Mexicali’s municipal government expects roughly 10,000 people to flood downtown bars on Holy Thursday for “Los 7 Templos” (The Seven Temples), the city’s annual Easter week bar crawl that has become one of Baja California’s largest street drinking events.
Mayor Norma Bustamante and city officials are still deciding whether to allow open alcohol consumption in public spaces during the event. Security teams have held coordination meetings aimed at preventing fights, accidents, and medical emergencies, and a special police operation will be deployed for the night.
New Rules for Participating Bars
The municipal government has imposed conditions on downtown bars that want to participate. Each establishment must hire its own private security staff. Bars may only serve drinks in disposable cups, a rule designed to keep glass bottles and aluminum cans off the streets.
Municipal Secretary Rodrigo Llantada said approval for the event is likely, pending cooperation from the local bar association with these safety requirements. The conditions represent the city’s attempt to manage a tradition that draws enormous crowds into a compact downtown area.
A Tradition Rooted in Semana Santa
The name “Los 7 Templos” is a tongue-in-cheek play on the Catholic tradition of visiting seven churches on Holy Thursday. Instead of churches, participants visit seven bars. The tradition has grown into a major annual event in Mexicali, drawing locals and visitors from across the border in Calexico, California, just minutes to the north.
Holy Thursday falls on April 17 this year. For anyone in Mexicali’s downtown that evening, heavy foot traffic and road closures should be expected. The city center, concentrated around Avenida Madero and surrounding blocks, will be the main zone of activity.
The decision on public drinking permits and final security plans had not been announced as of press time. Anyone planning to attend should monitor local announcements from the Mexicali municipal government for updates on street closures and alcohol regulations.
This story was first reported by The Baja Post.