Art exhibits, movie screenings, plays, lectures, and musical events are constantly set up by Paraguayan cultural organizations and the cultural centers of several foreign embassies. Most are free or cheap and take place in the center of town near the majority of hotels.
Centro Cultural Juan de Salazar The high caliber Spanish cultural center always has a packed calendar of events with something for everyone. The center has multiple performance spaces where they offer plays, workshops, and musical acts. Art and photography exhibits are very well curated, and there are ongoing film and lectures series as well. There is also an extensive library in the back of the building. A full agenda of events is available on the website. Tel: 021 449 921, Herrera 834 almost at Tacuary (entrance on Tacuary before 6:30pm and on Herrera afterwards), www.juandesalazar.org.py, Office hours: 8am-2pm, Exhibit hours 8am-9:30pm.
Cultural Activities in Paraguay Photo Gallery
Alliance Francaise The French cultural center is mostly geared towards language lessons (French and Spanish), but there are frequent plays and film series as well. Stop by the Le Bistro cafe for buttery croissants and piping hot crepes. Tel: 021 210 382, Estigarribia 1032 almost at EEUU, www.alianzafrancesa.edu.py, Mon-Fri 8am-7:30, Sat 8am-4:30
Centro Cultural de la Embajada de Brasil A steady stream of musicians and actors draw crowds to the Brazilian cultural center’s large and comfortable theater. Tel: 021 248 4156, Corner of Eligio Ayala and Peru, on Facebook, Mon-Thu 8:30am-6pm, Fri 8:30am-2pm
Teatro Municipal Ignacio A. Pane Asuncion’s beautifully restored Municipal Theater offers the public frequent and affordable musical acts, plays, and occasional ballets. Opened in 1889, the theater was shut down in 1995 due to severe deterioration. Four years of restoration work by the Agencia de Cooperation Espanola, and the Escuela Taller de Asuncion brought the theater back to life with beautiful wood floors, original mosaics, and exposed brick walls. The building’s bar has a backdrop of a large tiled sheet of marble that is, fittingly, very theatrical. Tel: 021 448 820, Presidente Franco, between Chile and Alberdi, box office opens at 4:30pm
Going to the Movies
Though Asuncion’s movie theater offerings are nothing special (mostly mega-blockbusters and horror movies), going to the movies is a cheap way to get a couple hours of air-conditioned relief from the intense heat. Matinee prices are Gs.10,000, weekday tickets are Gs. 20,000, all movies on Wednesdays are half price and weekend tickets (Fri-Sun) are Gs.25,000. There are movie theaters in Shopping Villa Morra (Tel: 021 610 032, www.villamorra.com.py), Shopping del Sol (Tel: 021 611 780, www.shoppingdelsol.com.py/cine.php) and HiperSeis (Tel: 021 613 390,
www. cinecenter. com.py
