Cultural Borges, Hotel Sheraton, the Rose Garden, and Casa de la Cultura, every day of the week from 12 noon to 8 PM.
The festival includes dance and music performances representing different regions of India; Bollywood film festival at Centro Cultutal Borges; painting and photo exhibitions at Casa de la Cultura; workshops and seminars on Indian culture, yoga, ayurveda and meditation; demonstrations of Bollydance; a golf tournamet at the Jockey Club of Buenos Aires on Monday, November 9th; and a gastronomic festival at the Sheraton Hotel (with reservation only, calling 4318-9264).

All the events, except the food festival, are free and open to the public.

Dates: November 5 through November 15, 2009
Locations:
Centro Cultural Borges: Viamonte & San Martín
Casa de la Cultura: Avenida de Mayo 575

To see the complete program and schedule, visit: www.indembarg.org.ar/

After the reschedule for rain, the 5th edition of the All Star Polo Match (Partido de las Estrellas - Copa Park Tower) will be played on Sunday, November 8, 2009, at 4 PM at the main course of San Isidro Jockey Club. As every year, the purpose of this charity match is to raise funds for the children´s home Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The best Argentine players will be present for this important event.

The two teams, Jaeger-Le Couture and Anaflex (Bago), will be made up of 6 players each, who will be taking turns to participate in the match. The players that have confirmed their presence are: Facundo Pieres, Marcos Heguy, Bartolomé Castagnola, Pepe y Ruso Heguy, Javier Novillo Astrada, Bauti Heguy and Juan Martín Nero.

Location: San Isidro Jockey Club. Av. Marquez and Isabel la Católica, San Isidro, Province of Buenos Aires.
Tickets: $ 20 pesos on sale at the venue.

The second edition of Festival Sustentable (Sustainable Festival), Organized by Diseño Sustentable, will take place from November 12 to November 15, 2009, at the Botanical Garden of Buenos Aires. Over 70 designers will present more than 100 products during this festival, that will also feature a varied theoretical and practical program on sustainable design and lifestyle, including:

Exhibitions with more than 100 products and projects by Argentinian designers and companies, with principles of economical, social and ecological sustaintability.

Talks by researchers, specialists, professors, instructors and companies.

Workshops led by designers specialized in recicling and manual techniques.

Audiovisual projections

Information and reading space with informative material about desing and ecology.

Some of the participating designers are: Tramando, Baumm, Neumática, Indarra DTX, Planar, Juana de Arco, Designo Patagonia, Marcelo Senra, Miki Friedenbach and Estudio Cabeza, among others.

Among the items that will be exhibited, visitors will have the opportunity to see: cardboard furniture, street and urban furniture made with recicled plastics and rice husk, bio-mass heaters, solar ovens, low consuming street lights that work on cinetic energy, social and fair commerce projects, accesories made with reused paragladings, the latest trends in sustainable textiles like clothes made with organic cotton, wood pulp and other biodegradable materials, and products made from standard industry pieces.

On Saturday, November 14, the festival will remain open from 8 pm to 2 pm as part of the Museum Night, with DJs, audiovisuals, and guided visits.

Location: Botanical Garden Carlos Thays, Avenida Santa Fe 3951

Dates: November 12, 13, 14 and 15, 2009

Opening hours: 11 am to 7 pm (Saturday 14 until 2am -Museum Night)

All activities are free of charge.

The French Week in Buenos Aires "Vivi Francia 2009" will take place from October 26 to November 4, 2009, organized by the French-Argentine Commerce and Industry Chamber (CCIFA), and sponsored by the French Embassy and the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires. A series of activities to enjoy French culture, art, gastronomy, fashion, music and architecture, free and open to all, including guided visits to French buildings in Buenos Aires, a movie festival at Alliance Francaise, make-up and fashion shows, art exhibitions, and a gastronomic festival.

Some of the scheduled activities are:

Guided visits:

Monday 26, 3 pm: Parisian corners of Buenos Aires - Av. Alvear & Cerrito

Tuesday 27, Wednesday 28, 5 pm: Legislative Palace - Peru 160

Wednesday 28, 3 pm: Art, Palaces and Landscapes - Av. Santa Fe & Maipu (San Martin Monument)

Business:

Wednesday 28, 10 am to 7 pm: French-Argentine Business Forum - Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt (registration required)

Cinema:

Monday 26, Tuesday 27, Friday 29, Saturday 30, 8 pm: Movies by David Teboul at Alliance Francaise.

Exhibitions:

Saturday 31, 6 pm: Inauguration of "Images of the Louvre: Six Centuries of French Paintings", in the streets of La Boca.

Wednesday 4, 7 pm: Inauguration of the exhibition "Charles Thays, a French Gardener" - Centro Cultural Recoleta, Junin 1930.

Language:

Conversation groups "Degustation de Francais", every day at a different location (minimum charge of $ 30 pesos)

Music:

Tuesday 27, 8.15 pm: concert homage to Georges Brassens - Espacio Ultra, San Martin 678.

Science:

Visit of Mrs Francoise Barre-Sinousi, Nobel Prize in Medicine 2008.

Fashion and beauty:

Monday 26 to Sunday 1, 4 pm to 9 pm: talks and workshops at Living Frances Renault, Paseo Alcorta Shopping Mall.

Wedsnesday 28 to Sunday 1: Festival Givenchy

Gastronomy:

Festival Gourmet at Sofitel Buenos Aires

Soirees Culturelles at Sofitel Buenos Aires (minimum charge of $ 30 pesos per person)

All the activities are free of charge, some of them with a limited capacity.

For more information, complete daily schedules, and registrations, visit "Vivi Francia 2009" official website (in Spanish only).

Expotrastiendas, the art fair organized by the Argentine Association of Art Galleries (Asociación Argentina de Galerías de Arte or AAGA) since 2001 aims to promote and disseminate visual arts, helping artists to show their production in a different context, which attracts collectors and buyers as well as the general public. Expotrastiendas and AAGA jointly organize different cultural events, such as seminars, contests and exhibitions, which foster and provide dynamism to the art market.

Dates: October 16 - 20, 2009

Location: Centro de Exposiciones de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires. Figueroa Alcorta Avenue and Pueyrredón Avenue

Tickets:

General: AR$15

Retirees and Students: AR$8

Children under 12: free admission

Expotrastiendas official website.

The 116th Hurlingham Club Open Championship, the oldest Polo tournament in the world, will kick off this Wednesday, October 14, 2009, with the participation of the eight best world wide Polo teams and the top ranked polo players.

The Hurlingham Club Open is the second of the championships in the Argentine Polo season that make up the "Triple Crown", following the Tortugas Open Championship and preceding the Argentine Open Championship.

Don´t miss the opportunity of attending this world class event. You can experience Polo the Argentine way. Contact me so I can arrange transportation for you.

Zones:

Zone A: La Aguada Tupungato, Pilará Piaget, Chapa Uno and Alegria.

Zona B: Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra, La Dolfina Peugeot, Indios Chapaleufú II and El Paraiso.

Schedule of matches:

Wednesday, October 14- Zone A
Suspended for rain. New dates and schedule:

Thursday, October 15 - Zone B
2:00 PM Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra vs El Paraíso (3)
4:00 PM La Dolfina Peugeot vs Indios Chapaleufú II (4)
Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra 16 - El Paraíso 8

La Dolfina Peugeot 18 - Indios Chapaleufú II 17

Saturday, October 17 - Zone A
1:00 PM La Aguada Tupungato vs Alegria (1)
3:00 PM Pilará Piaget vs Chapa Uno (2)
La Aguada Tupungato 19 -Alegria 13

Pilará Piaget 16 - Chapa Uno 14

Sunday, October 18 – Zone B
2:00 PM La Dolfina vs El Paraiso
4:00 PM Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra vs Indios Chapaleufú II 

2:00 PM Pilará Piaget vs. Alegría

4:00 PM La Aguada Tupungato Winelands vs. Chapa Uno Hope Funds 
La Aguada Tupungato Winelands 10 - Chapa Uno Hope Funds 8

Saturday, October 24 – Zone A // For the Mexico Cup

12:00 PM El Paraíso vs. Indios Chapaleufú II (Canceled due to rain)

4:00 PM Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra vs. La Dolfina Peugeot 
Ellerstina Etiqueta Negra 19 - La Dolfina Peugeot 13 

Sunday, October 25 – Zone B // For the YPF Cup

2:00 PM Alegría vs. Chapa Uno Hope Funds

4:00 PM La Aguada Tupungato Winelands vs. Pilará Piaget

Result:

Saturday, October 31 - CANCELED FOR RAIN

New date: 
Friday, November 6
FINAL 116th HURLINGHAM OPEN

4:00 PM ELLERSTINA ETIQUETA NEGRA vs LA AGUADA

ELLERSTINA ETIQUETA NEGRA 14 -LA AGUADA 12

The schedule of matches is subject to modifications depending on weather conditions. Check for updates in case of changes.

The fifth edition of Buenos Aires Photo will take place at Palais de Glace in Recoleta from October 28th through November 1st, 2009. This is the only art fair specialized in Photography in Latin America.

This exhibition brings together more than 30 galleries from different countries like: Argentina, Chile, Perú, United States, and Spain.

The works by the finalists of the Petrobras Buenos Aires Photo Award 2009 will be presented,  as well as special sections dedicated to Esteban Pastorino, Sameer Makarius, Nicola Constantino, and contemporary photography  from Berlin. There will be conferences and book presentations every day during the fair.

For more information on participating galleries and schedule of lectures, visit Buenos Aires Photo 2009 official website.

Dates: October 28 to November 1, 2009

Location: Palais de Glace. Posadas 1725

Opening hours: 1 PM to 9 PM

Entry Fee: AR$ 20